Celebrate your Baby's First Birthday with an Amazing Cake

My, how time flies when you're raising a baby, doesn't it? And now your baby is having a first birthday! What to do! You want to make it extra special, memorable and most of all, chocolaty personal. So which cake to bake?  Most store-bought chocolate cake recipe have the same basic ingredient: chocolate of course. What you need to do to make a different and unique First Birthday Cake Recipes is to add an ingredient that won't really alter the cake radically and is pleasing to all tastes. You don't want to use cinnamon because not all kids have attained that level of sophistication in terms of taste buds. And white chocolate doesn't really take the cake. Children have always been curious about coffee because it smells so good. I remember when I was a kid; I would try to sip from my father's cup but was never allowed. So let's give the kids a treat!

Ingredients: 

- 2 measured cups of cake flour
- 1 packed cup of brown sugar
- 1/4 leveled cup of cocoa
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1 level teaspoon of iodized salt
- 1 regular egg
- 1 cup cold water mixed with 1 teaspoon of instant decaffeinated coffee
- 1/3 cup of canola or palm oil
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract for added flavor

Method: 

- Pre-heat your oven to 350°F or 177°C.
- Use non-stick spray on a 9-inch round baking pan.
- Sift the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients and mix by hand until well mixed.
- Bake in your oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until the cake springs back when touched.
- Cool the cake before removing from the pan to a wire rack.

  The frosting ingredients:

- 1 cup softened cream cheese
- 1/3 cup room temperature butter
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla flavor
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- Food color 

Method:

- Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
- Very slowly add in the powdered sugar.
- Add the sour cream and vanilla extract and continue beating, increasing the speed to medium.
- Set aside some frosting for the trimmings.
- Evenly spread frosting over the cooled cake.
- Add food coloring to the remaining frosting.
- Spoon the remaining frosting into a pastry bag and pipe the edges of the cake.
- Put the cake in the fridge prior to adding decorations.

Proceed to adorn your cake with 1 candle, candy flowers, sprinkles, lollipops, marshmallows, jellybeans, and maybe even a miniature toy carousel. Adorn the cake as your heart desires.