To assemble this cake you will need the following:  (Don't roll your eyes and say this is too much work, it's all very simple)
1 recipe birthday cake
1 recipe birthday cake soak
1 recipe birthday cake frosting
1 recipe birthday cake crumbs
Let's start with the crumbs:

Birthday Cake Crumbs
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar, lightly packed
3/4 cup cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt ( I found the crumbs a little salty, so I cut it back to 1/4 tsp...you decide)
2 tablespoon rainbow sprinkles
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon CLEAR vanilla extract

Heat the oven to 300 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine the sugars, flour, baking powder, salt and sprinkles.  Mix until they are all combined.  Add the oil and vanilla and stir to distribute.  The wet ingredients are acting as a glue to help the dry ingredients form small clusters, continue stirring until that happens.  Spread the clusters on parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake 20 minutes , breaking them up occasionally.  The crumbs should still be slightly moist to the touch; they will dry and harden as they cool.  Let the crumbs cool completely before using.

Now for the cake...
Birthday Cake
4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons brown sugar, tightly packed
3 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup grapeseed oil
2 teaspoons CLEAR vanilla extract
2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 cup rainbow sprinkles
Non stick cooking spray
2 tablespoons rainbow sprinkles
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Combine the butter, shortening and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2-3 minutes.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the eggs, and mix on medium-high for 2-3 minutes.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl once more.  On low speed, stream in the buttermilk, oil and vanilla.  Increase the speed to medium-high and paddle for 4-6 minutes, until the mixture is practically white in color and twice the size of the original fluffly butter and sugar mixture and completely homogenous.  Don't rush this process.  You're basically forcing too much liquid into an already fatty mixture that doesn't want to make room for the liquid.  There should be no streaks of fat or liquid.  Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.  On a very low speed, add the cake flour, baking powder, salt and the 1/4 cup rainbow sprinkles.  Mix for 45-60 seconds, just until the batter comes together.  Scrape down the sides again.  Spray a 1/4 sheet pan and line it with parchment.  Using a spatula, spread the cake batter in an even layer in the pan.  Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons sprinkles evenly over the batter.  Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes.  The cake will rise and puff, doubling in size, but will remain slightly buttery and dense.  The cake is done when it bounces back slightly when touched and the center is no longer jiggly.  Cool the cake on a wire rack.

Were 1/2 way home...stick with me
Birthday Cake Soak

1/4cup milk
1 teaspoon CLEAR vanilla extract
Whisk together in a small bowl.  ( Now that was easy, huh?)

Birthday Cake Frosting
1 stick butter, room temperature
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 ounces cream cheese
1 tablespoon glucose ( substitute 2 teaspoons corn syrup in a pinch)
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1 tablespoon CLEAR vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups confectioners'sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
pinch of baking powder
pinch of citric acid

Combine the butter, shortening and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Cream together on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes, until mixture is smooth and fluffy.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  With the mixer on its lowest speed, stream in the glucose, corn syrup and vanilla.  Crank the mixer up to medium-high and beat for 2-3 minutes, until the mixture is silky smooth and glossy white.  Scrape down the bowls.  Add the confectioners' sugar, salt, baking powder and citric acid and mix on low speed just to incorporate them into the batter.  Crank the speed back up to medium-high and beat for 2-3 minutes, until you have a brilliant stark white, beautifully smooth frosting.

Now we assemble....finally!

Put a piece of parchment on the counter.  Invert the cooled cake onto it and peel off the parchment from the bottom of the cake.  Use a 6" cake ring to stamp out 2 circles from the cake.  These are the top 2 cake layers.  The remaining cake "scrap" will come together to make the bottom layer of the cake.

Place the cake ring in the center of a sheet pan, lined with parchment.  Put the cake scraps in the ring and using the back of your hand, tamp the scraps together into a flat even layer.  Dunk a pastry brush in the birthday cake soak and give the layer of cake a good, healthy bath of half of the soak.  Use the back of the spoon to spread 1/5 of the frosting in an even layer over the cake.  Sprinkle 1/3  of the birthday cake crumbs evenly over the frosting and press down with your hand.  Use the back of the spoon to spread another 1/5 of the frosting.    Repeat for the 2nd layer of cake.  Finally, place the 3rd layer of cake onto the frosting.  Cover the top with remaining frosting and garnish with remaining birthday cake crumbs.  Transfer the sheet pan to the freezer and freeze for a minimum of 12 hours to set the cake and filling.   Remove from freezer at least 3 hours before you are ready to serve.  Run a knife between the cake and the cake ring and release the ring.  Place cake on serving pedestal.  Slice into wedges and serve.  Refrigerate uneaten cake (if there is any.....)
 

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 large egg whites
• 1 cup superfine sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
• Pinch of salt
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• Nonstick cooking spray

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet liberally with cooking spray. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine egg whites and sugar, and beat on medium speed, about 30 seconds. Add flour and salt, and beat until combined. Add butter, heavy cream, and almond extract, and beat until combined, about 30 seconds.
3. Pour 1 tablespoon of batter onto half of the baking sheet, and spread with the back of a spoon into a thin 5-inch circle; repeat on the other half of the sheet. Bake until the edges of the cookies turn golden brown, about 8 minutes.
4. Transfer baking sheet to a heat-resistant surface. Working as quickly as possible, slide a spatula (an offset spatula, available at specialty kitchen shops, works best) under one of the cookies. Lift it up, and place it on a clean kitchen towel. Using your fingers, fold the cookie in half, pinching the top together to form a loose semicircle. Hold the cookie with your index fingers inserted at each open end, and slide your thumbs together along the bottom line. Press into the center of the cookie while bending the two open ends together and down to form the shape of a fortune cookie. This whole process should take about 10 seconds. Once the cookie hardens, which begins to happen almost immediately, you cannot fold it. Place the fortune cookie on the kitchen towel to cool, and shape the second cookie. Repeat until all the batter is used up. To speed up the process, bake four cookies at a time, staggering two cookie sheets by 4 minutes to give you time to shape. To avoid wasting batter, practice folding with a circle of paper first.
5. Write your message on a long strip of sturdy art paper, such as Japanese moriki. Thread the fortune through the cookie when it has cooled.

Graham crackers
2 sticks butter
1/2 cup sugar
slivered almonds

Preheat the oven broiler.  Line a sheet pan with graham crackers.  (Line them up and it will be easier to cut when cool).  In a small saucepan, melt butter and sugar over medium heat, stirring slowly.  Let the mixture come to a boil and boil for 2 minutes.  Pour the butter mixture over the graham crackers.  Sprinkle with the almonds (and chocolate chips, if desired) and place under the broiler for about 3 minutes.  Let cool, slightly.  Cut while still warm.

1 cup pecans, toasted
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons butter, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
 25 soft caramel candies
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
 Coarse sea salt

Process pecans in food processor until finely ground.  Combine the flour, processed pecans and table salt.  Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter and sugar on medium speed  until pale and fluffy.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat to combine.  Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture and mix just until combined.  Refrigerate the dough until firm, about 1 hour.
Adjust the oven racks to upper-middle and lower middle positions and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.  Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into balls and place 2 inches apart on prepared sheets.  Using the back of a floured 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon, make an indentation in the center of each ball.
Bake until the edges are lightly browned, 12-14 minutes.  Remove cookies from the oven and gently "reinforce" the existing indentations with the teaspoon measure.  Let cookies cool on sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
Cook caramels and cream in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently, until smooth.  Meanwhile microwave chocolate chips in bowl, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.  Fill each cookie dimple with 1/2 teaspoon melted chocolate and spread up the sides of the dimple.  Top with 1/2 teaspoon caramel mixture.  Sprinkle with sea salt and let sit until centers are firm, about 1 hour.  Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

3 cans mashed sweet potatoes
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup milk
 1/3 cup butter
 salt, to taste
 For the topping:
  1/2 cup brown sugar
 1 cup corn flakes, crushed
 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
 1/2 cup butter
In a large bowl, combine sweet potatoes, egg, sugars, milk, butter and salt.  Pour into a casserole dish.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Combine all the ingrdients for the topping.  Sprinkle over hot casserole and return to oven for 10 minutes, or until golden and crispy.

Pastry for a 9 inch pie crust and strips to form lattice top
1 quart sliced green tomatoes
boiling water
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
small pinch of ground cloves
zest and juice of 1 medium lemon
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons butter

Line a deep pie pan with the pastry, and cut the strips for the lattice top.  Place in fridge to keep cold until ready for use.  Meanwhile, wash the tomatoes, don't peel.  Slice 1/8" thick and layer in a large bowl.  Pour boiling water over tomatoes to cover and let stand 5 minutes and drain.  Stir together sugar, salt, flour and spices until well combined.  In another small bowl, combine lemon zest, juice and water.  Fill the chilled pastry crust with layers of tomato slices, sprinkling each layer with sugar mixture and dotting each layer with butter.  When the pan is full, pour lemon mixture over the tomatoes and arrange the pastry strips to make a lattice pattern.  (Use water to seal the strips to the edges of the crust).  Bake in a very hot (450 degree) oven  for 8-10 minutes.  Reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake until tomatoes are tender about 40 minutes.  Let the pie cool completely before serving.

Perfectly easy and absolutely delicious....

1 5-6 pound whole chicken
4 tablespoons butter, softened
salt and pepper
6 sprigs of thyme

Wash chicken and pat dry.  Salt and pepper inside the cavity and insert the thyme sprigs.  Place chicken on roasting rack in a roasting pan ( you can also use a bed of fennel and carrots as your roasting rack).  Rub the outside of the chicken with the softened butter and liberally season with salt and pepper.  Roast uncovered at 425 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. 

1 can whole kernal corn (undrained)
1 can cream style corn
2 eggs, beaten
1 stick butter, melted
1 cup sour cream
 1 small box cornbread mix
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients except the cheeses.  Pour batter into a lightly buttered baking dish.  Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  Sprinkle the cheese on the top and bake for 5 minutes more.

8 small McIntosh apples, stemed, washed and dried
1 1/2 cups red wine
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
6 tablespoons heavy cream

Insert a wooden stick halfway into each apple at stem end. Line a tray with wax paper and lightly grease paper.

Boil wine in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced to 1/2 cup, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Bring sugar and water to a boil in a 2 1/2-to 3-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then wash down any sugar crystals from side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Boil, without stirring, swirling pan occasionally so caramel colors evenly, until dark amber. Add reduced wine (mixture will bubble up and steam) and swirl pan. Add cream and simmer, stirring, until incorporated, then continue to simmer until thermometer registers 238°F. Remove from heat and cool to 200°F.

Holding apples by the sticks, dip them in caramel and swirl to coat, letting excess drip off, then hold apples up (stick end down) for about 15 seconds to allow more caramel to set on apples. Put caramel apples, stick side up, on greased wax paper and let stand until caramel firms up, about 30 minutes.

from Epicurious.com