NATIONAL SPONGE CAKE DAY

On August 23rd, enjoy National Sponge Cake Day with the quintessential classic of the cake world. This airy queen of teas is the guest of honor, but we get the pleasure of tasting! 

One of the trickiest cakes for bakers to master, a perfect sponge stands tall. Another balancing trick for bakers includes maintaining a fine crumb while keeping the cake moist. If you enjoy layering berries and whipped cream, the sponge handles this task beautifully. 

The sponge cake is believed to be one of the first non-yeasted cakes. 

The sponge cake is thought to have originated in the Caribbean. However, the earliest English printed recipe for sponge cake comes from an English poet and author, Gervase Markham. In 1615 he published a sponge cake recipe in the book The English Huswife, Containing the Inward and Outward Virtues Which Ought to Be in a Complete Woman.

I can’t knit or make plum jam, but I can bake a bloody Victoria sponge. ~ Helen Mirren as Chris in Calendar Girls (2003)

In 2003, the sponge cake played a tiny role in the movie Calendar Girls starring Helen Mirren. In the scene, Mirren’s character, Chris, enters a baking competition. However, she forgets she entered, and instead of entering a sponge cake of her own making, she submits a store-bought Victoria sponge cake.

Want More Cake…

HOW TO OBSERVE #SpongeCakeDay

Be sure to find more of your favorite cakes here.

Get some sponge cake and enjoy it. Or, if you are up to the challenge, try this Glorious Sponge Cake recipe. Serve it with berries or a preserve. Use #SpongeCakeDay to post on social media.

NATIONAL ICE CREAM CAKE DAY

National Ice Cream Cake Day is observed annually on June 27. In the height of summer, an ice cream cake is the perfect dessert.

An ice cream cake consists of any flavor of ice cream in the shape of a cake.  It can include many different ingredients such as cake, cookie crumbs, sponge cake, fudge, fruit or caramel between the layers of ice cream.  It is then frosted with either whipped cream or a similar icing.  Ice cream cakes are kept frozen until served.  They are typically decorated and served at a wide variety of parties.

Although the origin of the ice cream cake remains somewhat of a mystery, this popular dessert combines the classic summer treat, ice cream, with the time-honored celebratory cake, which makes it one of the best culinary inventions to date.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Order an ice cream cake from your favorite bakery or make your own to share with friends.  Use #nationalicecreamcakeday to share your photos on social media.

NATIONAL DEVIL’S FOOD CAKE DAY

Observed annually on May 19, National Devil’s Food Cake Day is enjoyed by chocolate cake lovers throughout the country and around the world.

Devil’s Food cake is a heavenly chocolate cake.  It differs from a regular chocolate cake by its darker color and tends to be more moist and airy.  Devil’s Food cake recipes use hot or boiling water as the primary liquid. Cocoa is typically utilized in the batter, as opposed to chocolate, and coffee can be added for a distinctive flavor.  A delicious chocolate frosting usually accompanies the cake.

Recipes for Devil’s Food cakes often appeared alongside recipes for Angel Food cakes.  One of the earliest recipes appeared in the August 10, 1898, edition of the Hagerstown Exponent of Hagerstown, Indiana.

The once Queen of France said, “Let them eat cake“, I cant think of a better idea in today’s world.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Mix up this irresistible Devil’s Food Cake I recipe. Use #DevilsFoodCakeDay to post on social media.

NATIONAL CHOCOLATE PARFAIT DAY

With layers of sweetness, May 1st ushers in National Chocolate Parfait Day.

Enjoying a delicious chocolate parfait would be a perfect way to end your day.  Parfait literally means perfect in French!  There are a couple of ways to make parfaits. The traditional French-style uses sugar syrup, eggs, and cream. The American style layers parfait cream, ice cream, and flavored gelatin in a tall, clear glass topped with whipped cream, fruit and liqueurs. The parfait has recently taken a wholesome turn using yogurt layered with nuts and fresh fruits, instead of ice cream and sugary syrups.

While the day focuses on the chocolate parfait, that doesn’t mean you can’t experiment with other fresh flavors. Fruit and cream go quite well with chocolate. And don’t forget ingredients such as pretzels or cookie bits. The options are only limited by your imaginations. 

There are other great treats to explore too. Be sure to try National Parfait Day, Chocolate Ice Cream Day, or a multitude of other sweet treats.  Cookies, cakes, ice creams, and don’t forget pies.  Chances are you can definitely find a sweet day!

HOW TO OBSERVE #ChocolateParfaitDay

Enjoy your version of a chocolate parfait today with family and friends!  Create a chocolate parfait bar and let the creating begin. Be sure to share your creations using #ChocolateParfaitDay on social media to share your love for this delicious food holiday!

NATIONAL CHOCOLATE CAKE DAY

National Chocolate Cake Day celebrates the cake more people favor. And more often than not, we celebrate our special occasions like anniversaries, birthdays and weddings with cake. Why not enjoy chocolate cake on January 27th every year?

In America, chocolate was consumed primarily as a beverage until the 1830s or 40s. Chocolate cakes, as we think of them today, mostly did not exist then.  According to the Dover Post, the chocolate cake was born in 1765 when a doctor and a chocolate maker teamed up in an old mill.  They ground up cocoa beans between huge millstones to make a thick syrup. The liquid was poured into molds shaped like cakes, which were meant to be transformed into a beverage.  

A popular Philadelphia cookbook author, Eliza Leslie, published the earliest chocolate cake recipe in 1847 in The Lady’s Receipt Book.  Unlike chocolate cakes we know today, this recipe used chopped chocolate.  Other cooks of the time such as Sarah Tyson Rorer and Maria Parloa all made contributions to the development of the chocolate cake and were prolific authors of cookbooks.

The first boxed cake mix was created by a company called O. Duff and Sons in the late 1920s.  Betty Crocker released their first dry cake mixes in 1947.

Explore More…

HOW TO OBSERVE #ChocolateCakeDay

Obviously enjoy Chocolate Cake. Make your own or visit your favorite bakery. Share with family and friends. Use #ChocolateCakeDay to post on social media.