We’re big on birthdays here in the Food Network offices. It’s a time when we all preheat our ovens, pull out our mixers and bake something special for our co-workers. But that whole birthday cake thing? It’s been done. We’re here to prove that there’s more to birthdays than birthday cake — and our treats don’t need to be sweet either. Instead of agonizing over the perfect gift, remember that all a birthday boy or girl needs is a little something homemade to know how much you care.
It’s officially October, and that means we officially can’t deny the impending force of fall. Friends and family members born in the 10th month of the year deserve more than the Halloween loot they drag home on the 31st. In fact, October babies are special because they get sweet treats you wouldn’t expect any other time of year. Bake these fall-flavored confections for your loved ones, and they will be quite happy to be celebrating in the fall.
Bobby Flay’s Caramel Apple Cheesecake is a must for the friend who was raring to go apple picking as soon as the farms opened their gates. It has all the flavors of the sticky, crunchy caramel-dipped treat on a stick, thanks to sauteed apples, homemade apple-caramel sauce and a sprinkling of walnuts, plus the creamy vibes of cheesecake.
If pumpkin pie is your pal’s go-to slice of choice, these cute-as-can-be Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes fresh out of Food Network Kitchen will surely make his or her day. Each of these downsized treats, made with an ultra-moist pumpkin foundation and a swirl of tangy cream cheese-infused whipped cream on top, is crowned with a butter-crust garnish for the full pie package.
Cranberries aren’t just a complement to your Thanksgiving bird. Use in-season fresh cranberries to bake Ina Garten’s Easy Cranberry and Apple Cake, which leaves the oven bursting with juicy ruby-red fruit.
Elegant enough to be served on a pedestal, this stately Orange Cake receives a shiny orange glaze that soaks through the cake and creates extra-citrusy slices. Make it for someone who has never been known to decline a lemon bar.
Unearth your Bundt pan for Damaris Phillips’ ode to the beloved pecan, featured in pie after pie all season long. Pour a spiked glaze over her Bourbon Pecan Cake so it becomes a soaked-through treat worth going nuts over.
Place sweet, juicy in-season pears at the bottom of the pan for Food Network Magazine’s Pear-Pecan Upside-Down Cake. Spiced with ground cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg, fruit-filled recipe is perfect for the oven-shy, as it comes together in the slow cooker.
Get more ideas for celebrating the October baby in your life at FoodNetwork.com.
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Calling All October Babies! Birthday Treat of the Month