What's the semantic difference between "How did I <verb> <subject>" and "How I <verb in past tense> <subject>"?

Is there any difference between these two forms?

Examples:

• "How did I take that picture" vs. "How I took that picture"
• "How did I make the cake" vs. "How I made the cake"
• "How did I meet my wife" vs. "How I met my wife"

Solution 1:

"How did I take that picture?" is a question that functions as a complete sentence, whereas "How I took that picture" is an adverbial clause that cannot stand on its own.

So, the statements beginning with "How did I..." are questions aiming to determine the manner in which an action was carried out. The statements beginning with "How I..." are adverbial clauses of manner that can be added on to complete another sentence.

Solution 2:

The "How did I..." construction works as a rhetorical question or a question posed to oneself:

"How did I make the cake turn out so perfectly?"

The "How I..." works as a statement narrating past events:

"How I made the cake turn out so perfectly was to add the flour in 1/2 cup increments."