The Swift Side of Me
#004
Let Them Eat Cake: Celebrating Love & Birthdays, Swift Style
Baking Memories: A Pandemic Pivot to Elaborate Cakes
Feb 27/2025
Today is a special day—the special someone in my life is turning another year older. As I thought about how to best celebrate R a couple of weeks ago, an idea sparked. But before we dive into the details, let me take you back a few years to the height of the pandemic.
For a long time, I never really made a big deal about birthdays. Celebrating a friend’s birthday usually meant grabbing a drink or having a casual board game night; and as someone who wants to avoid the cake and public singing, I take my birthday off from work every year. But with the pandemic, something shifted. Like many of us, I realized I had been taking time with friends and family for granted. The days of easy gatherings and casual meetups vanished, and I knew that when we had the chance to get together again, I wanted to make it special.
I remember the first summer of the pandemic when we could finally meet outdoors—social distancing in place, of course. It felt like such a monumental milestone, and I decided we needed to maximize every opportunity to celebrate, to make people feel loved, and to make those moments unforgettable. So, I began baking elaborate birthday cakes for my friends.
The first cake I made was a rock climbing wall for two of my friends, complete with Rice Krispie treat climbing holds and cut-out toppers of my friends in their climbing gear, including candy-rope climbing ropes. The look on their faces when I revealed the cake was pure joy—it was like they were kids again. Next came a gravity-defying pint of Guinness, followed by a R2-D2 cake (which I cleverly called “RU32” for my friend turning thirty-two). Since then, I’ve made many more cakes: an The Office-inspired “IT IS YOUR BIRTHDAY.” cake; Harry Potter sorting hat cupcakes with colored frosting inside to sort us into houses; a unicorn cake for my equally unique sister, Laura; and even a Lord of the Rings cake with a hobbit hole and the One Ring. I was Marie Antoinette, celebrating every birthday in elaborate style; and these cakes were my way of making birthdays feel special again—even in the midst of uncertainty.
Begin Again: A Cake That Tells Our Story
Today was was the second birthday I celebrated with R, and while there may not be an elaborate party planned (that’s not his vibe), there certainly needed to be a memorable cake. So, what tricks do I have up my sleeve? …keep reading!
As a die-hard Swiftie, it’s no surprise that my cake would have a Taylor Swift twist. In fact, it feels like the perfect way to blend my love of baking with my love for Taylor’s music. And yes, this cake holds a special meaning for our relationship, too. Let’s take it back to the beginning—to the very first page of our story.
Funny enough, it wasn’t until we reached our one-year anniversary that I realized a Taylor Swift easter egg about our relationship. R is from the UK–just like Joe Alwyn, who had a long-term relationship with Taylor. I joke that R is my “Leiscester Boy” instead of my London Boy. But that’s not even the best part. Our first date was on December 14th (Taylor’s birthday, obviously!)–and yes, it also happened to be on a Wednesday. This is an important detail because we met up for coffee for our first date…cue the music!
🎶But on a Wednesday in a cafe
I watched it begin again 🎶
If you haven’t guessed already, the cake I made for R’s birthday is an homage to the song Begin Again from the Red album (Taylor’s Version).
Now, I’m not about to say this is some cosmic sign, but I do think it makes for a great love story! It’s also very Taylor to romanticize the connection between a love story and her music!
When I decided to make this cake, I knew it was important to visually capture the song’s themes and lyrics while also carefully selecting flavours and aromas that felt true to the song. Begin Again is about the sweet vulnerability of starting fresh with someone new–exploring love again after past heartbreak. It’s about the nervous excitement of meeting someone who just might be “the one”. Taylor sings about meeting her new love at a cafe, so naturally, I opted for a coffee-chocolate flavour profile that mirrored the song’s backdrop. And, given that R is a chocolate fiend, incorporating chocolate in a big way was non-negotiable!
I made my infamous chocolate cake recipe, with a few key changes to tie everything together. I added brewed coffee to the batter for that extra depth of flavour; mocha syrup to soak over the top of each cake layer to help bring out the richness of both coffee and chocolate. I opted for a light and fluffy coffee buttercream, complimenting the deep cocoa notes in the cake layers; because at the end of the day, Begin Again isn’t just about intense emotions–it’s also about subtlety and sweetness.
Now, onto the fun part–the cake’s design. At first, I thought about making the cake look like a coffee mug, complete with latte art, but that felt a bit too literal for what I wanted. So, I decided that the cake should appear simple at first but then reveal something unexpected–a surprise inside that ties back to the themes of Begin Again.
After a quick Google search, I decided that when R cut into the cake, I wanted him to reveal a hidden heart inside the cake layers. The heart was a fun surprise—and though it wasn’t flawless, it captured the sentiment perfectly—it started as just a cup of coffee, but it was also the start of love brewing between us.
For the exterior, I wrapped the cake in coffee buttercream and drizzled more mocha syrup around the top, creating a drip effect you often see around the rim of a coffee mug. Then, to seal the deal, I layered tiny heart-shaped strawberry pieces on top, forming one large heart. This served as a symbol of the new love blossoming between us; while also acknowledging that we all bring our own experiences with love and dating with us into new relationships, that play a role in shaping future love.
Speak Now: It's your turn to share your thoughts!
So, Swifties, fellow bakers, and lovebirds: Have you ever made a cake inspired by your favorite song or love story? I’d love to hear your baking adventures, or even your own Taylor-inspired cake ideas! Let’s get creative in the kitchen and celebrate love in all its forms.
If you try this cake, or if you’re inspired by Begin Again, let me know! Share your photos and stories with me on social media (QR code below).
XO,
Inspired by Taylor, Creating with Love
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