No one has to know that you doctored a box cake mix for this semi-homemade cake that tastes like it’s from the bakery.

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I rarely make traditional birthday cakes.  Maybe because I never really learned how to decorate a birthday cake with buttercream frosting.

So ……this is my last week of being 45.

Next week I begin the slide towards the big 5-0! Say it isn’t so! lol

To celebrate my final week, I decided to try my hand at decorating a cake!

Thanks to the help of the fabulous cake decorating friend, for all her, tips, hand holding and encouragement!!

I ordered two 6×3-inch round cake pans from Amazon

My friend gave me some really awesome tips on frosting my cake with her buttercream recipe.

• Cool cakes, remove from pans, and refrigerate for several hours
• level cold cakes
• place first layer cut side down, using an offset spatula, spread frosting on the top (the part that was the bottom when it was in the pan)
• place next cake layer cut side down, press and make sure it’s level
• spread a thin “crumb coat” layer of frosting over the whole cake
• refrigerate overnight
• frost and decorate the following day

I was thrilled with how it all turned out.  Not, perfect but not bad!! Next time I will cut my layers in half, to make it 4 layers and have more frosting in the middle.

Getting the cake level, and frosting smooth on the cake……..will take a lot more practice!  But thanks to my friends, I went outside my comfort level and tried something new!!

For the cake “recipe” I just used my favorite Duncan Hines French Vanilla “doctored up” to taste like homemade.

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French Vanilla Cake

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No one has to know that you doctored a box cake mix for this semi-homemade cake that tastes like it's from the bakery

Ingredients

• 1 Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe French Vanilla Cake Mix
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup butter (use butter not margarine)
• 1 cup of water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Melt the butter in the microwave.
3. Combine butter with the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl.
4. Mix on low for 1 min. Then mix on high for 1 min.
5. Bake time: two 6-inch cake pans 35-40 minutes - two 8-inch cake pan 35-38 minutes - a 9x13-inch pan 35-38 minutes or cupcakes for 20 minutes

Notes

(cake is done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.)

• Cool cakes, remove from pans, and refrigerate for several hours

• level cold cakes

• place first layer cut side down, using an offset spatula, spread frosting on the top (the part that was the bottom when it was in the pan)

• place next cake layer cut side down, press and make sure it’s level

• spread a thin “crumb coat” layer of frosting over the whole cake

• refrigerate overnight

• frost and decorate the following day

You will be amazed that your batter is nice and thick and creamy – not thin and runny like it is when you follow the box instructions. I love Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe French Vanilla Cake Mix.

I wish I could share a piece with you…….it was SOOOO good!!