Remember when you were little, someone asked how old you were, and you answered, “Five AND A HALF?”
That half is important.
We don’t buy gifts or host lavish parties, but we celebrate with a half birthday cake.
Is this just an excuse to have cake? Ummm, possibly, but my kids love it.
In the past when I have posted a picture of the half birthday cake on social media, several people asked the same question: Where is the rest of the cake?
It’s likely I’ve eaten it, right?
Read on, and you’ll learn how to make a half birthday cake. You’ll also discover what happens to the other half.
Last week my twins, Isaac and Noah, celebrated their 16 ½ birthdays. I asked Noah if he felt like he was 16 ½, and he said, “No, I just feel tired after being at school for eight hours.”
I asked Isaac if he felt 16 ½ and he said, “Yes.”
He’s a man of few words. He answers “yes” to most questions unless he’s asked if he has put on his deodorant or if he wants to eat broccoli for dinner.
If you want to celebrate a half birthday, first you’ll need to calculate your half birthday. Simply add six months to your birthdate or subtract six months from your birthdate. YOU WILL COME UP WITH THE SAME ANSWER. It’s kind of like magic.
Now, don’t be alarmed if your half birthday doesn't exist because you are born at the end of the month. (This happens to my husband.) Not all months have 31 days. In this case, just pick the closest date and go from there.
Buy one cake mix and the ingredients needed to bake one cake. I recommend any cake mix with the uncomfortable word “moist” in the title.
If you’re decorating this cake while you’re hungry and look out of the corner of your eye and see a grilled cheese sandwich with bright white swiss cheese, don’t be alarmed. This happened to me several times, and this is normal. At least, I think it is . . .right?
Due to gravity, the leaning cake, and watery writing frosting, my “16 ½” looks kind of like “76 ½.” I was 30 years old when my twins were born, which means if they are now 76 ½, I should be the ripe old age of 106. Some days I feel that old, believe me.
Then we eat only half a piece. (Just kidding. We eat the whole thing.)
To cut this masterpiece, it’s best to cut a semi-circle in the center, then cut the slices from there. See the pink lines below. My grandma taught me this trick, and it works like a charm.
That’s too logical. We're going to stick with our half birthday tradition.
Once you start celebrating half birthdays, you'll discover how much fun you're having, even if you might initially think it's a half-baked idea.
Do yourself a favor and get them on the family calendar today!