Countdown Cake

Whip the eggs and sugar together until they are light, white and fluffy. Add a drop or two of red food coloring to achieve you desired shade of pink then slowly fold in the flour. If you want to flavor the cake with vanilla or almond extract, do it when adding the food coloring. Pour the mixture onto 3 different sheet pans lined with parchment paper and bake for 15 minutes at 350 °F. As soon as the cakes come out of the oven and are cool enough to touch, place each one on a slightly damp kitchen towel and roll. Set aside while you make the whipped cream - if making from scratch.

Take your paper towel rolls and cut down the center, roll a bit smaller, about 3/4th-inch in diameter, and re-roll, wrapping in completely in tape. Unroll your cakes and place the smaller paper towel rolls on the short end of one cake, roll until covered then spread whip cream on the remaining part of the cake. Repeat with the paper towel roll one more time. And then on the last cake cover it with cream and roll. Let chill.

Write your NYE game cards on pieces of construction paper the size of a dollar bill. Include questions about the year such as: - best moment of the year - best conversation you had this year - hardest you laughed this year - favorite trip of the year

Once your game cards are written and your cake is cooled. Remove the cardboard tube from the cakes. Slice the logs of cake into 1-inch thick slices and line a large glass bowl with the cakes. Place a bottle of Champagne in the middle to make the correct sized hole, then spread whipped cream in the bowl, add more cake rounds and more whipped cream until the bowl is full. Let chill while you make the party poppers.

Cut each cardboard tube into 3-4 pieces so each section is about 2 1/2 inches. Blow up a balloon, then place the cardboard on top of the balloon and let the air out, using washi tape attached the balloon to the cardboard tube, then tie a knot in the end of the balloon as close to the cardboard as you can. Fill the party poppers with confetti and then add in the game cards and money to block the confetti. Remove the cake from the fridge. Remove the champagne bottle, unmold the cake, place the champagne bottle back in the cake and fill the wholes in the middle of the Swiss rolls with the party poppers and raspberries.

Before midnight, remove the party poppers, read the cards having everyone answer the questions and then at midnight, open the champagne bottle, add a little sugar if it doesn't overflow on it's own. Let the champagne overflow into the cake making a very fancy poke cake, then cut slices, eat and toast the new year with the champagne cake!