Children start first grade here when they are seven. And it might be even a little more exciting if you happen to have a birthday in the same month. Most people have returned from their summer vacations and there is the anticipation of the new school year, new friends, riding your bike to and from school. I remember the feeling so clearly. It was like starting a new adventure.
Last week we celebrated with a house full of little ladies. Birthdays have a certain “routine” at our house. The older children are able to invite a friend or two to help with the games. With the count being at twenty including guests, our kids and helpers it helps to have a set plan. Dad helps supervise the games and makes sure it all goes smoothly. This frees me up a bit to run around with the camera to capture the moment.
A little over a month ago I visited Lahti and one of my favorite little shops there, Millan Putiikki, and found the cutest muffin tins and straws. I thought that they would be perfect for a party where the birthday girl is turning seven. I didn’t make cupcakes this time but they worked as place cards and had few sweets in them.
The birthday girl had a hard time deciding the flavor of the cake so we decided on alternating a Victoria Sponge and an easy but moist chocolate cake.
Menu
Chocolate and vanilla cake filled with alternating layers of chocolate whipped cream and raspberries and cream
Chocolate chip cookies
Mini hot dogs
Lucky hedgehog (grapes, cucumbers and cheese on cocktail sticks stuck into a half cabbage)
chips
candy
Jaffa and juice
Birthday cake
I baked the Victoria sponge cake that can be found here and alternated it with a chocolate cake recipe that I found from the BBC food website.
Moist Chocolate Cake
225 g/8 oz flour
350 g/12 and 1/2 oz sugar
85 g/30 oz dark cocoa powder
1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 and 1/2 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
250 ml/ 9 fl oz milk
125 ml/ 4 and 1/2 fl oz vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
250 ml/9 fl oz boiling water
Mix everything else except for the boiling water. Add the boiling water little at a time. The texture of the batter is quite liquid. Divide the batter between two tins that have been greased and floured or lined with parchment paper. Bake at 180 C/ 350 F for about 25-35 minutes or until a test skewer comes out clean.
Filling:
Whip 5 dl/ generous 2 cups of whipping cream and divide into two bowls. Melt 30 grams/1 ounce of dark chocolate and allow to slightly cool. Mix the melted chocolate with one half of the whipped cream.For the other filling mix 1 dl/ 1/2 cup of good quality raspberry preserve with 1 dl/ 1/2 cup of raspberries. Fill the cake by alternating the chocolate whipped cream and by spreading the raspberries and a layer of cream.
I used a buttercream to frost the cake. Buttercream is versatile and works great at kids’ birthday parties. It is an easier medium to use when decorating the cake since it holds shape quite well. My favorite buttercream recipe can be found in my “Gone Fishing” post.
Inspiration for this post was found from a blog called “Liemessä”.
Previous posts on birthday parties: Birthdays are only once a year, A Cupcake birthday party, Gone Fishing and Congratulations and Celebrations
tableofcolors 
Ooh! Looks lovely! What a beautiful cake you made as well! Yum! 🙂
Thank you so much for your kind comment! 🙂
What a brilliant cake, inside and out! Looks like a wonderful party and happy birthday to the birthday girl
Thank you so much, we had a fun party!
Happy birthday to your girl. It looks like a fun party, with the games and party menu. 🙂
Thank you Imelda! We had perfect weather to be outside. 🙂
The cake looks wonderful–but I’m especially attracted to that tower of cookies (macaroons?) in the glass vase. It’s a beautiful table. What an artistic celebration!
Thank you Tracy, the cookies in the glass vase are chocolate chip. They are a bit thick and dome-shaped though.
It’s a great way to display them, and one I never thought of. Gives verticality to the table… very nice.
You are creative and talented person. All of your meals and desserts are looking like a piece of art. You make your kids happy!
You are too kind! Thank you for commenting.
Happy Birthday to the “birthday girl”, what a gorgeous cake, I love the Victoria Sponge and chocolate layers. It’s decorated just beautifully. 7 is a very special age, looks like so much fun for all.
Thank you Suzanne! We had fun 🙂
Happy 7th Birthday gorgeous girl! Your cake is just gorgeous xx
Thank you Lisa!
What a fabulous birthday and the cake looks awesome! Happy Birthday to your little princess!
Thanks Bernice!
Happy 7th Birthday 🙂 If I could be seven again, I would love to have you make a birthday party for me. In fact, you could make a birthday party for me at any age! Everything looks so lovely. And the children have such a great area to play their party games, too.
Oh, that would be fun to organize a birthday party for you 🙂
I have a big one in a few years so we have plenty of time to imagine what could be 😉
Happy birthday to your girl! And what an amazing spread! 😀
Thank you so much!
Happy Birthday to your daughter! What a lovely cake!
Thank you, I’ll pass the message along to her!
Oh wow! Everything looks just wonderful. Wish I was at that party!
Thanks Lidia!
A belated happy birthday to your Daughter. You planned a wonderful party for her special day and I bet she and her friends had a fantastic time. What fun!
I think they did have a fun time! When they came in for cake, they all had rosy cheeks and wind-blown hair from running outside!
Happy Birthday to your daughter!! The cake looks wonderful! And those muffin tins are just too perfect!
Kenley
It’s all so sweet. Love the muffin tin place settings! Your girls are adorable.
Everything looks so cute and delicious! I bet it was a great party 🙂