Birthday Tort

I had a birthday on Monday.

I wanted to post this that day, but things came up and ice cream needed to be eaten, and those Psych episodes weren’t going to sit on the couch and watch themselves.

So yes, here we are, 4 days later, finally getting the chance to sit down and write.

Side note: I’m sorry I promise I’ll get to more sewing projects here really soon. It’s taken me a long time to get my room organized and my sewing stuff set up, but it’s there it’s ready to go all I need is time and inspiration and time.

This birthday was a great one. Not just because it was my second golden birthday (or would we call that a silver birthday?), but also because I was finally excited about having a birthday as an adult.

Here’s why having birthdays as an adult can be remarkably disappointing if you let them be. First, not that many people actually care that it’s your birthday. It’s like you’re all grown up so you don’t need the reassurance from everyone that it’s good you’re another year older. Second, it’s less attractive if as an adult you make everyone honor you as royalty on your birthday. Thus, you’re unable to make people hangout with you based on the fact that you’re one year older. However, it’s a great guilt tool. And there’s many others, but that’s not the point. Other people don’t make your birthday special. You do. After all, if you hadn’t been born who would they be celebrating?

Now, this is what it looks like to have a birthday as an adult:

7am the usual morning line up, I slept in because I’d stayed up late the night before unpacking all of my boxes so my room would be clean for my birthday, and boy did it turn out amazing!

Then I got up and swept the apartment because it looked like a dusty mess.

I then drove to buy myself a special breakfast and on the way home stopped by a store to purchase some ingredients to make myself a birthday cake. Once I got home I made the cake, which I would give the recipe for but I wouldn't want to plagiarize the place where I got it from. Without further ado, enjoy this rendition of making a chocolate tort but without any of the instructions necessary to replicate the process.

First lay out the ingredients on the counter in such a way that it’s hard to tell what is a cake ingredient and what it just random counter clutter.

The plastic jar has cocoa powder in it. Not coffee grounds. I promise I’m not messing with you.

Now, this recipe called for a double boiler. Also known as a bain-marie if you’re into fancy cooking terms.

The basic concept is that the water in the pot boils, but doesn’t touch the mixing bowl resting on the rim and like magic the contents are heated with the steam.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have a bowl big enough to rest on the top of my pot. So after an exhaustive search of my kitchen I came up with the strainer technique.

This technique works great if you have a buddy who can hold it in place so that it doesn’t instantly crash into the boiling water as you try to stir the chocolate and butter together.

Of course I don’t know this from experience. And of course I didn’t splash boiling water on my hands as I dove to save the measuring cup.

After that, you just have to keep adjusting the strainer so it doesn’t fall in again.

Once that was all melted you have a finished, oh wait.

The eggs.

Combine all of that with an oven and…

Wow, you have a beautifully decorated cake.

In all honesty though, just try and have the best day you can on your birthday. Guilt your friends into taking you out for ice cream, go for a walk and act like everything was made just to celebrate you! Who cares if you’re a year older, take joy in another chapter.

That’s all the deep advice I have for that.

I hope the sun is shining where you’re and the day is great!