My sweet little god-daughters (and my niece) are the closest thing I have to children right now. I’ve had them in my life for quite a few years now and their smiling faces and laughter brings me joy like no other.
It’s an amazing feeling and I assume that it’ll only be topped when I have children of my own. Just the other night I sat in a little civic center, among proud parents and grandparents as I grinned ear to ear and clapped as my oldest god-daughter was inducted into the Beta Club for her school.
Who knew that it was possible to feel that much pride and happiness for someone that wasn’t actually yours. <3 Alyssa, turned 11 this year, just a month ago actually. She’s growing up into quite the little lady. Do you know that she got glasses the other day, she looks so grown with them on.
But let’s move on, I know… like always………You’re here for the cake. 😉
I’ve been making Alyssa’s birthday cake for years, I’ve pretty much only missed out like 2 birthday cakes.
Once was before I really knew how to make cake and once was because I was over loaded with life and I regret not making it for her.
Every year we sit down together and we plan out her birthday cake. This year, she picked this design and I brought it to life.
I’m not really a cake decorator and while I have people ask me to make cakes for them I normally turn them down.
I have a super busy schedule anyways but I save my cake making time for family mainly and super close friends.
Not that they’re anything really special about these cakes but I put lots of love into each one and I don’t want to take away from the joy and care I put into making the few cakes that I do make.
I feel like if I started to make them for everyone that I might not feel that over whelming love when I’m baking and decorating cakes for my sweethearts.
Do you bake cakes for birthdays and holidays? Am I wrong in thinking that it won’t be as special if I’m making them for everyone? I’m pretty sure that I’ll get overwhelmed.
I’m a simple girl when it comes to cakes and thankfully Alyssa was this year. (Normally she had some crazy but awesome cake ideas haha)
I am not a great decorator, so my cake decorations are simple and easy to do.
Don’t fret. I know that you can decorate a cake.
You don’t need any amazing cake decorating skills to make a cake look nice. I promise. All of the flowers and swirls are make out of icing and the pearls are just little sugar pearl sprinkles that I stuck to the side of the cake. The inside is my version of a white chocolate cake although I think that next time I’m going to really bump up the white chocolate cake part even more.
Happy Birthday, Alyssa………and anyone else that’s reading out there. If it’s your birthday, Happy Birthday to you too! <3
What if I just share the recipe with y’all? Let’s do it.
White Chocolate Birthday Cake
A semi-homemade white chocolate covered with a homemade white chocolate cream cheese icing.
- Prep Time: 30m
- Cook Time: 30m
- Yield: 1 3-layer cake
Ingredients
For Cake:
- 2 box white cake mix
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 8 egg whites
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup milk
- 4 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cups sour cream (16oz container)
- 4 teaspoons vanilla
For Icing:
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup milk + more if desired for thinner icing
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 8 ounces Cream cheese, softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 8 cups powdered sugar + more if desired for thicker icing
- Mini Peal Sprinkles ** Optional
- Medium Peal Sprinkles ** Optional
- Purple Food Coloring * Optional
Instructions
For Cake:
- Pre-heat oven to 350F.
- In a sauce pan, heat the milk and white chocolate, whisking until white chocolate is melted. Let cool.
- In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, flour, sugar, and salt. In the bowl of a mixer, mix together the egg whites and vanilla, water, white chocolate/milk and vanilla. Mix on low for about 10 seconds.
- Slowly add the dry mix a little at a time. Mixing on low until everything is combined. Add sour cream and mix well.
- Pour into cake pans and bake for 30 minutes or until done.
- Remove from oven and cool. --- I used baked this cake in 4 - 8inch cake tins. - I only used 3 for the actual cake and used the last layer for cake pops.
For Icing
- In a sauce pan, heat the milk and white chocolate, whisking until white chocolate is melted. Let cool.
- Cream butter in the bowl of a mixer.
- Add cream cheese and mix well.
- Slowly add powdered sugar while mixing.
- Add in white chocolate and milk.
- Add vanilla. Whip.
- Add more powdered sugar for thicker icing or add more milk for thinner icing.
- Reserve about 1 cup - 1 1/2 cups of frosting for icing border and the flowers if desired.
- Once cooled, level the cakes if needed but carefully cutting off the rounded tops to make a flat surface. Stack them onto a cake board, adding a layer of frosting in between each layer.
- Frost the cake with a crumb coat and place into the fridge for 1 hour. Crumb Coat just makes, spreading icing all over the cake, gently smooth it out but it doesn't need to be perfect. This is just your base coat.
- Remove cake from fridge. Finishing frosting the cake and decorate with details.
- I piped a boarder around the top and bottom with a Star tip #21.
- I piped the purple flowers with the same Star tip #21 and placed three little mini pearl sprinkles in the middle of each one.
- Then I stuck medium pearl sprinkles on the sides of the cake.
What a gorgeous cake. I envy your cake-making skills!! I’m so bad at it. I don’t blame you for only doing these for very special occasions – they are a lot of work!
What a gorgeous cake!
What a gorgeous looking cake! your girl must be very happy on her 11th b’day. I always bake for my family occasion as well.. much work but it’s happy worth for me 🙂
I loooove white chocolate…this is a beautiful cake
White chocolate doesn’t get near enough play in the cake realm 😀 This looks delish! Love that the decorating is simple and yet still really pretty, too. I’m not great at decorating, either 😀
Oh my! Look at that gorgeous cake! you are so talented!
Happy birthday to your sweet Alyssa!
WOW! That looks gorgeous!
Angie, I love how much care and love you put into your niece’s cakes. You are one special aunt. This cake is gorgeous. I love the colors you’ve chosen to use, and I love how simply perfect you’ve decorated it! Happy Birthday to your niece!
This would make a great wedding cake too!
Happy birthday Alyssa! This cake is so pretty, I’m sure she loved it! Now I’m craving a giant slice of cake….haha.
This cake is gorgeous! You did a wonderful job. That is one lucky birthday girl. 🙂
Angie – that cake is absolutely gorgeous- the colors, the piping – just lovely! Your niece had the best birthday cake!
Oh my goodness– don’t sell yourself short, I think your cake is decorated beautifully. I’m totally impressed. Happy birthday to your niece. The cake is gorgeous and really sounds fantastic!
You have one lucky god-daughter! What a beautiful cake!
You are such an awesome aunt and cake decorator!
this cake is gorgeous. it just makes me so happy!
What a stunning cake. Your god daughter will love it. So pretty.
This is a beautiful cake!
This cake is beyond beautiful!! 😀 Great job!