Traditions: Four-Layer Birthday Cake

As our kids are getting older, I find myself more interested in continuing and starting new family traditions. I like the familiarity, heritage and comfort that come from sharing something special together. As I introduce or re-introduce traditions into our family, I'll share them here.

As a child, I remember several birthdays when my mom would make a tower of a cake. The Four-Layer Birthday Cake was as sugary and delicious as it was enormous.

The tradition of the cake - as there is no actual recipe - has been passed down through five generations, and our children will make it six. We're not sure how it originated, just that it keeps showing up on party tables throughout the years.

I've made several cakes since I struck out on my own, but the first for my family was for the kids' birthday party in January. Here are the directions (again, no recipe):

1. Prepare four boxes of Jiffy cake mix as instructed: chocolate, yellow and two white (use food coloring to tint one pink)

2. Using 2 cans white frosting (I prefer chocolate) stack and frost the cakes from bottom to top as follows: chocolate, yellow, pink, white.

3. Don't set outdoors on a warm day. The layers will slide!

I plan to make the cake again soon, but I think it's about time this becomes an actual recipe, my little contribution to the tradition. I'll test out some good cake recipes, as well as natural coloring.

Who knows, maybe I'll just go back to Jiffy.