Guess what month it is?!?
My birthday month!
Bring on the cake and ice cream!

Although this birthday is gonna look a lot different than years past, I’m trying to make the best of it. In the spirit of #quarantine, I rounded up a few of my favorite birthday cake recipes but with smaller portions. Since most of us are cooking for less people right now, I wanted to find ways to accommodate. Two people just don’t need a cake that feeds 20 people. So here are a few of my top picks! I may have to do an Instagram poll to get y’all to help me decide which one I should make this year.

1. Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting

This is the Snyder Family’s birthday cake of choice. Pretty much anytime anyone in my family is having a birthday, this cake is requested. Normally we make a two layer round cake, but I saw this cupcake recipe and thought it was too darling not to share too. Usually my family will make the icing from scratch using the Hershey’s recipe on the back of the Cocoa box, and then use a store-bought cake mix for the yellow cake. But I love making homemade yellow cake so that the entire cake is made from scratch.

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Yellow Cake via Cooking Classy
Yellow Cupcakes via Sally’s Baking Addiction

2. Peanut-Cola Cake

This recipe was originally published in Southern Living. I remember I made it for Fourth of July one year and the next year I made it for my birthday, because I liked the recipe so much. The only hitch is that it’s cooked on a sheet pan, so it feeds a mess of people. You may want to half the recipe and cook it in a smaller pan if you are cooking for a smaller group of people. This is one of my all-time favorite cake recipes!

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3. Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

Bump store-bought cookie cakes and try your hand at making one yourself. Life Is But a Dish makes it look so easy and beautiful. She even gives step-by-step instructions for piping the frosting so you can create a cookie cake masterpiece. Who needs Great American Cookie?!?

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4. Mini Carrot Cake

Fun fact: our wedding cake was carrot cake with buttercream frosting! It’s one of my absolute favorite cakes. Maybe because I secretly feel like I’m getting some veggies in while indulging in a delicious slice of sugary goodness. But whatever the case, this recipe is a smaller version of A Cozy Kitchen‘s sheet pan carrot cake which I love. Also, how adorable are those piped carrots?!

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5. Funfetti Bundt Cake

Bundt cakes are one of the easiest ways to enjoy a cake without all the mess of having to stack and frost. Basically, it’s the perfect low-maintenance cake. And this recipe by Ambitious Kitchen looks divine. I honestly haven’t made it myself, but it looks like a massive glazed donut with sprinkles and I’m here for it. If this doesn’t scream “Happy Birthday,” I don’t know what will!

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6. Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting

You really can’t beat chocolate on top of chocolate! This recipe makes one 9″ cake so it’s super easy and less overwhelming if you’re only cooking for 2-3 people. It’s from Bon Appetit magazine so it’s bound to be tasty! This frosting looks absolutely heavenly.

7. Instant Pot Cheesecake

This recipe is blowing my MIND! Talk about simplicity. I would have never dreamt that you could make a cheesecake in an Instant Pot, but here we are. What an amazing use of resources and the perfect size for a smaller crowd. Dessert for Two is a great resource for scaled down recipes. Highly recommend checking her blog out! Now, I’m feeling really compelled to make a cheesecake for my birthday…

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What are your favorite birthday cake recipes?
Leave them in the comments below!