I just attended a birthday party a few days ago–and the cake was awful. It was laden with an icing so sugary that it crunched when I took a bite. And the cake itself was so white and flavorless that it made Twinkies look like a culinary delight. “Why make a cake that sweet?” I cried, plastic fork raised dramatically to the baking gods above.

Back in the day (god, I never thought I’d be the person uttering that phrase), we used to indulge in real cake that was yellow, dense and rich, almost like pound cake but not that heavy. And the icing was divine: creamy like butter, often with a touch of orange or lemon rind…and definitely not “overkill” sweet.

Cake is happy food. If you’re concerned about winning friends and influencing people, bring a cake to a party. People will treat you differently pretty much from that point forward…that’s how powerful a good cake can be. So arm yourself with a good recipe. It could change your life.

Look around for one online. I found an old-fashioned cake recipe I found that would make your mother proud. (URL below)

If a loved one has a birthday coming up, start his or her day right by sending one of our free birthday ecards. It’s a quick and easy way to say, “I love you as much as cake.”

Tasty cake recipe:
http://www.quirkbooks.com/post/good-old-fashioned-yellow-birthday-cake