One of the glorious parts of my job as a wedding photographer is that there is an off-season. Glory, glory hallelujah! {I doubt I’d survive life without an off-season. This year, mine started 2 weeks ago with a Hawaiian vacation.} I can finally play a little catch up and spend some time on areas that I don’t have time for during the busy half of the year. So here I am, sharing my first personal post in quite some time in honor of my 30th birthday!
Usually my preferred method of birthday celebration is to do something just with Jamie, and often the day starts with breakfast in bed. This year, since I was welcoming in a new decade I wanted to do something extra special. Somehow I got the idea to bake myself three pinterest-worthy cakes, and once I get an idea in my head…it will happen.
I love cake. Especially pretty cake. I never make cake though, and I don’t actually bake very often. I dislike recipes and love to cook meals using whatever I can find in the fridge…a little of this, a little of that kinda style. In spite of this, I committed to the cakes and decided on these three:
1. Malted milk cake with pink meringue buttercream and *sprinkles*! {Find the recipe here: La Pêche Fraîche}
2. Triple layered “Poorman’s Cake” with a boiled milk frosting, topped with chocolate ganache
3. Raspberry-almond tart with shortbread crust, topped with fresh berries and almond cream
I figured these three covered all of the bases of my favorite deserts…and I must say they were amazing. I had way too much fun throughout the entire process…from choosing the cakes to baking, decorating, photographing and then of course, sampling!

My plan was to take the cakes to various friends’ houses and share them, but my sweet husband planned something a little better. It started off with my mom surprising me at the airport. I got off the plane from my final Chicago trip of the year to see her waiting for me! I was shocked, to say the least. Then I found out that Jamie had planned a surprise murder mystery dinner with some wonderful friends…for which he finished building me the most beautiful farm-style dining table I could imagine as a birthday gift. My mother in law made an Italian feast, and we ate the three cakes for dessert.
It was the best birthday, I felt so very loved! I hope everyone gets to feel like that when they hit 30.
(…which I think is going to be a pretty awesome decade, by the way. Why anyone fears the 30s is beyond me.)