Today, December 19, is Scott’s birthday. I did not bake my dear husband a cake.
It’s too hot here to turn on the oven.
Melting chocolate happens…
…without turning on the oven.
No need to exacerbate it by baking a cake and running the oven for an hour.
Instead he got Ho Hos made in a local Aruba bakery topped with homemade cream cheese frosting. I was able to handle whipping up some frosting.
Because I knew that Skylar would get many more thrills out of Ho Hos with a candle than Scott would, I made sure she had a candle to blow out.
At age four she’s still not quite familiar with the concept that you keep your wishes to yourself and as she was blowing out her candle she yelled,
“Make a wish! I wish that I blow this candle out.”
And I thought to myself, good wish kiddo because this kitchen is already hot enough and the sooner you blow the candle out, the sooner temperatures fall.
Down from about 87F to 80F would be lovely in the kitchen.
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Ho Hos with Cream Cheese Frosting
For the Ho Hos, I suggest:
Babble’s Homemade Ho Hos recipe
Joy the Baker’s Chocolate Peppermint Roll
Purchasing Ho Hos (nothing wrong with that, they’ve been around since 1967 and Hostess knows what they’re doing)
For the cream cheese frosting (Gluten Free with Vegan option)
1.5 tbsp butter (or margarine), softened
1.5 tbsp cream cheese (Philly brand, Tofutti, etc.) softened
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 c + powdered/confectioner’s sugar
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whip vigorously by hand until smooth. Adjust the amount of confectioner’s sugar based on how thick or thin (more like a glaze) you prefer your frosting. We like ours very thick and so I used almost 1 cup powdered sugar. Store extra frosting in the refrigerator or freezer.
Yields about 3/4 c frosting
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One tip if you don’t want to bother with a roll-up style dessert like Ho Hos because although they’re pretty they’re fussy would be to make Fudgy Nutella Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting.
They accomplish nearly the same flavor goal but in a flat format that’s much easier to tackle. Just a suggestion if you don’t feel like wrappin’ and rollin’.
After we were done with our Ho Hos we washed our hands thoroughly so that we didn’t get crumbs in our eyes.
Or cream cheese frosting in our hair.
Then we sang Happy Birthday with extra loud and screaming emphasis on the, Happy Birthday DEAR DADDY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU part.
Nothing about this birthday was traditional starting with Skylar having a candle and blowing out her candle and stating her wish aloud.
To singing Happy Birthday after the birthday cake birthday ho hos were already eaten to…
Not serving a cake…
To not making something entirely from scratch.
But Scott didn’t seem to mind.
He said he loved the Ho Hos and that the frosting was delicious.
The best part, in fact, he said was the frosting.
Clearly he’s been hanging around me for over a decade if now he’s using cake as an excuse just to get to the frosting. Ironically we had our 10 year anniversary the last time we were in Aruba.
The birthday ho hos are a step up from his birthday last year, albeit marginally. It’s the thought that counts, right?
Happy Birthday, Scott!
Questions:
How traditional are you when it comes to birthdays?
We are so nontraditional. Scott’s birthday usually falls over Chanukah and so it gets lost in that shuffle.
Plus, we are usually traveling and out of the country in December.
We also don’t exchange birthday gifts, or Chanukah, Christmas, anniversary, or other gifts anymore, either. We buy what we need throughout the year and have given up doing gifts.
Do you have any special birthday memories?
I have so many birthday party memories from my childhood from roller skating parties with pizza, RC cola, and white sheet cakes with pink frosting roses (I loved the pieces of cake that had the thickest and most frosting) to having all my friends over for slumber-birthday parties to my pre-Skylar birthdays which involved copious amounts of alcohol and lasted until the wee hours of the morning.
Ahh, memories.
He doesn’t read my blog but I’ll show him this post…Happy Birthday, Scott!
They looks absolutely delicious! There is not way I would pass on these frosted Ho Ho’s. Sounds like you all are having a fantastic time and the photos look awesome!
Happy birthday to your dear husband!
Do you not have an AC in Aruba? You must be boiling. Having fun, but boiling. ;)
In the bedrooms, yes, but it’s not central A/C like most houses in the US have and the kitchen has none. Fans. Which just circulate…hot air! :)
I have a Scott too! And his birthday is in a week or so! And he loves ho hos. Suh-weet!
Happy birthday Scott!
I do not have any particular birthday rituals-but I am a huge believer in acknowledging them somehow. Another year of being alive is always something worth celebrating!
Your Aruba photo is FAB! Rainy and cool in SD today. Glad Scott had some sunshine for his bday!
Ahhh, the rollar rink. I had many a party there. With lots of cotton candy.
I always loved getting ice cream cakes, but if I got a regular sheet cake from the grocery store, I HAD to have that corner piece with the most frosting and the pure sugar rose. Birthday girl gets the most sugar, right?
I loved Ho Hos. Ding Dongs were a close second.
How sweet! I want to come to your house! You always have the best treats! Happy Birthday to Scott!
I wish it was 87 degrees here! I’m freezing!
Aruba is so beautiful. I wish I was there. Maybe someday!
The cake looks yummy. Happy birthday, Scott!
happy birthday to your hubby! (and happy hanukkah to him too!!!) I was never a fan of ho hos or twinkies but HOMEMADE? thats a different ballgame! for my 16th birthday my mom surprised me with a trip to france!! just me and her for 4 days…it was incredible!
Happy Birthday, Scott! Those cakes look fantastic! I remember having a Titanic-themed birthday party, it was the best thing ever when I was in fifth grade!
ADORABLE cake! so so so adorable.
i made tofu cake for a fellow blogger’s birthday a few weeks ago!
check it out! and please promise not to laugh! :)
it’s called ‘the exbulimic british birthday bash!’ here is the link: https://nicoleandgwendolyn.com/2011/11/30/ex-bulimic-british-birthday-bash/.
:):):)
Homemade HoHos – yum!! I was such a Hostess/Little Debbie junkie growing up, I would love to make those treats my own!
Only a few (couple?) more years before your little Skylar starts making real wishes, I bet! ‘Til then enjoy the cooler kitchen ;)
I love love Little Debbie or Hostess anything from Oatmeal Cream Pies to DingDongs to HoHos…never made a snack full of preservatives I didn’t love :)
Oh man, I LOVE cream cheese frosting… a little TOO much :S
We are normally very traditional about them and always have a cake and a special dinner out. But it’s normally just a small low-key type thing but really nice!
Not sure if it’s “special” per se but I recall having my 7th birthday party cancelled because I may or may not have been pouting about the fact that my mother was helping my sister beat me at bowling. Injustice!
there have been some we’re almost canceling this memories of mine, too!
I remember having roller-skating parties too! Hehe! Such fun memories!! Happy birthday to your hubby! :)
thanks :)
So, how much more delicious is a bakery-made hoho than a ‘traditional’ hoho?!
I just like a nice dinner with friends for birthdays….with some chocolate, of course.
more authentic tasting like real cake but there is something about the Hostess ones that will always have a special place for me :)
Happy Happy Birthday to Scott! And non-traditional is sometimes the best way to go in my opinion. Love Skylar’s wish too. So innocent. Oh loved going to roller skating parties. I usually had a sleep over and often themed, like 50’s or a punk party. Oh the pictures LOL