What are your extra sprinkles?

It was summer in the early 1990s when, standing on the curb next to the Mister Softee truck, I first asked for extra sprinkles. The colorful candy gems, a simple treat, felt indulgent to a broke 20-something, just out of college living in New York City. I watched in anticipation as the ice cream server rolled the vanilla soft serve ice cream through a bowl of sprinkles and handed me the wobbly masterpiece in exchange for a few dollar bills. How the flimsy cake cone held the melty tower I was never sure, but it did.

It’s 30 years later and I still get excited when I hear the first Mister Softee Jingle of the season. I heard it the other day, through an open window, when I was working from home. I brightened and was inspired to make a birthday pound cake with lots of rainbow sprinkles for two friends celebrating April birthdays.

Funfetti Pound Cake…. a perfect name for a celebration cake!

I baked this Funfetti Pound Cake between virtual meetings and took it as a surprise to our weekly Friday night dinner. These dinners, which started as happy hours and turned into meals, have become a tradition we’ve had for several years now. They started with just the two of them and then they invited me to join. We’ve scooped up other friends along the way. As single people in New York City, we’ve given each other company on otherwise lonely Friday nights. The dinners have gotten us through job transitions, work gripes, worrying about aging parents, Covid, family illness, and retirement planning for one of us. We’ve traded tips on good shows to see at music venues, on Broadway, and on Netflix, Hulu, and BritBox. We’ve shared lots of laughs and celebrated many occasions.

After dinner, when it came time for the birthday cake, the waiter loaned me his lighter so I could light the candles. They sparkled. What a wonderful surprise! The waiter, the restaurant owner, and the only other patron (it was still happy hour and before the dinner rush) joined in singing Happy Birthday.

When my friends blew out the candles, I wished that all their colorful wishes would come true. That’s the wish I have for you too, days filled with extra sprinkles.

Here’s to delicious moments!

Warmly,

Tiffany