November 26 recognizes a dessert that you will find at almost everyone’s birthday party whether they are age 1 or over 100. It is also the dessert of choice for bridal and baby showers, wedding receptions, retirement parties and just about any social event.
Add ice cream, and you have America’s top favorite desserts in the same dish!
Whether it’s a shapely bundt cake (celebrated on November 15) to the less curvaceous sheet cake, these sweet layered, frosting covered or fondant decorated works of art scream celebration!
It may be made at home from scratch, or from a box mix or picked up from the bakery or grocery store. Whichever way, a cake can be one, or a combination of, thousands of flavors.
No one can know how many, as there are countless cake recipes, some of which are bread-like, some rich and elaborate and many are centuries old. Of Viking origin, the word cake is derived from Old Norse “kaka”. Cake then was more like gingerbread due to the availability of refined ingredients.
Cakes typically contain a combination of flour, sugar, eggs and butter or oil, with some variety of liquid which may be milk or water, along with a leavening agent such as yeast or baking powder. Flavorful ingredients are often added, for example; chopped nuts, fresh, candied or dried fruit, fruit purees or extracts. Cake can be enjoyed with or without frosting or icing.
