I was blessed to celebrate another birthday this week – my 33rd! So thankful to celebrate another birthday.  It may mean I’m older, but hopefully it means I’m wiser too.  And it also means I’ve almost lived long enough to see my life-long dream of having a baby fulfilled, so there was no sting at all affiliated with turning another year older.  :)

Every year, my only birthday plan is to eat a piece of cake.  If I can have a piece of cake on my birthday, I’m a happy girl.  I’ve only posted maybe 200 recipes for cake on my blog, so you might have noticed I’m a fan.  But my sister, Danielle, thought I needed an actual celebration, so she decided to throw a little pizza party for me at her shop.  Imagine my surprise to get gifts to boot!  I didn’t celebrate my birthday growing up, but I felt like a kid again, or what one probably feels like that celebrates their birthday. :)

Danielle is crackin’ me up how she is holding little Mariam to feed her! I was feeding her but needed a cake break, then I got schooled on how to feed babies, Danielle style. Dad, Dennis, Owen, and Margo’s middle daughter, Norah, are in the other room.

And I got my piece of cake too.  It’s a new tradition for Dennis to make my birthday cake because for me, that’s the ultimate gift and thankfully, while baking (or cooking) isn’t really his thing, he’s willing to do it for me every year that I ask (this year makes three cakes he’s made for me).  I picked out an easy one this year since he went a tad overboard last year (lol – see below the recipe).  He rocked it!

Coconut Orange Cake

Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

Cake:
1 (18.25 oz) Duncan Hines Orange Supreme cake mix, plus ingredients called for on box
1 cup (3.5 oz) flaked, sweetened coconut

Frosting:
1 (15 oz) can mandarin oranges, plus more for garnish if desired
1 (5.1 oz)large instant vanilla pudding mix (not prepared)
1 cup (3.5 oz) flaked, sweetened coconut
1 (8 oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Brush Miracle Pan Release on the bottom and sides of two 8″ or 9″ cake pans, or grease and flour them; set aside.

Prepare the cake mix according to the package directions. After you’ve finished mixing the cake, stir in 1 cup of coconut. Bake according to cake mix instructions for the size of pans you’re using. After cooked through, remove from oven and turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Prepare frosting: In a large mixing bowl, mix the mandarin oranges with their juices with an electric mixer until crushed. Mix in the instant pudding mix and coconut and mix well. Fold in the whipped topping until combined.

Using a cake leveler or a long serrated knife, cut the tops off both of the cakes to get a flat surface. Take one of the cakes and place the cut side up on the cake plate. Add a layer of frosting. Place the 2nd layer cut side down on top of the frosting layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake. Garnish with mandarin orange slices if desired.  Chill in the fridge for several hours before serving.

Recipe source: Sweet Tea and Cornbread, as seen on Jam Hands

Love cake as much as I do?  Check out some of my past birthday cakes:

2010: Easy Coconut Layer Cake

2011: Chocolate Oblivion Truffle Torte

2012: Den’s Birthday Cake-tastrophy