10 Birthday Cakes All Grown-Up

As a summer birthday girl myself, I have always been a fan of the ice cream cake.  For a long time I was never a fan of the traditional birthday cake, but after seeing so many sophisticated and delicious looking recipes here at Joy of Kosher, I’m starting to reconsider my position.  Here are 10 grown-up birthday cakes that will give ice cream cake and your go-to birthday cake a serious run for it’s money.

Summer Berry Chocolate Cake:  I’ve never been much of a cake love, except for ice cream cake, of course, but the idea is growing on me.  It’s hard to beat a classic chocolate cake, especially when it’s covered in icing and loaded with ripe summer berries.

Brazilian Style Coconut Truffle Cupcakes:  Don’t be intimidated by the ten-step process, with some planning it’s quite manageable; these cupcakes take a little extra work but are totally worth the effort.

Babka Bundt Cake:  The alliteration in the title is only the beginning of the fun that this cake has in store.  It combines the comfort of both babka and the old-fashioned bundt in a way that breathes new life into these tried and true desserts.

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Maple Walnut Chiffon Cake: The ingredients sound more suited to the fall or chillier weather, but this cake is delicate enough to serve for a summer birthday.

Frangipane Tart with Amaretto & Honey Poached Pears: Presentation is key here, the poached pears appear to be growing out of the cake in a surreal, and very appetizing manner.  Encourage some child-like giddiness with this fantastical cake.

Candied Orange Cheesecake: I can imagine serving this cake to compliment a lovely birthday meal of grilled fish and summer salads.  There is something so happy about this recipe that it begs to be enjoyed in conjunction with the sunny summer weather.

Traditional Jewish Seven Layer Cake: Traditional and impressive, this towering cake will be enough to feed even the most enthusiastic cake eaters.

Strawberry Shortcakes: Early summer is strawberry season where I live, so I’m going to substitute fresh berries for the frozen ones called for in the recipe.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Cake with Peanut Praline and Caramel Sauce: This cake seems to have every indulgent ingredient possible, but hey, it’s your birthday so enjoy!

Coffee Crêpe Cake: This would be a lovely cake to serve at a birthday brunch.  This cake takes some time because of the crepe preparation, so it might be best to prep the cake the night before if you plan to serve it early in the day.