Yellow and Chocolate Polka-dot Birthday Cake

My youngest is now eight! The baby years seem so close but far. It is amazing how busy-ness really alters our preception of time. My memories of being eight are fairly clear. I remember what I liked to draw and read. I remember baking cookies and sewing at my Singer Junior Miss sewing machine. I remember the winter skies and the smell of the outdoors.
Making birthday cakes are now a family affair. I made the cake using a standard Moosewood recipe. I used Bob's Red Mill All-purpose Gluten-free Baking Flour(1 cup) and Light buckwheat flour(1/2 cup) in place of all-purpose flour with 3/4 tsp. xanthan gum and 1/4 cup of flax seed-water mix as part of my total liquids. It is a naturally egg-free recipe but I find that it holds together just that little bit better with the flax egg-replacer. Number 4 insisted on doing the decoration, so after smoothering the cake with chocolate frosting, I let him go at it with the M & M's (his sister did the yellow edging around the top). The control freak part of me got to pick out the materials and sugggest not to overdo it with the M & M's. He picked out the spacing and pattern and I think is design sense is pretty good. Numbers 3 & 4 have always been interested in baking and crafts and we plan on creating a baking birthday party for the birthday boy. His parents are not keen on the package birthdays and he is keen to share his interest in baking with his friends.