Birthdays are a big deal in our family. They are all about celebrating life, and enjoying the special day. As such, there is no need to wait until after dinner for a special indulgence. The day should begin (and end) with a celebratory meal. Now, you could always just stick a candle in a stack  of cinnamon buns. I won’t argue with that at all. But in case you want to do something a bit more unique… and healthier… this melon cake is quite the special morning treat! To start, it’s unexpected. It’s playful, colorful and bursting with fresh flavors. We just celebrated my husband’s birthday this week, and I surprised him with this cake… right after I blasted ‘Happy Birthday’ over every Sonos speaker in the house. Again, we don’t skimp on birthdays. He absolutely loved it though, and so will you and your family.

Ingredients

• Half a Cantaloupe Melon
• Half a Honeydew Melon
• Handful Raspberries
• Handful Blueberries
• 24 Fresh Mint Leaves
• 1 Cup Shaved Coconut
• *Note: For more colors & flavors, you could add watermelon & pineapple

Rinse the mint leaves, blueberries & raspberries. Set aside to dry on a paper towel.

Before cutting into the melons, wash & scrub the outside of the melons. Slice each melon in half crosswise, and scoop out the seeds to discard.  Slice a small sliver off a side, creating a flat surface on the fruit so that you can balance the melon while slicing it. Cut the melon into 1-2 inch thick rings. *Note: When you get to the end, you will notice that the cavity of the melon will leave a little cup in the end ring – be sure to keep it as such to be your cake-topper to hold the berries.

As you progress from the center of the melon to the end, each ring will get slightly smaller. This slight change in diameter makes for a perfectly stacked “cake”. Once the rings are cut, carefully remove the skin from each ring with a pairing knife. Trim & smooth edges of the melon as needed.

On a cake platter or large plate, begin stacking the melon rings, interchanging the type of melon. With every couple layers, add the mint leaves & coconut shavings on the edges to add a decorative element to the cake.

Once the cake is to a desired height, fill the interior hole with excess slices of melon. Top the cake with the end of one of the melons that has the cupped cavity. Fill the cup with the fresh berries, a sprig of mint leaves and drizzle with the shaved coconut. Decorate the platter with the rest of the coconut and berries. Top the cake with a candle and let the birthday celebration begin!