I love traditions. Big ones, small ones, the little rituals that stitch days and years together. As Jeff and I think about starting a family, I find myself reflecting on the traditions we grew up with and imagining the new ones we’ll create. That’s why I wanted to launch a column celebrating traditions—those simple, meaningful moments that bring people together. I’ll share traditions through the Studio DIY lens and invite you to contribute your favorites so we can showcase them here.
When I met Jeff, he confessed his favorite dessert—after pumpkin pie—was Italian rainbow cookies. He was obsessed. In 2010 I stumbled across a recipe for an Italian rainbow cookie cake and decided that making it for his birthday might secure my place as his future wife. Coincidentally, a huge blizzard hit Washington, D.C. on his birthday that February. I had planned to surprise him by bringing the cake to his place, but he ended up snowed in at my apartment.
Despite him being minutes away, I managed to bake the entire cake in my tiny kitchen right behind him without his noticing—thanks in part to his reruns of Entourage and a rampant overuse of nasal spray that left him without a sense of smell. When I revealed the finished cake, he declared it the best cake ever and insisted it become a birthday tradition. He also wanted to know how I pulled off making it without him realizing.
Since then, I’ve made the cake every February 5th. Usually it’s just the two of us indulging, and maybe we share a slice with a friend who hears about it. Someday, as our family grows, we’ll probably bake two cakes—one for each layer of life. I really look forward to making it each year, and he looks forward to eating it. We don’t exchange extravagant birthday gifts, so we focus on homemade cakes for one another, and that feels just right. I hope to continue the tradition and bake special cakes for our children one day, too.
For the Italian Rainbow Cookie Cake recipe, click here!
I baked mine in 8″ pans so the cake was taller—I like tall cakes. If you do the same, adjust the baking time accordingly.
All photos by Studio DIY
Cake stand from Shop Sweet Lulu / Gold flatware from HORNE
Now it’s your turn. Do you have a tradition—big or small—with friends or family that you look forward to each year, month, or week? It might mark a birthday, anniversary, holiday, or simply a recurring moment you celebrate. I want to hear about it. I plan to feature traditions submitted by readers and offer my own Studio DIY take on select ideas. Share your traditions in the comments and you might see yours in a future installment—let’s celebrate the rituals that matter most.