I may have cried

The back of a senior picture message...in the midst of the craziness that is the end of the school year, this pretty much made my week.  Especially since boy students don't usually tend to be effusive in their praise.

Cinco de Mayo birthday cake!

As always, my dear friend, Jenny (who I like to call Jelly, from an ill-fated flower delivery one time), always has a birthday on Cinco de Mayo.  This year she smartly decided to celebrate said birthday with a progressive dinner.  Being as I don't currently have a home to progress to until the end of the month, I offered to make the birthday cake and bring it over.  Here it is in all its glory:

A few things to note about this cake:

1. Got the recipe from my trusted go-to baking blog, Annie's Eats.  Recipe is here.  

2. While I love everything that she posts and it always turns out great, she likes to misuse the terms "simple", "few pans" and "pantry staples."  Those are not true.  It took me 5 bowls, a lot of extra things I don't have on hand (ahem, bittersweet chocolate and whipping cream--dear goodness, I'm glad I don't have those on a regular basis...).  And it was simple in the fact that it followed any normal cake recipe, which I've obviously done before, but I wouldn't try this for your first time out.  One other complaint--she made this as her "BACK-UP DESSERT."  Who is the swear word has a back-up dessert?  Lots of dollars and time later, I'll stick with the one, thank you.

3. The cake came out of the pan quite nicely, which was a huge accomplishment for me.  I think the butter mixed with cocoa, brushed on with a pastry brush was a good combo.  

4. My only other comment is that it makes WAY more ganache than you need--and the ganache has a pretty bittersweet taste so for those of you liking something sweeter, use sweeter chocolate.  

5. And finally, be prepared to quote "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" like crazy when using a bundt cake recipe.  "There's a hole in this kek, Mari!" "Bun? Bunnn? Bunnnnt?"  "Ah, you fixed it!"  If only I had a flower pot to put in the middle...