It’s been a rough year on the international public opinion front for State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi. But while the sting of having countless humanitarian awards ripped away could put a damper on any 74th birthday celebrations, we here at Coconuts Yangon are ready to turn that frown upside down the only way we know how — with cake!
From Mandalay to Meiktila, fans of Myanmar’s de facto political leader have made it something of a tradition to celebrate the Lady’s birthday with various festivities, including our personal favorite — baking her lavish cakes. So without further adieu, we give you our 10 favorite cakes of recent memory.
Number 10
Coming in at number 10, this diabetes-inducing beauty from 2018. Presented by Myanmar’s Ministry of Foreign affairs, this delightful number is crowned with a stylish ring of macarons (perhaps the hippest of all cookies!). Would you believe this was just one of five cakes the ministry offered up last year? “A” for effort, guys. And by “effort” we mean “sucking up.”
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Number 9
There’s nothing quite like a cake given to you by your own kids, and this decadent chocolate gem presented by sons Alexander and Kim on her 68th proves the point. We’ll just leave this one alone as, let’s face it, her kids seem pretty decent.
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Number 8
Now we’re getting to the good stuff. Namely, cakes that have Suu Kyi’s face imprinted on the frosting! Simple, understated, and to the point, this 2009 classic in honor of the Nobel prize winner’s 64th birthday gets the face-on-cake genre rolling in style.
(Fun fact: It was in 2009 that she received visitor John Yettaw, the US national who swam to her house due to what he described as “divine motivation” to warn her of impending assassination. No word if he brought a cake.)
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Number 7
This cake, emblazoned with the number 72 for Suu Kyi’s 72nd birthday, earns its place of honor for both its size and brilliant red coloring (read in David Attenborough voice). The giant cake, while not quite big enough for a call to Guinness, was big enough that multiple party officials all got to take a turn cutting it.
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Number 6
Does size matter? Not enough to keep this elegant chocolate number out of the sixth spot on our countdown. Special kudos for the classic and dignified portrait as well as the fact that we get to see the former human rights icon blow out the candles in the accompanying video. Adorable!
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Number 5
One might be the loneliest number, but that was no issue at Suu Kyi’s 65th birthday, where two perfectly matching cakes were enjoyed by local Burmese diaspora in the Big Apple, who rallied in a show of support for the Lady. Then under house arrest, it was probably hard to imagine that just 14 years later, she’d not only be free, but running the country… and reviled by human rights activists! Life sure is crazy.
Number 4
There’s no way this much cake was necessary for the birthday bash last year at National League for Democracy headquarters in Yangon. If they got through even one of these bad boys, we’d be impressed. Either way, we’re 100 percent certain there were leftovers. Enjoy, ya scamps!
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Number 3
Only our penultimate entry can compete with the sheer mass of this cake created by the Park Royal hotel in Naypyidaw. We’re assuming it was big enough to create its own gravity field as it sucked in more or less every leader of Myanmar’s civilian government including current and former presidents, upper and lower house speakers, and former general Thura Shwe Mann (famous for starting his own political party AND his sweet tooth!).
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Number 2
Briefly recognized as Myanmar’s 15th province, this outlandishly sized cake took the um … cake when it came to sheer scope. While many netizens approvingly took note of the dimensions, a few dour party poopers felt the need to weigh in with suggestions that the State Counselor donate it to people in need around the country. Back off, netizens! If this cake were meant for poor people, they would have got some!
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Number 1
Of course, anyone can simply make a big cake. What we’re looking for here at Coconuts is heart, for endearing details gently crafted with sugary love. With that in mind, we arrive at #1, and you might want to sit down, geography buffs. How about a cake with a map of Myanmar on it? You heard us right. Now what if a tiny (presumably edible) Suu Kyi stood astride that map, surrounded by farms, cars, airplanes, tractors, a factory and a hotel? That cake, friends, would win our hearts. That cake would take the gold. Completely unnecessary bonus points for tiny Suu Kyi’s tiny traditional shawl draped over her tiny shoulder. *chef’s kiss*
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