Why Baking For Someone Is An Act Of Love Even If You Make Cake From A Box

 Almond Cake with Pineapple Rum Filling   Credit: Johnny Autry

You may have dog-eared photos of your mom presenting you with a homemade birthday cake, glittering with candles, while you look on, delighted by the sight of this towering treat. I do not. My mom was a truly fantastic cook, but she was also a single mother with a career. When my birthday rolled around, I was perfectly happy to pick out a Pepperidge Farm layer cake from the freezer section at the grocery store. But when I was 7 years old, I decided that I wanted to bake my mom a cake for her birthday. It was more substantial than drawing a picture at school or clumsily crocheting a potholder. I wanted to show her how important she was to me and, in my mind, cakes were meant for the most special people, on the most special days. It was the 1970s in New Haven, Connecticut, and I was a true latchkey kid, wearing our apartment key attached to a long piece of blue yarn tucked under my shirt every day. One night when my mom was too tired to cook, she sent me across the street to the drugstore lunch counter to pick up hamburgers for dinner. And it was there that I noticed boxes of devil’s-food cake mix and cans of frosting. Voilà—for less than a dollar, I could make my mom a “real” birthday cake. I don’t remember if that cake was any good—I do remember that it was seriously lopsided—but she devoured it.  That moment sparked my love for baking and for making cakes in particular. Cakes are a canvas, a way for me to honor someone through flavors or decorations. For me, baking a cake is truly an act of love. Cake Recipes to Show Your Love No matter who you’re aiming to fête—whether they’re gluten-free, dairy-free or vegan—we’ve got you covered with one of these cake recipes. 7974212.jpg Credit: Johnny Autry Mint Chocolate Cake Get the recipe 7974151.jpg Credit: Johnny Autry Lemon Angel Food Cake with Strawberries & Coconut Cream Get the recipe Slice of vegan dark chocolate cake Credit: Johnny Autry Vegan Dark Chocolate Cake Get the recipe Peanut Butter Banana Frozen Yogurt Cake Credit: Johnny Autry Peanut Butter-Banana Frozen Yogurt Cake Get the recipe Almond Cake with Pineapple Rum Filling Credit: Johnny Autry Almond Cake with Pineapple-Rum Filling Get the recipe Kristen Hartke is a food writer and recipe developer based in Washington, D.C. Follow her cooking adventures on Instagram @kristenhartke. This article and recipes originally appeared in the May 2020 issue of EatingWell magazine.

Almond Cake with Pineapple Rum Filling   Credit: Johnny Autry

Almond Cake with Pineapple Rum Filling Credit: Johnny Autry

Almond Cake with Pineapple Rum Filling

Credit: Johnny Autry

You may have dog-eared photos of your mom presenting you with a homemade birthday cake, glittering with candles, while you look on, delighted by the sight of this towering treat. I do not. My mom was a truly fantastic cook, but she was also a single mother with a career. When my birthday rolled around, I was perfectly happy to pick out a Pepperidge Farm layer cake from the freezer section at the grocery store.

But when I was 7 years old, I decided that I wanted to bake my mom a cake for her birthday. It was more substantial than drawing a picture at school or clumsily crocheting a potholder. I wanted to show her how important she was to me and, in my mind, cakes were meant for the most special people, on the most special days.

It was the 1970s in New Haven, Connecticut, and I was a true latchkey kid, wearing our apartment key attached to a long piece of blue yarn tucked under my shirt every day. One night when my mom was too tired to cook, she sent me across the street to the drugstore lunch counter to pick up hamburgers for dinner. And it was there that I noticed boxes of devil’s-food cake mix and cans of frosting. Voilà—for less than a dollar, I could make my mom a “real” birthday cake. I don’t remember if that cake was any good—I do remember that it was seriously lopsided—but she devoured it. 

That moment sparked my love for baking and for making cakes in particular. Cakes are a canvas, a way for me to honor someone through flavors or decorations. For me, baking a cake is truly an act of love.

Cake Recipes to Show Your Love

No matter who you’re aiming to fête—whether they’re gluten-free, dairy-free or vegan—we’ve got you covered with one of these cake recipes.

     7974212.jpg     Credit: Johnny Autry      Mint Chocolate Cake  Get the recipe              7974151.jpg     Credit: Johnny Autry      Lemon Angel Food Cake with Strawberries & Coconut Cream  Get the recipe            Slice of vegan dark chocolate cake     Credit: Johnny Autry      Vegan Dark Chocolate Cake  Get the recipe            Peanut Butter Banana Frozen Yogurt Cake     Credit: Johnny Autry      Peanut Butter-Banana Frozen Yogurt Cake  Get the recipe            Almond Cake with Pineapple Rum Filling     Credit: Johnny Autry      Almond Cake with Pineapple-Rum Filling  Get the recipe   

Kristen Hartke is a food writer and recipe developer based in Washington, D.C. Follow her cooking adventures on Instagram @kristenhartke.

This article and recipes originally appeared in the May 2020 issue of EatingWell magazine.

    7974212.jpg     Credit: Johnny Autry      Mint Chocolate Cake  Get the recipe   

    7974151.jpg     Credit: Johnny Autry      Lemon Angel Food Cake with Strawberries & Coconut Cream  Get the recipe   

    Slice of vegan dark chocolate cake     Credit: Johnny Autry      Vegan Dark Chocolate Cake  Get the recipe   

    Peanut Butter Banana Frozen Yogurt Cake     Credit: Johnny Autry      Peanut Butter-Banana Frozen Yogurt Cake  Get the recipe   

    Almond Cake with Pineapple Rum Filling     Credit: Johnny Autry      Almond Cake with Pineapple-Rum Filling  Get the recipe   

  7974212.jpg     Credit: Johnny Autry      Mint Chocolate Cake  Get the recipe  

 7974212.jpg     Credit: Johnny Autry   

Mint Chocolate Cake

7974212.jpg     Credit: Johnny Autry  

7974212.jpg

Credit: Johnny Autry

7974212.jpg

Mint Chocolate Cake

  7974151.jpg     Credit: Johnny Autry      Lemon Angel Food Cake with Strawberries & Coconut Cream  Get the recipe  

 7974151.jpg     Credit: Johnny Autry   

Lemon Angel Food Cake with Strawberries & Coconut Cream

7974151.jpg     Credit: Johnny Autry  

7974151.jpg

7974151.jpg

Lemon Angel Food Cake with Strawberries & Coconut Cream

  Slice of vegan dark chocolate cake     Credit: Johnny Autry      Vegan Dark Chocolate Cake  Get the recipe  

 Slice of vegan dark chocolate cake     Credit: Johnny Autry   

Vegan Dark Chocolate Cake

Slice of vegan dark chocolate cake     Credit: Johnny Autry  

Slice of vegan dark chocolate cake

Slice of vegan dark chocolate cake

Vegan Dark Chocolate Cake

  Peanut Butter Banana Frozen Yogurt Cake     Credit: Johnny Autry      Peanut Butter-Banana Frozen Yogurt Cake  Get the recipe  

 Peanut Butter Banana Frozen Yogurt Cake     Credit: Johnny Autry   

Peanut Butter-Banana Frozen Yogurt Cake

Peanut Butter Banana Frozen Yogurt Cake     Credit: Johnny Autry  

Peanut Butter Banana Frozen Yogurt Cake

Peanut Butter Banana Frozen Yogurt Cake

Peanut Butter-Banana Frozen Yogurt Cake

  Almond Cake with Pineapple Rum Filling     Credit: Johnny Autry      Almond Cake with Pineapple-Rum Filling  Get the recipe  

 Almond Cake with Pineapple Rum Filling     Credit: Johnny Autry   

Almond Cake with Pineapple-Rum Filling

Almond Cake with Pineapple Rum Filling     Credit: Johnny Autry  

Almond Cake with Pineapple Rum Filling

Almond Cake with Pineapple-Rum Filling