When you think about it, birthday cake is kind of a funny thing: what other dessert do we put candles on, sing to, spit at as we try to blow out the candles, then watch as crowds clamor for a piece?
Yet in spite of the fact that it is a sharing food, birthday cake can also be a very personal thing, with the flavor really being up to the birthday person. It's an opportunity to celebrate another year going by with the cake you choose, be it strawberry shortcake, double chocolate cake, or even store-bought Funfetti.
Here's the classic I chose for my late August birthday this year: a fluffy golden yellow cake topped with a crowning glory of rich, stick-to-your-teeth fudge frosting. The contrast of light cake and thick frosting is simply beyond compare—a taste and texture combination which is guaranteed to take you back to the glee of the birthday parties of yesteryear, if only for a few bites.