Recently, we celebrated the first birthday of our dear little boy.
Which means that yes, it's one year ago that Auntie Leila became an amateur midwife and a little less than a year since I recounted Peabodee's dramatic entrance. In case you're in a mood for a birth story.
I was talking with some friends about the paradox of a first birthday: on the one hand, we as the moms want to do well for our precious little ones and we sense the opportunity to start off a tradition; on the other hand, the kid is one, and therefore doesn't care much and certainly won't remember anything. It's a funny place to be.
Despite my one-year-old being a very picky eater, I did land upon a few featured items that I thought he'd really enjoy on his big day. He loves cheese (especially cream cheese), he's recently become a fan of graham crackers… His birthday is always going to be in the spring… So a springy carrot cake seems like a great tradition to start, right? What could be more perfect than this Carrot Graham Layer Cake from smitten kitchen*, which will – of course – be accompanied by a cream cheese frosting?!
I thought that this was surely the jackpot. I had struck gold and would never again have to wonder what do make him for his birthday. He'd grow up loving this and always looking forward to it as his special cake that only comes around once a year… You're welcome, future Deirdre – one less decision to make on an annual basis!
Except he didn't finish his piece. Finnabee didn't even finish her piece. Every following day since then when I've tried to tempt him with leftovers, he has flatly refused. And, to be honest, the Artist and I haven't totally loved the cake, either.
*I wonder if the fault is mine for a slight recipe change: I didn't have enough cream cheese for the proportions of the recipe, so I substituted ricotta cheese (about 1/2 cup, I'd say). When first mixed, the frosting tasted delicious. The first few bites of each slice of cake tasted delicious. But by the end of each piece there was something… dull? cloying? I wonder if we were missing an essential bit of zing from that extra cream cheese. (I also used coconut oil instead of butter, and wonder if that might be an explanation for why my layers seem flatter than Deb's look.)
I haven't completely given up, however. Maybe another time around I'll try my mom's carrot cake recipe, which is more carrot-y tasting, anyway.
This week's links — again, a collection of miscellany this time around:
- The feast of the Ascension is this coming Thursday. Does it matter that it's Thursday? Can it just be another day? Douglas Farrow in First Things Magazine makes the case.
- Mark Regnerus is a professor who has been vilified for standing by his findings on how children of same-sex couples fare. Time has only strengthened his position, however. Media Gush over New Study, only to Find Same-Sex Parents More Irritated with Their Children.
- Auntie Leila says, “interesting — one of several stories recently that to me, just show that discoveries come from an interested person who pursues interesting thoughts, not from any particular sort of technical education.” Copper Pajamas: An 18-Year-Old School Girl Beats Scientists to A MRSA Remedy
- This really needs no introduction: Midwife Rides Inflatable Swan trough Houston Floods to Deliver Baby
- Christopher Mueller is directing all the English World Youth Day liturgies. Since music vitally affects the spirit of any particular liturgy, this is great news. Let's help Mr. Mueller get his whole family (who sing chant and polyphony together) to Poland for this event! You can hear some of the music in the video at the top of this kickstarter page, and send a few dollars his way if you can (they are very close to their goal!). Who are the poor today? Many of them are those starving for beauty and true worship!
From the Archives:
Annie says
I had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Regnerus speak to a group of Catholic students at the University of Texas (my alma mater, where he teaches). I only wish I’d taken his intro sociology class instead of the one I actually took, which was mediocre at best. I’ve heard great things about it from friends who had him as a professor, and now I enjoy reading his work. It’s really so brave of him to continue his research despite harsh criticism! Thanks for sharing, as always.
Rosie says
You know, I made Mama make us that cake last year for Easter when Nora was born, and we were also underwhelmed. One of the very few times I’ve been disappointed by a SK recipe. (I’m sorry I didn’t publicize the disappointment enough to spare you the same!) However, it did teach me that 3-layer cakes are simply more exciting than those with two layers, and there’s no reason not to make a special cake into 3 instead!
Robin says
And it gives more opportunity for frosting!
Lisa G. says
I’m glad we celebrate Ascension Day on the Thursday where I live. This also puts me in mind of the strangeness of the holy days which are only holy days if they don’t fall on Monday or Saturday. How can a day be holy only some of the time? What message does that send?
Emily says
A bunch of stereotypes ahead, but let me just say: I become an emotional basket case without my husband. We have three girls. When he travels, it is emotion overload around here, and we all yearn for his return to help everyone take a deep breath. If my child-rearing partner couldn’t/didn’t talk me off the ledge calmly, help me look at child behavior through a rational lens, discuss strategy instead of just reacting with me, I don’t know what I would do! Irritation and anger indeed. And even though they are girls, all our children need the rough housing that only dad can provide. It takes the edge off every time. God forbid dad be taken from us, the first thing I’d do is arrange weekly rough housing sessions with his old wrestling buddies for the kids! I cannot raise kids well without a husband (man.)
It confuses me that, with one hand, society (rightfully) lauds the contributions of male teachers, coaches and role models in the lives of kids without fathers, and with the other hand creates and encourages the conditions for a child to grow up precisely with this absence.
Cristina says
I love that recipe. We made it only two layers but that has become our go to recipe for carrot cake!!! And all our friends love it. Bummed that you were underwhelmed by it.
Donna L. says
I love carrot cake! The best recipe I have found is Ina Garten’s Carrot pineapple cake….sans raisins, please! I also always change the making of it—less oil [substitute some of the pineapple juice} and use softened butter and make it more “cake-like” instead of muffin/banana bread….
I tried to make a healthful option cake for my one year old, and he didn’t finish it either….don’t feel bad! I have gone to vanilla cakes with fun frosting in the years since for babies…chocolate is always a hit at the second birthday!!
Mrs. B. says
I remember our First Birthday as new parents… our son couldn’t have cared less about the cake, even the simple pound cake we had. He did enjoy his presents though! Second baby, same story… Third baby turning one, and I made Leila’s buttermilk chocolate cake – a resounding success! He loved it! He loved the whole candle and singing experience, so that we had to light candles and sing with the leftovers as well, but he really did love the cake itself (we have photographic proof 🙂 ) – I didn’t even make any frosting, just powdered sugar! Whenever I make that cake (quite often in fact, cough cough…) he lights up and shouts, “Birthday cake!”
The moving of Ascension bothers me every year… Epiphany, too. How carelessly we throw meaning and significance out of the window! How poorly we understand human nature if we think it’s no big deal, and for just this once it won’t make a big difference…
Sharyn says
I made some carrot cake cupcakes for my daughters birthday last year which fell on Easter day. You can see them here, if you scroll down to the bottom of the post http://thewildestofadventures.blogspot.com.au/2015/04/an-easter-day-birthday.html
I was really pleased with them. I made ‘grass’ icing and put a little rabbit with eggs sitting on top.
If I was going to guess why your cake wasn’t quite a hit I’d say, too much of the cream. At least that would be the complaint in my household as I have rather picky cake eaters. I think I made chocolate cake for my eldest’s first birthday cake, and was dismayed when after presenting her with the wonder of all wonders, her first chocolate cake, she hardly ate a piece. Hmmmm.
The way I look at first birthdays now after 6 more children, is that they are for the family rather than the little one. It’s us who are celebrating the great day, that was the baby’s birth 🙂
Tacy Williams Beck says
Our cakes are always hit or miss. It looks delicious. I love food stories, nonetheless.
Logan says
I laughed heartily at the cake story, I guess my carrot cake misery loves company. I have had noticeable difficulty in producing delicious carrot cakes in my career.
I also came across this older photo-slide that I thought LMLD people might appreciate: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/17/lost-now-found-photos-motherhood_n_5523482.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular
Mirtilli Rossi says
thanks, those were lovely photos!
B says
I’m not sure, but I think this is the carrot cake we liked best http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/carrot-cake/64acd01e-14ad-4e03-9fe1-b62b03ff4667
Frosting is harder but I think these are the ones we liked http://allrecipes.com/recipe/7737/chocolate-cheese-frosting/
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/9926/cream-cheese-frosting-ii/
We prefer pie for early birthdays since it’s less messy, even with the filling to deal with. Cookies and cupcakes are too awkward, and I hate the idea of a smash cake, which is what people tend to expect if you do cake.
Anamaria says
Thanks for the Mark Regnerus link- I hadn’t seen that piece. It’s interesting to speculate how the presence of the father might keep us women from thinking our children are naughtier than others their age- perhaps because the father is the locus of discipline, so those children are, in fact, naughtier, without the father to lead the way?
The birth story: very exciting! My second was born in December, and it was quite quick as well. Woke up at 2:17, she was born at 4:10 🙂
Lynda says
Dierdre, while I love to read Deb’s posts and descriptions and I am sure she is charming,…I have found her recipes to be hit – or – miss. And, frankly, more often miss. They almost always require some tweaking at least. Frankly, she is terrific at descriptions and marketing but I think she is less skilled at actually cooking and developing recipes. But she does have tons of readers who comment, and if you read down through all of them to find people who have actually cooked the recipe there will often be helpful hints.
I have a couple of carrot cake recipes and cream-cheese frosting recipes that I have made numerous times over the years. They are certified delicious, if you would like the recipes. But I’m betting your mother’s recipe will fill the bill.