Happy Birthday Chelsea's Choice!

Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to youuu! Happy Birthdayyy, dear blooooog! Happy Birthday, to youuu!!! In honor of Chelsea's Choice's 1st Birthday coming up this week (Thursday, June 14, to be exact!), as well as in celebration of my brother's graduation, this weekend called for an extra special dessert! I started by settling on the idea of a fancy cake. What's a big celebration without a swanky cake to top it all off, anyways, right?! Since strawberry season is finally upon us, the idea of a strawberry shortcake seemed like the obvious, most scrumptious choice.  After being inspired by this Food Network Diner-Style Strawberry Shortcake recipe, I decided on a four-layered alternating white and yellow cake with whipped cream cheese frosting and fresh strawberries and blueberries. Sounds complicated, right? Well, good news! It absolutely is not and is sure to impress everyone at your next summer gathering! So, listen up for some helpful how-to's!  There's just something about the delicious decadence of cream cheese that seriously enhances the sweet, tangy flavors of fresh and seasonal fruit, so although strawberry shortcake is typically made with traditional whipped cream, I decided to whip up (no pun intended!) some homemade whipped cream cheese frosting, instead. After baking and torting one white and one yellow cake (hint: to save time, I baked the cakes two days in advance and stored them in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap to seal in the moisture!), I spread the frosting in between each cake layer and topped with thinly sliced strawberries for an additional burst of berry-goodness. Finish by frosting the entire exterior of the cake and decorate with thinly sliced strawberries and blueberries! Don't be afraid to be creative with this -- it's time to let your inner culinary artist juices flow!  The cake was a huge hit amongst family and friends this weekend and I think it was the perfect way to celebrate one whole delightfully delicious year of blogging! Here's to another fabulous year of Chelsea's Choice! Happy Baking! :)