Around here, we look forward to celebrating birthdays. December was no exception! In fact, this month we got to sing Happy Birthday FOUR times.
Our sweet Olivia who lives in the special care unit turned 2.
Lu Lu watches as Olivia and Ethan (a new graduate) marvel at the two candles in her delicious cake.
And three of our precious girls from the Clubfoot Unit turned 1. We sang happy birthday to Lily, Sarah and Lu Lu before they blew out their single candle on their coconut cakes.
Lily comfortable in the arms of a carer as listens to her first birthday song.
Each of the girls also received two gifts. Cuddly stuffed animals were a big hit!
Sarah exploring her new bear’s face.
They also received a new cozy blanket to keep them warm on cold winter nights.
Lu Lu feels her soft, new lovey.
You may have noticed by now from other birthday posts that our children typically have rectangular, non frosted birthday cakes. In general our kids don’t have a taste for super sweet desserts. With that in mind, we have a winning recipe that we use just for birthday cakes at the House of Love. Lyndall, an Australian friend, shared it with us. It’s very easy, which is great when you have to make LOTS of birthday cakes each year and with only five ingredients doesn’t require fancy, difficult to locate items for baking. The most important criteria is that it’s very popular with the kids.
We thought some of you may want to try ‘the An Orphan’s Wish Coconut Birthday Cake’ for yourself. You may want to treat your child who spent time here to a familiar taste. You may desire to celebrate an adoption milestone with something your waiting child likes. Maybe you want to have a ‘taste connection’ with your sponsored child. Or maybe Mounds and Almond Joy are your favorite candy bars and you are looking for a new way to get your coconut fix. Whatever the reason, we hope you enjoy!
Coconut cake
1 Cup dessicated Coconut (small, very dry, flaked coconut)
1 Cup plain flour
1 Cup sugar
1 Cup milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
**Note: I tried this recipe for a Christmas party I was attending. It was a HUGE hit. It is not overly sweet, and somewhat similar to a dense coconut macaroon. Three of the families represented asked for the recipe and it was so simple that I was able to jot it down from memory. I had never heard of dessicated coconut until this recipe, and as it isn’t readily available in my area, I substituted regular flaked coconut found in the baker’s aisle. I used a round cake pan and then filled a mini muffin tin with the extra batter. My kids thought the ‘baby cupcakes’ were the best they ever tasted. An Orphan’s Wish Coconut Cake will become a regular in my house too!
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