homemade german chocolate cakes

yes, cakes - two in one weekend...we were pretty lucky.  ok, so here's what i'm talking about - last friday was my hubby's birthday and his sweet mother wanted to make him a german chocolate cake since she thinks it has been about 25 years since she has made one.  here is the masterpiece...

then, sunday was my brother pat's birthday and guess what he asked for dessert??  you guessed right - a german chocolate cake.  my mom used to get them for us growing up from karsha's bakery and they were to die for.  they still make them but she decided to make her own as well.  her masterpiece...

karsha's puts chocolate around the sides of the cake, so nani decided she would too.  i love how my mom can just improvise on a recipe and change or add something to tweek it just the way she wants it.  i inherited this from her (the not following a recipe part) - this was a little difficult for chris when we first met - my mr. by the book husband!! - love you honey!

they both were delicious - what mothers will do for their children, even their grown children!

we had lovely celebrations for these wonderful men.

and we were sure spoiled with the cakes.

*by the way, the candles are from the ssj auction.  they were one of the 4th grade projects.  it was the first year i bid on a classroom project.  usually their so big but this year they kept things really simple.  the 4th graders made four different candle sets: christmas, thanksgiving, easter and birthday.  the kids all drew different pictures corresponding to these holidays and one of the mom's decopaged them onto these candlesticks.  i ended up with these easter ones and i love them, they are currently my dinning table centerpiece (with some pretty glass easter eggs in a pretty glass bowl in front of them).