A birthday cake...

...and cupcakes too! Abby and I's birthdays are both in April; 11 days apart! Since they're so close, I decided to do one big birthday post! I'll start with Abby's cake.

M&M Birthday Cake

1 yellow cake mix

1 recipe Creamy Chocolate Frosting (below)

1 12-oz. bag M&M's

Prepare cake according to directions on package. Cool. Prepare Creamy Chocolate Frosting.

Creamy Chocolate Frosting

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
2 teas. vanilla
About 3 Tabl. milk

Mix butter and cocoa in a large bowl. Stir in powdered sugar. Beat in vanilla and milk until smooth and of spreading consistency.

Now for the M&M's!

Separate out the colors you want, and make a design or message.

Frost the cake.

Then place the M&M's on.

Now you have your M&M birthday cake!

Ok, now for my birthday cupcakes!

Festive Birthday Cupcakes

Heavenly White Cupcakes
1 recipe Creamy White Frosting
Multi-colored party sprinkles
Marachino cherries

Prepare cupcakes according to directions. Cool completely.

Prepare Creamy White Frosting.

Using a large round tip, pipe dots of frosting on cupcake until the whole cupcake is full.

Then, sprinkle with party sprinkles.

And finally, top with a marachino cherry!

Festive and fun!

Not to mention yummy!

Oh yeah. I LOVE close-ups! Well, there's the birthday post! Hope you enjoyed it!

Giant Cookie Cake

You've seen these big, beautiful, delicious looking cookies at the mall and in bakeries, but have never been able to make them yourself. Well, here is the answer to your problems; a recipe for a big, yummy, chocolate chip cookie cake!

Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

2 sticks butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 cups plus 2 Tabl. flour

1 teas. baking soda

1/2 teas. salt

1 1/2 teas. vanilla

2 cups chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts, optional

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 14-inch pizza pan. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add the eggs. Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add in vanilla. Fold in the chocolate chips and nuts.

Spread across the bottom of the prepared pan.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until the edges are golden and the cookie is set, but the center is still slightly soft. Cool completely.

You can serve the cookie plain, or jazz it up using creamy white frosting!

You can dye the frosting desired colors using food coloring.

Then pipe on designs.

I made mine into a birthday cookie cake for my grandmother! If you're tired of a normal cake, how about try a birthday cookie cake instead? You'll be hooked.