A Birthday Cake Story
White Velvet Butter Cake , originally uploaded by Lilandra.
I bought Rose Levy Beranbaum‘s The Cake Bible along with a host of books I got recently. I did wonder why I was buying a Cake Book. I was a bit bolstered by the lack of much of them in our shelves but me? cakes? Anywayz, that story is for another day.
I’m here to tell you about the epitome of my cake desires…the jam layer cake.
And before I go any further:
Disclaimer: Today is not my birthday. My birthday does not fall around this day. In fact, August is certainly not my birthday month.
My family doesn’t really celebrate birthdays. (For the record, strict practising muslims, don’t celebrate birthdays at all). Even before we knew this, or tried to keep this, we never had birthday parties. For the most part birthdays were celebrated en famille with cake and ice-cream and no chores for the day. Since I wasn’t into cake (I didn’t think it was anything special), my “cake” was always Lemon Meringue Pie.
In fact, I think quite a lot of my (older) birthdays were spent sleeping. And you may not believe it, but those weren’t even the worst or most depressing of my birthdays.
Despite this, my first birthday memory was of a party. I think I was four. I think it was a birthday party. And I think it was mine. I remember thinking ooo! I’m celebrating my birthday and my cousin is being born. I think that was the most enthralling of my thoughts. Was it a real memory? I don’t know. When I ask mom she says it sounds about right. Where were my parents? At the hospital? But I think I really do remember this. It’s weird, huh?
Anywayz, once when I was older (twelve?), we went by my aunt and there was a birthday party. Details about why only Sister the Elder and I were there are sketchy. I’m not even sure if it was at my aunt’s house or if we went somewhere else from there. But I sort of remember two birthdays…or two birthday cakes all for the birthday girl (my cousin! and if she ever reads this, there’s no hard feelings). I don’t think my aunt was in control of this party…I mean I doubt it because I doubt I would’ve felt like … left out? side-lined? unimportant? I remember there was a cake all covered with a white buttercream (I think? or was it eggwhite frosting?) and m&m’s (or smarties?) stuck all over it as decoration. And I was a bit envious or … if not quite envious, depressed but very polite. There was nothing about it being my birthday. This is why I really think we were at a friend of my cousin’s house…or some of my cousin’s family…and somehow my sister and I were there. And you have to understand, I’m really sensitive. I cry easily. And alienation…well…that’s my good friend. Basically my memories of this are just me being sad, depressed, polite and not saying anything. (Why do people do this? Thankfully the next time this happened I was 21, and the third birthday girl was…10! and although all parties involved were family, I was smart and older and worried about other things).
Of course, my sister knew what was going on with me.
Maybe I said something to her or she saw my face or knew how a (was I about 12??)-year old would feel on her birthday when her little cousin has a birthday cake and birthday gifts and she doesn’t. I mean she would’ve been 17 (if I was 12…hmmm maybe I was younger…she could’ve been 14-16). Of course, maybe she just knew me!
And she promised me to make me a birthday cake.
A layered cake! Which is what I wanted and with jam spread between the layers.
And I was so happy.
She was the greatest sister ever.
I don’t remember the cake precisely. I’m not even sure when the cake was made (our family is all about 11 months after the fact gifts).
But I remember taking out mom’s three layer pans and my sister making a cake. Or that’s all I remember about the cake.
And so, nice jam layered cakes have always been something I want. Something I like. Of course, it helps when the cake is soooooo moist and delicious and paired with guava jam…Yum!
Have a slice of White Velvet Butter Cake , originally uploaded by Lilandra.
Because this is the first cake I made in a long time (not counting Chocolate Heart of Darkness), I posted a whole set on Flickr. Heh.
huh. i know nothing of this strange party. why did you go? i guess we’ll have to ask sister the elder, who apparently has only now decided to catch up on our blogs and has determined she does not like this term “sister the elder”. i told her there’s nothing really she can do about it. she’s not convinced. but she is still the elder of my two sisters, and the elder of yours, so…
this was good cake – i never dream of jam cake, but this was really good
Comment by Chennette — Friday 15th, August 2008 @ 10:39 am
she can sign on if she wishes and dub herself something else.
I used to call her Big Sis…would that work?
Or, I was thinking, we could call her Red!
You do know of the 4-year old party tho right?
That was over the road.
Why did we go? I don’t know. Aunty called and invited us? I know it’s not a dream because I remember the cake.
Also…I have more to go on jam cakes and cakes in general.
Comment by Lilandra — Friday 15th, August 2008 @ 1:51 pm
“m&m’s (or smarties?)”…more likely good old Charles Chocolate Cheers!
Comment by Chennette — Friday 15th, August 2008 @ 3:32 pm
and I don’t think she wants anything with “Sis” in the title. She says we have NAMES like we’re people and she just has this sister-the-elder thing…I think she suffering from a mommy-syndrome of lost identity – what if we had continued to call her the Mommy?
anyway when she reads this (probably on my internet tonight) she might be grousing some more – set her up with a wordpress account or something…she should blog for the next year anyway
Comment by Chennette — Friday 15th, August 2008 @ 3:34 pm
ok
but we need a name for her
and not Red*…though knowing her she might get her first name
too not-anonymous
you know, i know there was something else
and it’s entirely possible it was cheers but somehow i doubt…i had a feeling it was something either foreign or exotic or expensive…something different…which made me feel even more exiled?
Comment by Lilandra — Friday 15th, August 2008 @ 3:50 pm
and what are we supposed to call her if not sister?
we call mom mom and brother bro/brother and dad dad
together we only have one sister
if i’m talking about you i say chennette
if you’re talking about me you say lilandra
if we talk about her she’s sister
Comment by Lilandra — Friday 15th, August 2008 @ 3:51 pm
[...] Chennette thinks we should sign her up for a wordpress account [...]
Pingback by Lily’s Blog, Dragon Absconded! » Sister needs a name — Friday 15th, August 2008 @ 3:55 pm
Hmmm, well yes sign her up then……
Comment by trinimom — Friday 15th, August 2008 @ 4:06 pm
all that and she doesn’t comment on the birthday story
no confirmation
will have to wait for
sisto come onlinemaybe she’ll at least remember making a cake for me
Comment by Lilandra — Friday 15th, August 2008 @ 4:07 pm
Hmmmm…. I must comment ….anyway yes I do remember the birthday when you were 4 years as your cousin was born and I had baked a cake for you and bought ice cream… and since we had to go to the Nursing Home to see baby etc the people across the road volunteered to host the affair with all the children in the houses around.So there were other snacks as well. Baby brother went with us to Nursing Home.
Now the other one I cannot remember why only two of you went and not the other two that is Chennette and your brother but the M&M plastered cake is familiar and the elder sis baking you a 3 layered cake sometime after ….the latter I remember as I had to help… smile
Comment by trinimom — Friday 15th, August 2008 @ 7:50 pm
I like this story! I just made a birthday cake for my sister for her 21st birthday. I flew to Florida and made it special, just for her. I think that everybody could use a cake to make someone feel special. My hat’s off to your sister! Steph
Comment by Steph Cakes — Sunday 31st, August 2008 @ 12:07 pm
thanks Steph. I loved her so much too.
What kind of cake did you make your sister?
Comment by Lilandra — Monday 1st, September 2008 @ 2:02 pm