Cameron turned 6 years old on Friday. That means that I’ve been a mom for 6 years now. I also haven’t had a good nights sleep in 6 years. I’ve anxiously and irrationally worried, cried for no reason, and rarely showered during these past six years. For 6 years I’ve longed for some time alone only to be home sick for my kids when I found myself alone. I’ve yelled a lot, sighed a lot, yawned a lot, and drank a lot more wine since February 2010. For 6 years now most of the conversations I’ve had with adults are about kids (my kids, their kids, kids in the news, my kids again). I look at the world differently now. I’m scared a lot more. I also love a lot more. I made Cameron a sprinkle cake for his birthday because I love him to the moon and back and a billion times around the world, and because these have been the best 6 years of my life.
I got this sprinkle idea from Martha Stewart who got the idea from the book Baked Occasions by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Martha used a vanilla cake and vanilla buttercream with pastel sprinkles on top. You can find her recipe here. I went a different route and made Martha Stewart’s vegan chocolate cake with a vegan vanilla buttercream. Once the cake was frosted I gently pressed the sprinkles on top of the cake and all around the sides. It’s a messy process, so it’s best to place the cake on a large baking sheet while you cover it in sprinkles. This way the sprinkles that fall will fall on the baking sheet and not the floor.
Wesley became infatuated with the sprinkle cake during the photo shoot.
At one point it looked like he was staring at a Jackson Pollock painting or one of those 3D posters from the 90s.
When he finally came out of his trance he decided to go for it. Ironically, this is the boy who doesn’t eat, so you can understand my surprise when he wanted to eat an entire cake. Even if it is covered in sprinkles.
Happy Birthday, my sweet Cameron.
- 3 cups (375 g) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 2/3 cup (70 g) Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 2 tsp. Baking Soda
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 2 cups (400 g) Sugar
- 1 cup (250 ml) Canola Oil
- 4 tsp. Instant Espresso Powder dissolved in 2 cups (500 ml) Hot Water
- 4 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- 4 TBS Cider Vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups (260 g) Non-Dairy Margarine (I used Earth's Balance)
- 3 and 1/2 to 4 cups (500 g) Powdered Sugar
- 1/8 tsp. Salt
- 1 TBS Vanilla Extract
- 2-3 TBS Non-Dairy Milk (optional)
- 1 and 1/2 cups (298 g) Multi Colored Sprinkles
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line two 9-inch, round cake pans.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and sugar. In a small bowl, mix together the oil, espresso, and vanilla extract. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated. Add the vinegar and stir quickly.
- Pour equal amounts of batter into the two cake pans and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean after inserted.
- Allow to cool in pans for 10 minutes. Flip cakes onto wire racks and cool completely.
- Using a hand-held or stand mixer, whip the margarine until smooth (about a minute or two). Add a half cup of powdered sugar and the salt, and mix until combined. Stir in the vanilla extract. Gradually mix in the remaining powdered sugar until you reach a good spreading consistency. If the frosting is too thick add a little non dairy milk to thin it out.
- When the cakes are completely cool, place one carefully on a cake plate.
- Spread about 3/4 cup of "buttercream" on top and smooth it around. Leave a 1/2-inch space from the border.
- Carefully place the second cake on top of the "buttercream" filling. With some frosting, smooth a thin coat all over the cake (top and sides). Refrigerate cake for 30 minutes, or until coating has set.
- Once set, frost the entire cake. Once frosted, place the cake stand on a large baking sheet. Gently press sprinkles on top of the cake, and then all around the sides so that all of the frosting is covered in sprinkles. Carefully brush off the sprinkles that have fallen on the cake plate. Enjoy!
- Electric mixer
- Parchment paper
- two 9-inch, round cake pans
- Off-set spatula
- Large rimmed baking sheet
- Pastry brush
- Cake stand
