Farmer Birthday Cake (easy to make)

Farmer Birthday Cake (easy to make)

We all love celebrating birthdays at our little homestead. There’s nothing more joyful than gathering with family and friends to mark another year spent surrounded by nature’s bounty.

This year, I wanted to create a birthday cake that really captured the spirit of our farm – one that would remind us all of the beauty we find in simple things. So I set about designing a cake topped with an edible farm scene that would be as delicious as it was delightful. Here is how I made my Homestead Birthday Cake.

The Cake

I started by mixing up a classic vanilla cake recipe using ingredients from our farm. In place of white sugar, I sweetened the batter with honey harvested from our beehives. Fresh eggs from the chickens and a splash of milk from our Jersey cow added extra goodness.

I sifted together the dry ingredients – flour milled from wheat grown in our fields and a pinch of salt harvested through evaporation from our pond. Finally, I whisked in vanilla extracted from beans grown on a neighboring farm. The sweet aroma of the batter was intoxicating!

I divided the fluffy batter between two greased cake pans and smoothed the tops. Then into a 350 degree oven they went. About 30 minutes later, I tested for doneness with a toothpick and was delighted when it emerged clean.

It’s so satisfying to create something as simple yet special as a cake using only what’s provided by the land around you. The layers cooled as I got to work on the frosting and decorations.

Farm Frosting

For the frosting, I whipped together fresh cream, honey, and a touch of vanilla. The cream came from our dairy cow’s afternoon milking.

Spreading the thick, sweet frosting between the layers and all over the top and sides of the cake, I was transported by its rich flavor. It truly tasted like the bounty of our little homestead all in one delicious bite.

Edible Landscapes

Now it was time to transform the frosting into a miniature farm landscape. Using a butter knife, I carved out paths and defined fields. Small leaves harvested from our herb garden were pressed into the frosting for hedgerows and windbreaks. Raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries picked that morning became bushes and trees dotting the landscape.

I fashioned chickens, cows, and horses from fondant rolled using our own lard and colored and detailed them with natural food dyes. Finally, tiny pretzels became fences and grains of rice were scattered about like crops in the fields.

When the decorations were complete, I sat back to admire my handiwork. The farm scene was utterly charming and brought a smile to my face. All the little details, from the grazing animals to the bountiful berry patches, told the story of our homestead in edible form.

I couldn’t wait to serve slices and have everyone enjoy the scenic sweetness. Most of all, I hoped this cake would be a reminder of the simple pleasures that come from living close to the land and celebrating each other. Now let the birthday festivities begin!

Here are the ingredients needed to make the Homestead Birthday Cake with an edible farm decoration:

For the Cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (milled from homegrown wheat)
• 1 teaspoon salt (harvested through evaporation from a pond)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup honey (from our beehives)
• 1 cup milk (from our Jersey cow)
• 2 eggs (from our backyard chickens)
• 1/2 cup butter, softened (from our dairy cow’s cream)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (extracted from homegrown vanilla beans)

For the Frosting:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For Decorations:

• Berries (such as raspberries, blackberries, blueberries picked from the homestead)
• Fondant or modeling chocolate
• Natural food coloring
• Pretzels
• Rice grains
• Small herb leaves (such as from mint, rosemary, thyme grown in the garden)

I hope these ingredients provide inspiration for creating a delicious homemade cake celebrating the bounty of your own homestead! Let me know if you need any other details on mixing, baking or assembling the farm-fresh birthday cake.