11 Years ago I met the person that would change my life forever

She is funny, smart, probably the most caring person I know, and absolutely gorgeous

This amazing person is my baby girl Sofie

Well I guess she isn’t a baby anymore. We are entering tween territory. Hence the tears.

I swear just yesterday she looked like this

It is definitely hard to watch your kids grow up and it is hard to feel them pull away and assert their independence, but at the same time it is nice to see that we have raised such a wonderful girl.

A girl who would give her left arm for vanilla cake with chocolate frosting. She is definitely my daughter!

So as per her request I am making her favourite cake. Not going to lie I sometimes get lazy and use a boxed mix.

One thing I will NEVER skimp on is icing. Home made chocolate butter cream is the best. Nothing in a container can compare.

Chocolate Buttercream Icing

3 1/2 Cups powdered sugar

1 Cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) softened butter

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/2 cup room temperature milk

In your mixer cream your butter until it is smooth. Add in your cocoa and powdered sugar.

I cover my mixer with a rag at this point so nothing goes flying out the top

Add in the vanilla and milk

Make sure your butter and milk are not cold at all. If your butter is remotely cold you will have chunks of butter in your icing. That is just gross and not something anyone wants to eat.

If your milk is cold it will cause the icing to seize and not spread as easily.

That’s it. In just 3 minutes you can have the best chocolate frosting!

I love to decorate cakes and make them all fancy, but for Sofie’s cake I thought that plain and simple is the way to go.

After a crumb coat and 20 minutes in the fridge I added on the final icing layer.

A trick I learned on youtube is to smooth your icing with a ruler. Works like a charm!

For the cake topper I used melted white chocolate and sprinkles to create the number 11

It could not be easier

Print out a large number

Put it on a baking sheet and cover with parchment or wax paper

Melt your chocolate and pipe (or use a squeeze bottle like I did) around the edge of the number

Add a little extra at the bottom for your toothpick

Fill in with the remaining chocolate

Cover with sprinkles and let harder for at least 15 minutes

Happy Birthday Sofie!