Happy Birthday!

Happy 183rd birthday, Emily Dickinson! Were the Belle of Amherst alive today, she probably would have celebrated in her room. She also might have made herself a cake, as she liked to bake when she wasn’t gardening or writing some of the most original poetry of her time.

God gave a Loaf to every Bird —

But just a Crumb — to Me —

I dare not eat it — tho’ I starve —

My poignant luxury —

To own it — touch it —

Prove the feat — that made the Pellet mine —

Too happy — for my Sparrow’s chance —

For Ampler Coveting —

It might be Famine — all around —

I could not miss an Ear —

Such Plenty smiles upon my Board —

My Garner shows so fair —

I wonder how the Rich — may feel —

An Indiaman — An Earl —

I deem that I — with but a Crumb —

Am Sovereign of them all —

~ Emily Dickinson

And perhaps she'd bake herself this cake

Which is a recipe I've been wanting to try...

A Coconut Cake From Emily Dickinson: Reclusive Poet, Passionate Baker

via: The Salt  What's on your plate

(This recipe was adapted and modified from the original — Letter #665 in The Letters of Emily Dickinson, edited by Thomas Johnson, and is indebted to several measurement suggestions in Emily Dickinson: Profile of the Poet as Cook.)

2 cups Coconut Secret® coconut sap sugar

1 cup Earth Balance® butter substitute

2 cups brown rice flour (Arrowhead Mills® gluten-free "Improved Texture" mix works well)

6 eggs (separate yolks and whites)

1 ½ to 2 cups shredded, unsweetened coconut (can also use flaked coconut, coarsely chopped)

1 cup coconut milk

Rather than make a simple icing, standard fare in the 19th-century, based partly on the ingredients I had lying around, I decided to go with this topping instead. It worked very well.

1-2 cups flaked coconut, unsweetened

½ cup orange blossom honey

Zest of four limes

Juice of two limes

Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, blend butter-substitute and coconut sugar. Add brown rice flour and beaten egg yolks. Beat egg whites until slightly frothy and add to batter. Gradually add shredded coconut and coconut milk, blending all ingredients thoroughly. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with coconut oil. Pour batter into the greased dish (the baking dish should be half full). Bake for 25 minutes in a convection oven (probably 30-35 minutes in a regular oven). Mix the coconut-lime topping. Remove from heat, let cool for a few minutes, spread the topping evenly over the cake.