Every year I carefully plan what kind of birthday cake I’m going to make myself, and this year I was imagining some kind of over-the-top creation with chocolate and peanut butter. But my chocolate cake craving was satisfied when I made a Devil’s Food Cake with Marshmallow Frosting (OMG) for a co-worker’s last day potluck, and then I changed tacks completely when I came across this little pistachio layer cake beauty, boasting not only pistachio sponge but also apricot jam, thin ribbons of marzipan, chocolate ganache, and flowers. And as a cake project lover and general fussy-pastry enthusiast, it seemed like the perfect birthday present to myself.
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