Say cheers with a birthday cake shot!
Photo: Li Lee
What the past year has shown me is that every day, moment, memory is one to cherish and celebrate. Birthdays took on a new meaning for me so I decided to celebrate a friend’s birthday with something old, reimagined.
Jello shots remind me so much of my undergraduate studies. It was the best way to ingest the cheapest vodka a college student could afford. Even though my pockets and taste levels have elevated since then (not really but OK 🤷🏽♀️) , jello shots are still a fun, nostalgic way to get a party started.
These jello shots, which I’ve dubbed “birthday cake shots”, are basically like having a slice of birthday cake in a more whimsical form. It’s the best way to have your cake and shoot it too!
THE RECIPE
2 cups boiling water
2 cups cake flavor vodka, cooled in freezer
50 one ounce shot containers with lids
Can of whipped cream (optional)
Sprinkles (optional)
Follow instructions on the gelatin box calling for the recommended amounts of boiling water and cold water. Instead of using cold water, replace the amount with the freezer-cold, cake-flavored liquor. (Who needs water anyway?).
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Pour gelatin liquid into shot containers filling about 3/4 of the way. Cover shot containers with lids and refrigerate until set ( at least 6 hours but up to 24). This recipe can be modified to double or even triple the amounts so make a few more, as these shots are always a hot item at a lit party.
When ready to serve, you can top the shots with a squirt of whipped cream and some sprinkles to really drive home the feeling of a birthday cake.
Strawberry-flavored gelatin lends a great flavor to the birthday cake liquor. It’s reminiscent of a strawberry shortcake or strawberry filling in an actual birthday cake. Other flavors of gelatin that might work well are cherry or lemon. As well, there are a bunch of cake-flavored vodkas on the market (in one of my original test recipes, I actually used the last bit of sugar cookie vodka I had #stilldelicious).
Don’t feel obligated to splurge on an expensive bottle of liquor. The root and origin of a jello shot are to doll up alcohol that is one degree up from pure rubbing antiseptic! The birthday cake shot will be gone in a moment with just the flavor and memory of a slice of birthday cake left on the tongue!
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