Conquering a Forty-Year Old Fear

Not Quite Red Velvet Cake

From the time my son celebrated his first birthday, I’ve made birthday cakes from scratch. Carrot, coconut, strawberry. Puppies, ninjas (three years in a row), Frozen, forest. I’m not a professional baker and my cakes aren’t extravagant. Two or three layers at most. No tiers and no fondant, but they’re delicious and made with love, which is really all that matters.

This year, my daughter requested a red velvet cake.

“How about chocolate?” I countered.

“No, I really want red velvet,” she said.

I broke with tradition and drove to the bakery.

Let me explain.