Yesterday was Tal’s birthday. It also happened to be the day that we were moving into a new house. As I write this, I’m sitting next to stacks of boxes in a place that doesn’t quite yet feel like home. But hopefully, it soon will.

Despite our move, I still wanted to bake Tal a cake. It seemed like an impossible task to pull off with a toddler…on moving day! In the end, I couldn’t resist the challenge, and an opportunity to surprise the man I love. The frosting is incredibly simple and keeps for days in the fridge. I made it ahead of time and stored it in a Tupperware container. As for the cake, I came up with a recipe that only needed a few, not yet packed ingredients, and no mixer. Tal was more than a little surprised when he woke up and found a cake sitting in our all but deserted kitchen. In fact, the biggest challenge we had was coming up with some plates to serve it on. Luckily, the neighbors were able to help us out. We all sang Happy Birthday, and even the movers enjoyed a slice of cake.

I wish unpacking all these boxes was as simple as whipping up this cake. Sadly, that’s one birthday wish that won’t come true.