Maybe I just love holidays…Maybe I just like finding a reason to bake a cake…Maybe I just love making my kids feel special and happy….(I think it’s all three!)  Whatever the reason, I love celebrating half birthdays at our house. I wanted to share a quick idea with you today for YOUR child’s half birthday. (It’s easy, and you’ll score some “awesome mom points” in the process!)

When my daughter recently turned 5 1/2, I made her “half” of a birthday cake!

To make this “half” a cake, I started by pouring my cake batter into two round cake pans. When the cakes were cool, I removed them from the cake pans, and cut each of the round cakes in half. Then, I stacked the halves up on top of each other to make a very tall, four layer cake.

I then frosted the cake, and covered it with sprinkles. (The exposed side of the cake will be a bit more tricky to frost, and will be much easier to do if you truly wait until the cake is cooled completely. If you get cake crumbs in the frosting, just go ahead and cover your cake in sprinkles! And, remember that the cake is for a child, not for the judges on Ultimate Cake Battle, so you’re probably okay.) =)

Doesn’t that cake look awesome? Seriously, the giant pieces make you feel like you’re at a fancy bakery (even though you’re really just eating a tall slice of Betty Crocker.) (Hey, it’s the small things in life that keep us going!)

It was SO much fun to have this waiting on the counter to surprise Hannah when she got home from school. She was so excited and her little gasp when she saw it waiting for her was really fun. I absolutely love making my kids feel special and important…letting them know that you’re thinking about them. There weren’t presents, balloons, or a party….BUT, a simple gesture of baking a fun little cake was enough to make my daughter feel loved and truly special.

So, bake up a cake the next time one of your kids hits the super-important half-way mark! Watch them blow out their candles and make a half-birthday wish! And to all of you out there today, I can’t help but write (and sing in my head) “A VERY merry un-birthday to YOU!!)