The Art of the Birthday Cake

 What is a birthday without a cake? Here is the scrumptious start of my birthday celebration in the form of this gorgeous, homemade carrot cake. The  handmade card made it even more special. 
Birthday cakes are an old tradition, possibly dating back to the Romans and Greeks. Tradition has it that   Artemis, the Greek goddess of the hunt and the moon, would be honored by a cake with candles. Smoke was a means to get your wishes to the gods. Perhaps that led to the honored custom of making a wish and blowing out the candles to make it come true.  
Modern western tradition is attributed to the Germans, back in the 19th century. They had celebrations for the kinder, or children, and traditions of one candle for each year of the celebrant's life. The English and other Europeans adopted these habits, which made their way to the new world.
I was touched by the  efforts on my behalf. I loved the white of the icing against the chocolate of the writing. Calligraphy on cake. All of it combining to be a truly elegant presentation. Alas, it is all gone now. Only the art lives on!