Jessica Batalana

From King Arthur Baking Company, this is Things Bakers Know. I'm Jessica Batalana, staff editor at King Arthur Baking.

From King Arthur Baking Company, this is Things Bakers Know. I'm Jessica Batalana, staff editor at King Arthur Baking.

And today we're talking about a very important topic, birthday cake.

And today we're talking about a very important topic, birthday cake.

That would be so sad. I'd head over to your house immediately to make you one. I feel like the world is divided into two kinds of people, pie people and cake people. And I think, you know, which camp you fall in says a lot about you. I'm not gonna tell you what I think it says about you, but I think it says a lot about you. I am definitely a cake person.

That would be so sad. I'd head over to your house immediately to make you one. I feel like the world is divided into two kinds of people, pie people and cake people. And I think, you know, which camp you fall in says a lot about you. I'm not gonna tell you what I think it says about you, but I think it says a lot about you. I am definitely a cake person.

I love cake for all occasions, but certainly for birthdays. Like a birthday to me is not a birthday unless you've got...

I love cake for all occasions, but certainly for birthdays. Like a birthday to me is not a birthday unless you've got...

cake birthday pie is kind of sad yeah yeah cake is what makes the party a party i think and i was fortunate that when i was growing up my mother made scratch cakes for all of our birthdays you know she didn't do elaborate decorations anything like that but she made a solid scratch cake for each of her three children on their birthdays did anyone make her a cake who can recall i'm sorry mom

cake birthday pie is kind of sad yeah yeah cake is what makes the party a party i think and i was fortunate that when i was growing up my mother made scratch cakes for all of our birthdays you know she didn't do elaborate decorations anything like that but she made a solid scratch cake for each of her three children on their birthdays did anyone make her a cake who can recall i'm sorry mom

With the exception of going to other kids' birthday parties, all of the cakes that we ate as kids were scratch cakes. And then, you know, we'd go to other kids' parties and they would have store-bought cakes or box cakes.

With the exception of going to other kids' birthday parties, all of the cakes that we ate as kids were scratch cakes. And then, you know, we'd go to other kids' parties and they would have store-bought cakes or box cakes.

Very light.

Very light.

My mom's cakes, she would always wrap a quarter in a piece of tinfoil and then she would slide the quarter into the cake before she frosted it. And then the whole cake would get frosted, kind of like a fev in a king cake. And so then, you know, when you're cutting up the cake, if you were the person that got the wrapped up quarter in there, you would feel like extra special and super lucky.

My mom's cakes, she would always wrap a quarter in a piece of tinfoil and then she would slide the quarter into the cake before she frosted it. And then the whole cake would get frosted, kind of like a fev in a king cake. And so then, you know, when you're cutting up the cake, if you were the person that got the wrapped up quarter in there, you would feel like extra special and super lucky.

I know. I know. Also maybe a choking hazard, but you know. I sort of just remember the excitement of like, oh, who's going to get it? You know, and I think that is the thing about birthday cakes, whether they're store-bought birthday cakes, box cakes, homemade cakes. They just inspire such nostalgia because we remember them as some of the first sweet things we had as kids.

I know. I know. Also maybe a choking hazard, but you know. I sort of just remember the excitement of like, oh, who's going to get it? You know, and I think that is the thing about birthday cakes, whether they're store-bought birthday cakes, box cakes, homemade cakes. They just inspire such nostalgia because we remember them as some of the first sweet things we had as kids.

Amazing. I mean, I have made a lot of birthday cakes for former partners and with various degrees of success. I feel like it's kind of a high stakes thing to do. And you're right. It's a total act of love to make a birthday cake for somebody else. And, you know, this birthday cake tradition is not new.

Amazing. I mean, I have made a lot of birthday cakes for former partners and with various degrees of success. I feel like it's kind of a high stakes thing to do. And you're right. It's a total act of love to make a birthday cake for somebody else. And, you know, this birthday cake tradition is not new.