I have a strange obsession with themes. Maybe I was a party planner in a former life. But with my kids' birthdays, I have all kinds of fun ways to throw theme parties and build them all around one main anchor: The Birthday Cake.

Oh yes, ladies and gentlemen, the centerpiece of any birthday party is the cake, and my husband and I, over the years, have become obsessed with making the perfect cake for each birthday from scratch. We have a system. I bake them and make the frosting and he decorates.

Now, I know a lot of people think this is silly and why not get a store-bought one and those who make homemade cakes are just showing off, but whatever. I don't care what you do. So why should you think I am showing off by doing something I genuinely enjoy doing? Anyway, if you have ever wanted to try to make your own birthday cake, it's not so easy. My husband and I have greatly improved our technique over the years as you can see in the slideshow below:

Do you make homemade birthday cakes?