A Summer Birthday!

Today is my brother Matt's 26th Birthday!

To celebrate he told me he would like to come over our house for Thai food and cake! Thai Food is being delivered via take-out from The King & I and the cake...well of course I volunteered to make the cake!

After looking for ideas and debating over what to do for his cake, I went with his tried and true favorite.

Box cake and fresh strawberries.

Of course, I had to do my take on it.

I made a French Vanilla Flavored Cake with Fresh Strawberry Jam and Fresh Homegrown Strawberries chopped in for the filling. For the icing I went with plain old Vanilla Buttercream.

I planned on putting Fresh Homegrown Strawberries on top but did not plan on a very humid day.

At first I put all the washed strawberries on top with the leaves and stems attached. Wouldn't you know it I didn't like the way it looked so I took them all off, cut the leaves and stems off and reattached all the strawberries cut side down. It looked much better but now I had an even bigger problem.

Because it is so hot and humid today the strawberries keep juicing and dripping. So I have strawberry juice just dripping down the side of the cake. I put it in the fridge to hopefully combat that...

Oh yeah, and I also placed a band of sliced strawberries around the base instead of piping a border. Regardless, I am sure he will like it!

And at any rate....

Happy Birthday Matt! You always were and will be my favorite brother!

(Okay, okay...I know you are the only one but still my thoughts and sentiments have to count for something!)

***** Update: We just ate the cake and OH MY GOD!!! It tasted like Strawberry Shortcake but with Buttercream. I think next time I would make homemade whipped cream instead of the buttercream but it was to die for!