My 2014 Birthday Cake

This is my birthday cake for this year. If you want to see reasons and debate with regards to why I cannot make my own birthday cake, see posts around June 4th from 2013 and 2012. Anyway, this was the cake my parents decided to make for me this year, which was a complete surprise that had been planned for months that I didn't really get any say in.

This is a chocolate pound cake baked in a bundt pan from one of my (many) chocolate recipe books. It then has the typical chocolate ganache glaze I have recently been turning to more and more lately, as it is so quick, easy, and delicious. Then the top is decorated with some light purple buttercream (my favorite color) and the piping "Happy Birthday Rebecca" in white buttercream. 
Honestly, this is a quite large cake. I didn't realize it was pound cake until my mother told me though - it isn't really heavy and dense. And the crumbs I got to try from the pan yesterday were fluffy, chocolaty and delicious. You can never go wrong with some chocolate ganache, and I appreciate the use of real butter in the buttercream frosting. Buttercream and chocolate ganache are something I could eat by the spoonful. My only slight criticism is perhaps the cake is a little dry due to the fact that is was not completely covered in frosting or ganache - but that's not typical for bundt cakes anyway. And I suppose it allows you to eat a larger slice of cake without being overoaded with sweetness (not that that would be too much frosting for me - there is never too much frosting for me).

Thanks Mom and Dad for another great birthday cake! It wouldn't have bothered me at all to make my own cake, but I suppose sometimes it is nice to sit and relax and have someone else cater to you. It is delicious and definitely gives a nice dose of chocolate (a necessity to suit my tastes).