our birthday cake tradition continues

semi-homemade birthday cupcakes

When my daughter turned three, I started a little mother-daughter birthday cake tradition: she gets to choose the cake mix, icing and decorations, then we make the cake together. This year she wanted cupcakes and chose Trader Joe’s cake mix and frosting, along with rainbow sprinkles.

A lot of people seemed surprised that I used a cake mix. They just assumed I make everything from scratch. Not so! Although, I hear it’s pretty simple. Maybe next year we’ll give it a try.

I’m delighted that my daughter is still interested in mother-daughter cakes, even after seeing some of the amazing store bought cakes her friends have. I hope our tradition lasts for many years.

Do you bake with your kids?

semi-homemade: last year’s dinosaur cake

cupcake with chocolate icing, please

Last Friday my daughter noticed that the cork stopper on our sugar jar was shaped like a cupcake. (It looks like this.) She carried it around all day and wanted to take it to bed with her (so Puppy and Mickey could have a midnight snack, perhaps?). I asked her, “if you could have a cupcake with icing, what kind of icing would you like?” “Chocolate!”

amigurumi crochet cupcake

I whipped up this little thing before I went to bed and left it on the kitchen table for her. I love doing that! It’s so fun to watch her find it in the morning. It’s already starting to look well loved, isn’t it?

stash: Thrifted yarn and beads from my stash. Free cupcake pattern from BitterSweet.