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Photo: Johnny Autry
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.
01of 05Mint Chocolate CakeJohnny AutryGet the recipe02of 05Lemon Angel Food Cake with Strawberries & Coconut CreamJohnny AutryGet the recipe03of 05Vegan Dark Chocolate CakeJohnny AutryGet the recipe04of 05Peanut Butter-Banana Frozen Yogurt CakeJohnny AutryGet the recipe05of 05Almond Cake with Pineapple-Rum FillingJohnny AutryGet the recipe
01of 05Mint Chocolate CakeJohnny AutryGet the recipe
01of 05
Mint Chocolate Cake
Johnny Autry
Get the recipe
02of 05Lemon Angel Food Cake with Strawberries & Coconut CreamJohnny AutryGet the recipe
02of 05
Lemon Angel Food Cake with Strawberries & Coconut Cream
03of 05Vegan Dark Chocolate CakeJohnny AutryGet the recipe
03of 05
Vegan Dark Chocolate Cake
04of 05Peanut Butter-Banana Frozen Yogurt CakeJohnny AutryGet the recipe
04of 05
Peanut Butter-Banana Frozen Yogurt Cake
05of 05Almond Cake with Pineapple-Rum FillingJohnny AutryGet the recipe
05of 05
Almond Cake with Pineapple-Rum Filling
This article and recipes originally appeared in the May 2020 issue ofEatingWellmagazine.
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