twelve months of motherhood {a baby update}
I’ll continue to say it because it’s just so true: Time flies. It really does. I swear I blinked and yesterday Avery was born. I blinked again, and today she is one year old. Just a moment ago I was the most sleep deprived I’ve ever been in my life, waking up every couple of hours day and night to nurse/swaddle/try to figure out why she’s crying this time (or maybe it was me crying? I forget) while simultaneously cuddling the smallest, sweetest bundle of baby joy. And then, a moment later, she’s wobbly and walking and pointing at “birdies” and clapping her hands and throwing her first toddler tantrums and calling for “mamamamama” and giving me the best hugs and kisses I’ve ever received in my life.
If there is a thesis statement to this post, it is this: Motherhood is the single most difficult and amazing role I’ve ever played. And I am so blessed to be able to play it for my sweet Avery Kate.
Anyway, by Sunday we were able to celebrate with cake, and celebrate we did. Avery had her first-ever slice of sugary dessert goodness and well, if that girl isn’t her mother’s daughter, I don’t know who she is, because she ate nearly the whole thing. So proud, I am. And then we gave her a bath because did you know babies eating cake with their hands is messy? How naive I was.
We also gave Avery the rest of her presents, including this adorable kitchen set from IKEA that I’m pretty sure I bought more for me than for her because I fell in love with it, like, years ago, before Avery was even a twinkle in mine eye. But luckily she took to it quickly, too, and played with it for hours and hours — alternating with climbing into her chair via armrest, of course.
Triple Lemon Layer Cake
- Prep Time: 45 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 mins
- Yield: 1 8-inch layer cake 1x
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 1/3 cups (or 9 1/4 oz if using a scale, as I did) cake flour, plus more for cake pans
- 2 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 3/4 cup (6 oz, or 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for cake pans
- 1 cup milk, room temperature
- 5 egg whites, room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 cup lemon curd, chilled
For the frosting:
- 1 cup (8 oz, or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter bottom and sides of 2 8-inch round cake pans. Dust with flour, then turn pans upside down and tap bottoms of pans to release excess flour.
- In a large bowl, whisk cake flour, baking powder and salt until well combined.
- In a food processor, pulse 1/4 cup sugar with lemon zest until well combined.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or in a large bowl using an electric hand mixer, beat butter and lemon sugar on medium speed 1 1/2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar and beat 1 1/2 minutes until smooth.
- On low speed, stir in flour mixture and milk alternating in batches, starting and ending with flour mixture. Scrape sides of bowl with a spatula and stir until just combined.
- In another large bowl with a clean electric hand mixer, beat egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and beat on medium-high speed 1 to 2 minutes until stiff peaks form.
- Carefully fold one-quarter of egg white mixture into cake batter just until combined. Add remaining egg white mixture, a quarter at a time, folding in after each addition until just combined.
- Divide batter evenly among prepared cake pans. Bake 35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool cakes 10 minutes in pans, then gently invert cakes onto a cooling rack to cool completely.*
- When cakes are completely cooled, use a long serrated knife to slice each cake in half horizontally (so you end up with 4 thin cake layers). Gently slice off any domed tops from cake layers, if needed.
- Place one layer, cut side down, on a serving plate. Spread 1/3 cup lemon curd on top in an even layer; top with another cake layer. Spread another 1/3 cup lemon curd on top in an even layer. Top with another cake layer. Spread remaining 1/3 cup lemon curd on top in an even layer, then top with final cake layer, cut side down.
- Make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, beat butter and lemon zest until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar in a few batches, stirring at first then increasing to medium speed just until combined. Add lemon juice and beat just until combined.
- Use an offset spatula to frost tops and sides of cake. Let frosting set a while before serving.
- *NOTE: At this point, I covered the cooled cakes with plastic wrap and let them chill in the fridge for a few hours so they’d be easier to cut/handle/frost, but you can also proceed with the recipe without chilling the cakes.
She is just the cutest, sweetest, bright-eyed little girl! She’s a doll! Sorry you were under the weather for the big day, but that adorable cake looks like it fixed everything!
Happy first birthday little lady! And congrats to you and Elliott on making it through year one! You’re so right! Nothing as difficult or amazing as being a mom. And holy cuteness that dress and her curls!!!!
Happy Birthday to Avery. She is just beautiful. I can’t believe how fast time flies by. Enjoy every moment..even they are sleep deprived!! 😉 And that cake–I love lemons, and that is just to die for.
Such a sweet, sweet post! Love seeing all the pics of your little girl – she’s so cute! & a perfect cake! Hate that you were sick over the weekend 😉
Marissa — I ask myself that every day with her clothes. 😉
So sweet! I can’t believe how sick you all got! Such a bummer. What a loved little lady you have – she is so lucky to have you as a mama 🙂 Happy Birthday, Avery!
Awwww this post is so sweet. Happy birthday to your baby girl, and happy birthday to you! She is so adorable!!!
Such a sweet post! I’m sorry you guys were sick but it sounds like she still had the best 1st birthday a little girl could want. She is so precious! Happy birthday to Avery and happy Mother’s Day to you!
At the end of that week we were all healthy enough to enjoy that scrumptious cake, watch that sweet, sweet child enjoy her first taste of what life is all about (eating-wise) and spend time with family. I’d say her birthday turned out to be pretty darn successful. I cannot wait for my next hug and maybe even a widdle biddy kiss from that piece of sunshine I am very proud to call my granddaughter.
She is absolutely precious! The photos are beautiful and thank you for sharing. As a woman with two very grown children and two wonderful grandchildren, I can safely say that raising those two kids to be loving, confident, productive and caring human beings is the accomplishment I’m most proud of in life. Parenthood is the best!
Oh my you do have a MOST adorable daughter. What a gorgeous dress—prom dress quality—Ha. I say that because blink your eyes a few more times and she will be 16 and going to the prom. The cake picture is precious. Of course since it’s lemon cake, it goes without saying it’s delish. But there is no doubt of that with the official taste tester you employed.
This is such a beautiful post!!!! I loved reading it. She literally could NOT be cuter, oh my goodness. And so happy to hear you are feeling better. Stomach flu is the worst 🙁
Happy happy birthday to you and Averie . Sorry to hear you and your husband got sick. Glad that Averie still had a great celebration. She looks absolutely gorgeous! Love her dress and her lemon cake!
What a cutie! That dress is stunning, and how cute is that stuffed cupcake! I’m so sorry to hear that you and the hubs were sick–that’s awful. It looks like your sweet wee one had a great day. That cake looks absolutely delicious. Happy 1st!
Omg, Avery is absolutely ADORABLE!! Happy 1st birthday to her! I still can’t believe it’s been a year. I’m so glad you guys are feeling better! xoxo