Take your cake seriously—start from scratch..

Here’s an easy-to-make—and
bake—recipe for a classic
dessert.

Now that I’ve raised children of my own, I realize that birthdays are special because parents make them that way. From the time children are too young to know what’s going on, they are propped up behind mountainous cakes, wearing curious expressions somewhere between fear and delight, as people set candles on fire, turn out the lights and start intoning some mysterious chant.

The aura of magic is heightened as people exhort the child to make a wish before the candles are extinguished. Kids probably wish they knew what was going on! In our house, the special day meant that we got to pick the dinner menu and Mom made us a cake of our choosing. I don’t know when cake mixes started coming in boxes, but that was definitely not the case in our house. Mom was an excellent baker and had a full repertoire of layer and sheet cakes, pies, cookies, brownies, tarts and breads. She had honed her recipes to perfection and measured them out with scientific accuracy.

A teaspoon of vanilla extract meant just that amount before a drip slid over the edge. Flour was sifted, measured, swept even with the back of a knife and then added. The brand of extract did not vary—nor did the size of the eggs. These might seem like small things in the life of a cake, but it means that the repetition of a particular recipe over the years burns a food memory into the brain that only deepens with time. The flavors, the textures and the aromas all work together to re-create those special moments when we were the center of attention and got to make the wish. My favorite (and most frequently requested) birthday cake was chocolate with fluffy white icing. You probably have all the ingredients you need for this simple cake and frosting in the house so you won’t be tempted to go out and buy a box mix.

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TOP 10 ESSENTIALS FOR COOKING
Here's my top-10 list of kitchen essentials for a well-equipped kitchen:

1. An 8-inch chef knife and 3-inch paring knife. Make sure they are high-carbon stainless, forged knives. Avoid the "82-knife set."

2. Cutting board. I favor nylon or bamboo. In either case, make sure it is lightweight and at least 12-by-20-inches.

3. Measuring cups and spoons. You'll need a 2-cup and a 4-cup liquid measuring cup, a set of measuring cups for dry ingredients and a set of measuring spoons. Stainless steel is the most durable.

4. A 12-inch nonstick skillet with cover. Tri-ply such as All-Clad is the best for even heating. This pan does everything from omelets to sautés.

5. An 8-quart stock pot. This is essential for boiling pasta, steaming vegetables or making large batches of chili, soups and stews.

6. Colander. Get stainless steel with firmly riveted handles.

7. A 3-quart covered saucepan. This rounds out your pots-and-pans inventory for small boiling projects and heating canned soups.

8. A four-sided cheese grater. Freshly grated cheese is a big flavor boost for your cooking. This tool is also useful for grating vegetables and shredding lemon zest.

9. Sheet pan. This inexpensive pan has raised sides and can be used to bake cookies, breads and pizza, or to roast vegetables and meats.

10. A 6-quart slow cooker. This is a working couple's best friend. Ten minutes of prep in the morning yields a dinner entree and loads of leftovers. The models with the thickest insert provide the slowest, most-even cooking. Be sure it's at least a 5-quart capacity.

- Chris Fennimore