February is a busy birthday month- with lots of the people I love celebrating another year of life. I was raised the middle sister of three and both of my sisters have February birthdays.  My Gran’s birthday was also in February so she came up with the brilliant plan of an “Un-Birthday” for me in the middle of my sisters’ special days. I always appreciated it because it was another five months to my birthday and it was easy to feel left out in the middle of so many parties. She always made sure I had a little something to unwrap on my Un-Birthday- usually a book, since I was such a bookworm.  It was a small act of thoughtfulness, but one that I have always remembered.

So as I am a predictably horrible person at getting birthday cards out on time, I thought I’d have a little online celebration for my February born friends and family.

So Happy Birthday to you all- you know who you are! 😉

– And a Very Merry Un-Birthday to the rest of you! Go on celebrate!

BTW the cake above is one of the  wedding cakes I made last year for lovely Tessa. But if I could-I’d make a cake for each and every one of you- sweets to the sweet!

Gabi’s Favorite Fudge Cake, makes one 9 inch -two layer cake -can be doubled.

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
2 Cups sifted all purpose flour (plus more for pans)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoons salt
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted for lumps
1/2 Cup (1/4lb) butter, softened to room temperature (plus more for pans)
2-1/4 Cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
3 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
1 Cup sour cream
1 Cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350F.
Butter and lightly flour two 9inch round cake pans, place a parchment circle that has been cut to fit the bottom
in each round and butter and flour the parchment.

Sift flour, soda, salt and cocoa together in small bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment,
or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat butter until soft. Add brown sugar and eggs and beat at high speed
until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla and melted, cooled chocolate. Stir in dry ingredients
alternately with sour cream, beating slowly but well until incorporated after each addition. Add boiling water and
stir until batter is evenly thin. Pour at once into prepared pans and bake at 350F for 35 minutes or until
top springs back when lightly touched. Cool in pans 5 minutes on wire racks and then run a straight spatula
around the sides and remove to rack, paper side down, to cool completely.

Chocolate Fudge Frosting

• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 Cup (1/4lb) Butter
• 1 pound confectioner’s sugar

• 1/2 Cup whole milk or half/half

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 3 drops almond extract

• Heat chocolate and butter in a small saucepan over low heat until barely melted, stir often. Remove from heat. Combine confectioner’s sugar, milk or half/half, and extracts in a stand mixer with the whip attachment, blend well. Add chocolate/butter mixture and beat until it starts to hold some shape. It will be thin at first and firm up as it cools. makes enough to frost tops and sides of two 9-inch layers.

  xoxo