Since I adore lemon, so just about anything it.

The one thing that I have asked for since I was old enough, probably 4 or 5, to make the request, is oatmeal cookies, the way my mother made them, with raisins, walnuts and no brown sugar. It's a recipe I still use, and they are still my very favorite treat, birthday or otherwise. And I can't help but smile when I remember how she thought that was awful, birthdays were supposed to be celebrated with a cake! So she'd make one, I'd blow out the candles, eat a small bite (avoiding the icing), and reach for an oatmeal cookie. No, they are not especially pretty, nor exciting, not festive looking, (to most people), but to me an oatmeal cookie made from the proper recipe, is the ultimate in deliciousness!

Rusty

My mother always made us our favorite cakes for our birthdays too. I always requested angel food with a nutty butter rum filling and frosted with whipped cream. Delicious! I have only made it a couple of times since, but it’s always a big hit. Because my BD is early spring, my mother would arrange a few fresh daffodils in the center so it made a pretty presentation as well.

Whatever you decide, best wishes for a wonderful birthday, Annie!

Happy Birthday, AD. 🎂

I love all sweets. I’m having a hard time narrowing it down to one. I never knew why, but my mother always added almond extract to my birthday cake. It was the only time she added it to a cake. To this day, I love almond flavored desserts.

Amaretto Cheesecake might have to be the one I’d choose. You’ll notice the note not to use cheap amaretto. A liquor store clerk once talked me into buying some cheap stuff. It ruined my cheesecake!

I often use a Nut Crust instead of the graham cracker crust in the recipe.

bbstx - do you mind sharing your nut crust recipe? Thanks.

This may be a contender: https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/flourless-chocolate-cake/

Happy Birthday, AD. There's a restaurant near us that has a Limoncello layer cake on their menu that's heavenly. Nicole's key lime cheesecake also calls to me! I've ordered desserts to go. We aren't eating out yet either.

seagrass

For the carrot cake lovers - here's a wonderfully easy recipe from a dear family friend. It's the only one I've used for going on 40 years. Dump everything in a bowl and mix. Includes a half recipe because the original makes a lot:

Agnes' Carrot Cake

1/2 recipe

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup oil

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs - slightly beaten

1 cup grated raw carrots

1/2 cup drained crushed pineapple - or substitute - see below

1/2 cup choppped nuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325ºF

Sift together dry ingredients in a bowl.

Mix oil, sugar, eggs - add to dry ingredients.

Add carrots, pineapple & nuts - mix well.

Pour into greased, floured square pan & bake 1 hour or until toothpick tests clean.

(Bake cupcakes 25-30 minutes)

Cool completely & frost w/ cream cheese icing.

Cream Cheese Icing

1/2 recipe

4 oz. cream cheese @ room temp.

1/2# confectioner's sugar

3/4 tsp. vanilla

4 Tbsp. (1/4 cup) butter - softened

Directions:

Cream together cream cheese, sugar & vanilla.

Add butter - beat well.

***************************************

Whole Recipe - fills 1 large bundt pan or 9X13 sheet pan

(cake)

2 cups flour

1 tsp. salt - scant

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

1 cup oil

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs

2 cup grated raw carrots

1 cup drained crushed pineapple - or - 1 cup grated raw apple + 1 tsp. lemon or lime juice

1 cup chopped nuts

(frosting)

8 oz. cream cheese @ room temp.

1# confectioner's sugar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

8 Tbsp. (1/2 cup) butter - softened

@blfenton, tap on Nut Crust in the post. It ought to link you to the recipe. The nut crust calls for matzoh cake meal because it is kosher for Passover. Because I don’t need it, I never have matzoh cake meal. I just throw in an equal amount of something similar-ish, like cookies or almond meal. I have used frozen GF waffles when I served it to a GF neighbor.

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Passover-Lemon-Cheesecake-242023#ixzz1bHWXUt00

My friend has a baking blog with a recipe for the best carrot cake icing. (We sometimes get to be her taste-testers!) It uses mascarpone and crystallized GINGER. Omg, so good. Carrot cake with crystallized ginger mascarpone buttercream

I do have a recipe for a lime pie that I've not made in awhile. Similar to key lime, what makes it special is you line the baked pie shell with melted chocolate and let it set before you add the filling. It is pretty scrumptious.

Flourless Chocolate Cake reminds me of Rich Chocolate Cake, which has a slightly lighter texture, like a choc souffle that's been allowed to fall. Wouldn't hurt to top it with ganache although it doesn't need it.

Rich Chocolate Cake (bake at 425 F for 15 min.)

12 oz choc chips

1/2 cup butter

4 egg yolks

1 Tbsp flour

4 egg whites

1 Tbsp sugar

-- Foil-lined, greased souffle dish (or use a tart pan? this recipe was from before parchment paper was widely available)

-- Pre-heat oven to 425 F

1. Melt choc slowly. When almost complete, remove from heat and stir in butter

2. Beat yolks and flour until pale lemon in color

3. Beat whites until firm, beat in sugar (don't overbeat)

4. Stir yolk mix into choc mix

5. Fold choc mix into whites, as for a souffle

6. Pour into greased, foil-lined pan, bake ONLY 15 MINUTES

7. Cool in refrigerator overnight before unmolding.

All these sound really yummy! For a birthday, a lovely cake is Grand Marnier Chocolate Torte. Also delicious would be a good lemon layer cake or something with fresh, in season strawberries.

I do one of two desserts for myself.

While chocolate is my favorite, you can't beat an old fashioned white bakery cake...with your name on it. :) They freeze good too.

Second, a Texas Sheet Cake. Oh my.

Grand Marnier Chocolate Torte? Sounds delish Stacey!

I do have this super blender chocolate frosting recipe from way, way back...here's Martha's version: https://www.marthastewart.com/1543027/chocolate-blender-frosting

It's so luscious it's great for any cake and very simple to do.

Hey, thanks for this Annie’

Ooh - saving that frosting recipe, Annie. Def. want to try...

I hate to say this, but WF makes a great mix for choc icing. Very easy and very delish. I guess that makes sense because you add the good stuff (milk and butter) and it has only natural ingredients.

Apple pie and/or plain cheesecake! Sooo delicious, and so very wonderful for breakfast the next morning!

Just in case this thread hasn't got your juices going yet, there's this:

https://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/slideshow/decadent-dessert-recipes

Maybe: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/coffee-chocolate-layer-cake-with-mocha-mascarpone-frosting

Coffee Chocolate layer cake with Mocha-Mascarpone Frosting!!

And here's a contender...I haven't had a chocolate cream pie in years...with real whipped cream? Utterly decadent! Maybe add a kick of liqueur...

Mom always made, and I continue it, chocolate merengue pie with an oatmeal crust.

I’m with the pavlova crew!

I recently had a wild berry pavlova with silver leaf and lemon cream and it was ALMOST worth the c0vid exposure that I got out of it (someone with it was at same restaurant for the same three hours! But we escaped unscathed).

Dairy Queen hot fudge sundae or a peanut buster parfait!

But if you want to bake me a cake, I'll take a Pistachio Mocha Torte!

My mom was not much of a cook but my grandma, my dad‘s mom, was a both a wonderful cook and baker. Every year for my birthday she made me a fabulous 3-layer banana cake and she would make my brother a German chocolate cake. For year’s after she passed I missed those delicious cakes. A few years back I started making her banana cake for myself on my birthday. I enjoy the special treat and the memories of my grandma that flood back to me.

My birthday was last Friday and I chose a banana cake with marshmallow frosting. Yum!!! I plan to make a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting for Easter. Sometimes I like angel food cake made from scratch with retro Dream Whip frosting recipe from the 60’s. An apple pie baked in a cast iron skillet us good too!

Getting down to the wire...so hard to decide...it's a toss up right now between a chocolate cream pie or the flourless chocolate cake with ganache...

I've never made chocolate curls, so one way or the other, I'm making choc curls for decoration.

As a chocolate lover, your finalists sound absolutely perfect to me! One of my favorite restaurants serves a delicious chocolate flourless cake with a thin ganache and a scoop of cinammon ice cream. Divne...

Have a wonderful birthday!

So, is today the day? If so, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Let’s have a vote then Annie. I vote for the cream pie. To me flourless cakes tastes more like candy than a cake, not that that is a bad thing but.....

Tomorrow is the day...going food shopping today to get stuff...I'll probably hit TJs for their bittersweet belgian chocolate to use...

I was almost an April Fool's baby which really would've been more appropriate...

If I make the pie, I'll use a traditional pie crust, not oreos which are too sweet for me.

One of my memories from childhood was making pie crust with my MIL and she'd take the leftover pie crust scraps sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and bake them....so delish! Almost the best part of every pie!

Pinwheels! That's what we called the pie crust with cinnamon :)

Annie, we all will be at your table for birthday dessert. Make sure you have enough for all of us.

Hmmm I've never made the pie crust with vodka...I think I've decided...Chocolate Cream Pie!! Yum!! My toes are curling already!

Best part of making it is licking the spoon!

Not a pie, but best wishes all the same...

I hope you have a wonderful birthday, Annie! And enjoy your chocolate cream pie - one of my favorites too. I also prefer a regular crust vs. Oreo and a double birthday treat with leftover pie crust baked with sugar and cinnamon!

x-post with the Kitchen Table:

Well, the verdict is in...I cut in a little early so the chocolate is a little soft. My take on it...eh. No toes curling.

The pie crust...is definitely tender but it's not very flavorful.

The filling was delish when it was warm, toe curling luscious. But now that it's cooled off, it's fine. Not great but fine.

The cream is whipped cream...no surprises there.

The chocolate curls came out fine and were easy to do.

However, there's something very off about the full combo that is a miss. The curls are *very* chocolate, the crust is very bland and the filling is just so so. Somehow the balance of flavors to make the whole dessert work isn't there.

I had filling left over which is in a bowl like a pudding, and I think I may enjoy that more than with the pie crust.

But I have enjoyed making it, enjoyed the licking and picking along the way and am glad that only DH and I have to deal with the results. If it was a dinner party, I'd be disappointed.

It is extremely rich...please don't ask the calorie content!

Happy Birthday!🎂

Happy birthday. Too bad about the chocolate cream pie.

Maybe it needed more booze ;). I often put some heat into my pie crusts like a little bit of cayenne pepper in order to have the flavour weight of it somewhat match the rest of the pie. DH says it works anyway. :-)

Well, it sounded so very good. Sorry you were disappointed in the overall outcome. My mother’s chocolate cream pie was luscious, but I have no clue what made it that way. I’m with you on the oreo crust being too sweet, but maybe the crust needs to be a butter crust or something more rich. Seems like the last chocolate pie I made was ATK’s version using the all-butter crust.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Happy Birthday. Time to start planning next year's dessert, LOL

Happy Birthday, Annie!

Happy Birthday!!!

I would just go to a bakery and see what single servings they have rather than make a full recipe. The tradition is nice, but if you're by yourself you'll end up eating the whole thing. ;) I know the bakery department at most grocery stores do sell slices of cake, single cupcakes, cream puffs, etc..

I love whipping cream (real whipping cream not the stuff that comes in cans) and I would put it on top of the pudding and call it done.

I'm glad you enjoyed making it.

Annie, you are one of the most generous people I know! Thank you for sharing the fun of your birthday dessert with all of us.

I'm having a belated birthday celebration this weekend... And decided to switch to a "chocolate crust key lime pie". I almost never don't make my oatmeal crust chocolate pie. Had to come over here to see what you were doing, and I like what you did, but sounds so unappealing!

Chocolate curls and whipped cream on top of the pudding, maybe?