WOW. That’s all I have to say (I said it last year and I’ll say it again). It feels like just yesterday we celebrated my daughter Dylan’s 1st birthday and I shared this cake recipe with all of you.

Now another year has come and gone and my little Dylan turned TWO. AH!! I was told that the year 1-2 flies by and now I believe it. With the first year, there are so many milestones. Each month feels like such an accomplishment and each milestone you notice and celebrate. With this past year, the milestones are spread out and not as noticeable. And I swear, before I knew it, my daughter was talking to me and running around like the toddler she was.

I’m so excited to watch her grow, but I get a teary-eyed when I look at photos taken just a few short months ago. Her hair is a bit more wispy and baby-like and her rolls and stomach more prominent. Her walk is a bit more shaky. She cuddled a little bit more and I rocked her to sleep longer at night. Now she doesn’t sit as long as I read bedtime stories and she doesn’t always want me to rock and sing her to sleep. She doesn’t want me to hold her hand when she walks down steps (“No mom, Dylan do it.”). She doesn’t want me to help her brush her teeth. My little baby is growing up.

This second year has also come with its battles. Dylan has definitely struggled with dealing with her emotions which has led to temper tantrums and throwing herself on the floor crying. Fighting everything from dinner (all vegetables) to naps to simply putting on her shoes. It has also led to a stage of “MINE” for just about everything from the playground swing to, I kid you not, some donut holes on the other side of a glass case at a bakery that another boy was simply looking at through the glass.

But, the sweet moments outweigh the battles 100%. The smiles and giggles, the excitement over the smallest things in life, the pure JOY. Every day I looked forward to seeing her and playing with her. I wish I could do this year all over again. But I am so thankful for this past year and will now savor this next year just as much as I did the last.

For Dylan’s birthday, I asked her what kind of cake she wanted for about a month leading up to her birthday. Chocolate, vanilla, sprinkles… She decided on Sprinkles. Who could blame her. We talked about it almost every day. Her birthday was “coming up.” She was sooooo excited.

Now, I wish I could tell you I did a decked out birthday party like you see on Pinterest. But we did not. And you know what? We didn’t need to at all. We bought some fun balloons, a ballerina cake topper and sprinkles and it was all we needed. It felt perfect. And Dylan LOVED IT.

One major lesson I learned from prepping for her party was that it is NOT worth stressing over things. I attempted what I later learned to be a very complicated white cake only to feel like a failure. We do NOT need to be doing that people! (Also, don’t take “basic white cake” titles seriously and read your directions because the one I chose to make was not “basic”). I messed up said cake recipe and needed an easier one-bowl recipe. So here we are with this one!

I wanted to share this easy white cake recipe that will not have you down and frustrated. You can also just buy a cake mix which I fully support because let’s face it, we need EASY. Happy moms lead to happy families and if making a boxed cake mix means you’ll be less stressed and happier with your child then I think you need to do that! Honestly no one will know or care either way at the party!! So that’s my two cents there.

But if you want to make a homemade cake because you’re a bit crazy like myself, here is a no-fail recipe for you! It makes 24-28 cupcakes.

Birthday Sprinkle Cupcakes

• 1 3/4 cup white sugar

• 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)

• 4 eggs

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• 3 cups all purpose flour

• 1 cup milk

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 1/2-3/4 cup sprinkles

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with paper liners.

1. In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the eggs, then the vanilla. Add in the flour and baking powder and mix well. Finally add in the milk and mix or stir until batter is smooth. Stir in the sprinkles. Using a cookie scoop, scoop the batter into the tins (I do a heaping cookie scoop)

2. Bake for 23 to 25 minutes. Let cool then ice with frosting below.

Vanilla Buttercream

• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened

• 1/2 cup milk

• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• 8-9 cups of confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar)

Directions:

1. In a mixer, beat the butter until smooth.

2. Add 4 cups of sugar and the milk and vanilla and beat until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the remaining sugar, one cup at a time until the frosting appears thick enough to spread.

3. Frost the cupcakes.

I don’t know if it was coincidence but tonight Dylan wanted me to read several books and then I rocked and sang to her. It was a great bedtime so I’m calling that a win in my book.

Hug your little ones extra tight! And read one more book.