On 12th of April is Cosmonautics Day or International Day of Human Space Flight. This year marks exactly 60 years since the first manned space flight. So it also happens that Cosmonautics Day is my “unofficial” name day. I don’t usually celebrate it extensively but this time I had a small culinary surprise, the recipe of which you can find below in this post.
International Human Space Flight Day
First things first, let’s delve into what exactly happened on 12 April 1961. On this day the Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin made a circle around the Earth on the Vostok 1 spacecraft. This was the first manned space flight and since then, the day has been celebrated as Cosmonautics Day in Russia and other former Soviet countries. Bulgaria was not a Soviet country but it was in close relations with Russia so the date was given importance. The flight was a triumph in space exploration and its details were described in news and media all around the world. It was especially celebrated in the Soviet Union where parades and demonstrations were held to commemorate the event and Yuri Gagarin himself was highly awarded for his feat. In 2011, the UN General Assembly declared 12 April International Day of Human Space Flight and every year the date commemorates achievements in space exploration.
Yuri Gagarin was the first man to fly in space and has become a symbol of humanity’s endeavors and hope to expand its vision and explore unknown places outside of Earth. It’s hard to guess what he must have felt when he saw our planet from space. It’s like seeing your house or flat from a plane and then appreciating the fact that you live in this place down there completely unbothered by what is happening above you. You feel so small an insignificant, like a speck of dust, you begin to value your wonderful cozy home and the fact that it exists. Humans have strived for long to explore space and reach other planets. These efforts are (in my humble opinion) admirable because they show our curious nature and our thirst to know more. Nowadays, space exploration has become a matter of competition but, in the end, it does not really matter which country and who is the first to reach the goal so long as steps are taken. Because every little step brings us closer to exploring the universe we live in and enlightens our minds.
My Name
How is my name related to space and the cosmos?
Denitsa, in Cyrillic Деница, is the Slavic folk name of the planet Venus and in translation means “morning star” or “day star”. It symbolizes the first and brightest star to appear in the sky at dawn. This star is actually the planet Venus and that is where the connection with the name comes from. Venus can be seen in the eastern morning sky before sunrise and in the western evening sky after sunset. It is also the brightest object in the sky after the Sun and the Moon and shines brighter than Jupiter and Saturn. While Jupiter, Saturn, the Sun and the Moon rise high in the sky, Venus is a star that does not due to its location. For this reason, it is also associated with the fallen angel Lucifer who was cast down just like the morning star Venus that could not rise high in the sky.
Most names in Bulgaria originate from Christianity and the names of saints. Name days are thus celebrated on the day of the saint. A name day is celebrated almost like a birthday in Bulgaria and there is often a feast with lots of delicious food and even presents for the person with the name day. Generally speaking, because my name does not originate from the name of a saint, I don’t have an official name day. However, since my name means a star and is related to the planet Venus, my name day can be celebrated on the Cosmonautics Day. Makes sense, right? But who needs to make sense of it when there is something to celebrate anyway!
Space Coconut Cake
And now… after all the historical facts and the etymology lesson, it’s time to treat you with some virtual cake on the occasion of my Name Day. You deserved it for getting that far in the article! The recipe and preparation of this cake is not too difficult and the best thing about it is that it is absolutely lactose free (although it can be made also with lactose if you prefer).
For the layers of the cake you need the following:
– 50 gram flour
– 25 gram cornstarch powder (if not available, add 25 g more flour)
– half a tea spoon of baking powder
– 80 gram sugar
– a pinch of salt
– 35 gram coconut shreds
– 3 eggs
Firstly, separate the egg whites from the yolks. Add a pinch of salt and half of the sugar to the egg yolks and mix it together. Add the rest of the sugar to the egg whites and mix it until it’s creamy. Next, add the coconut shreds to the egg yolks and mix everything together with the egg whites. Separately mix the flour, cornstarch and raising agent until the substance is homogenous. When ready, mix it with the rest of the ingredients, adding small portions of the flour and cornstarch so that the dough retains its creaminess. Put the dough in a round or square form according to your preference and bake it at 170°C from up and down on a pre-heated oven for about 25 minutes. When it’s ready, cool the cake in the fridge for an hour or two. Depending on how big the form is, you can cut the baked cake into two or three cake layers.
For the top of the cake and in between the layers you can simply use whipped cream which is either milk based or vegan, depending on your preference. Decorate with some fruits or sprinkles as preferred. Enjoy!
I hope you have enjoyed my article and found it informative and useful. I am always happy to hear from you and if you try out the recipe, let me know how it went!
All the best,
D. D.
The Sunlight Writer 