Blot kage with strawberries.

We decided this year not to throw a party for my son's second birthday. I felt guilty, of course, but we had thrown a big barbecue in our back yard for his first birthday complete with sangria, cheeseburgers, multiple salads, and a cake shaped like a penis. Yes, we did in fact serve a penis cake at a 1-year-old's birthday party. I was delirious from lack of sleep as an intern in the ICU, and my husband told me he would take care of everything. He decided to make his favorite birthday cake growing up, an ice box cake with layered chocolate wafers and whipped cream that tastes exactly like a giant Oreo (amazing), and he wanted to make it in the shape of a "1" for my son's first birthday. You may be able to see the disaster looming already, but we were oblivious. It was not until the night before, when he was finishing up with the frosting that he laughed and mentioned it might look a little bit like a penis.

The guests joked about it politely. Someone mentioned going to a lesbian wedding where there were cupcakes made to look like boobs. Yep, that's just what we were going for. Whatever, that penis cake was delicious.

So, while we knew that there was not much we could do to top his first birthday party, and we weren't really convinced that he even knew what a birthday was yet, we thought this might be the perfect year to skip a big party. Of course, given the mom guilt, you can never skip the presents and pictures! And if there are pictures, there better be a beautiful and mouthwatering cake. Since my husband had had such success making his favorite cake growing up, I thought, why not make mine?

When someone asks me about my heritage, I usually end up listing Northern European countries until the person stops me, but I always mention that I'm a quarter Norwegian. It's the largest part of my heritage, but it's also my father's mother who was full Norwegian, and she was one of the most giving, loving, and intelligent women I've known. Growing up, my mother made a variation on a strawberry shortcake using my grandmother's recipe - a Norwegian cream cake called Blot Kage. It's something like an angel food cake, but slightly moister and richer, and a million times better. The difference is that there are egg yolks, although they are separated from their whites, but otherwise it's without fat. I haven't made it in years, if ever, but growing up it was what I always asked my mother to make for my birthday, and it never disappointed. I have yet to try to shape it into a part of the male anatomy.

Blot Kage with strawberries

(Norwegian Cream Cake)

Originally from my great-grandmother Andersen

4 eggs

1 cup sugar (prefer baking sugar)

4 tbsp cold water

1 cup flour (I used cake flour because I had it)

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup heavy whipping cream 

1 tbsp powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla (optional)

3-4 pints fresh strawberries

Half hour or so before starting, place very clean metal bowl for stand mixer in the freezer. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Separate egg yolks and whites, placing egg whites in chilled metal bowl. Place egg yolks in a medium sized mixing bowl.

First beat eggs whites with stand mixer on high until high peaks form. Set aside.

To the egg yokes, beat in sugar and water until fluffy using either a stand mixer or a wooden spoon. Fold in flour, baking powder and vanilla, mixing until just combined. Lastly, gently fold in egg whites.

Butter two 8 or 9-inch round cake pans on bottom of pan only. Divide batter between cake pans and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Cakes should be golden on top and slightly springy to the touch. Let cool completely before removing from pan.

While baking, add powdered sugar and heavy cream and vanilla if desired to stand mixing bowl. Beat on high until stiff. Once cakes are cooled and removed from pans, layer whipped cream and strawberries in between and top with additional layer of whipped cream and berries. If feeling particularly bold, you can split the cakes in two horizontally and add two additional layers of whipped cream and berries, but I have yet to achieve this! If so, I would double the above ingredients for berries and whipped cream.

Eat quickly, preferably with a toddler who may or may not just want to go outside to ride his new tricycle.