Yummy Somewhat Healthy Bday Cake Recipes?

Good for you to try to keep it healthy. Once a year easily slides into more frequent. I realize that I will give my kids sweets, so I try to make them as healthy as possible (less sugar, whole grains, etc.). I reccommend the book Sugar Free Toddlers (which mostly uses things like juice instead of processed sugars) and the LLL published book Whole Foods for Babies and Toddlers. Both would probably be at the library, and I believe both have first cake recipes. I was kind of lazy and made ice cream cake, but I decided at least i had calcium in it .. I hope you find a great recipe!

K.

Just a simply shortcake works great! If he's a fruit eater, you can top it with any kind of fruit or berry and top with whipped cream -

I would also suggest cupcakes rather than a whole cake... the cupcakes seem to be a fun thing to handle at that age... they really get to dig into it with their little fingers!

We made a carrot cake with a traditional cream cheese frosting for our son's 1st. It was yummy, and he got some veggies. I like Alton Brown's recipe. You could search for it on the foodnetwork.com.

If you are worried about egg allergies, wholesomebabyfood.com has some egg-less and even some sugar-less recipes: http://wholesomebabyfood.com/tipFirstBDay.htm.

We decided on the AB carrot cake because we knew it was tasty, and we wouldn't be introducing him to a ton of new ingredients.

Hi A.!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUR LITTLE ONE! HOW EXCITING! :) I suggest maybe looking at angel food cake recipes. They tend to be on the lighter side and still taste fabulous. You can frost them of course and they just are always well received. I am sure he would devour it! Have a fun day!

Here is a link (hope it works) for healthy 1st birthday cake recipes -
http://www.grizzlybird.net/2007/01/babys-1st-birthday-cak...

My little guy is having his first birthday next month also! I plan on using one of the recipes (Best Odds Recipes) in the book "What to Expect the First Year." There are three cake recipes, and they are sweetened with applesauce or juice concentrate, NOT SUGAR! (There is even a recipe for no sugar frosting!) I do not want my son eating sugar either, so I know how you feel! If you do not have the book, the Mid-Continent libraries have copies to check out.

I did some hunting online and found these:
http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,196,146162-240199,00.html
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/dessert/cake_frui...
http://vegetarian.about.com/od/vegancakerecipes/r/sugarfr...

I have an oatmeal cake recipe and a raw apple cake recipe that you are welcome to, if either appeals to you. Let me know.

Instead of using pure sugar, try substituting apple sauce. This is a trick used by many dieters and diabetics-you can hardly tell the difference and it is so much healthier.
Happy Birthday to the little guy!!!!

I say get over the too much sugar for his 1st b-day cake and order a real one from a bakery. He probably won't eat much of a low sugar cake and neither will anyone else. If you limit his sugar regulary, having some real b-day is not going to harm him.

I think it's Pillsbury that has the reduced sugar mixes out. I tried one when they were doing samples, and it was good. I would fix it up with 1C sour cream or yogurt and an extra egg, use milk instead of water, plus a splash of pure vanilla extract, and it will be delicious. Frost it with CoolWhip with a bit of instant pudding mix for flavoring and stability, and you'll have a great first bday cake. It's such a special day, congrats to your lil man!!

J.

Many people are not yet familiar with a wonderful, natural sweetner, agave (pronounced ahgahvay). Most local grocers carry it in west St. Louis County. It looks a bit like honey, but has no flavor except sweetness. What is great is that it is often organic and has a very low glycemic index. I found the following rule for replacing sugar with agave in cakes:

Cakes: One-half of the sugar in a cake recipe can be replaced with agave. For every 1 cup of sugar replaced, leave out 1/4 cup of liquid.

I got this from a website: http://www.volcanicnectar.com/agaverecipes.html that advertises what looks like a great cook book.

I love the idea of whipped cream instead of frosting. If you make it yourself and want it to last, start by putting a tablespoon or two of powdered milk in the cream along with the vanilla (non-alcoholic is available at Trader Joes). Then, after you start whipping, gradually add powdered sugar (organic if you can find it). Then, after whipping, line a large strainer with coffee filters and hang it in a larger bowl or pot. Put the whipped cream in the strainer, cover with plastic wrap, and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours. The excess liquid drains off and the whipped cream will stand up for a birthday party.

You might also look at cake recipes like pumpkin cake, orange cake, or applesauce cake. I have also found an organic cake mix even at Schnucks (local grocers). It is still full of sugar, but not so full of chemicals.

Hope this helps. Happy Birthday Mom!!!

Your best bet is an applesauce cake.

Applesauce can be used to replace more than half of the sugar...and you'll never notice because it tastes so moist and delicious. Here's an awesome recipe:

Applesauce Cake I
From: allrecipes.com
Yields: 12 servings

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup chilled applesauce
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional, and not recommended for your little one, but good for the grown-ups)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Cream butter or margarine with sugar. Add applesauce; beat well. Stir in flour, soda, and spices. Add nuts and raisins.
2. Pour the batter into a greased and floured 8 inch square pan. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 40 minutes, or until done. Serve warm.

I advise a good cream-cheese icing to top this....

:o)

The cookbook, Beyond The Moon by Ginny Callan, has lots of great recipes that use honey insted of sugar. I've baked the chocolate zucchini cake for a few parties. Some kids like it, some don't. It doesn't taste like zucchini...that just adds moisture. The cookie recipies in that book are sooo good. I highly recommend it if you're interested in baking without refined sugar. I made Maida Heatter's California carrot cake for my first child's first birthday. It uses honey also, and for the frosting I just used 1C honey and 4 PKGs cream cheese. VERY Tastey! That cake is really involved, but oh so scrumptious!

If you make a carrot cake or spice cake, you can use applesauce instead of oil. And it tastes better, I think! It adds another layer of flavor. My kids like it better! Happy Birthday to your son!

I would just bake a regular cake. He only gets one birthday a year! Besides, providing that he's not diabetic, a little bit of sugar is not going to hurt him.

Hi A.!

My daughter's 1st birthday is in a month and I plan to bake a baby food cake for her. Yes, it's really made with baby food. And it's FABULOUS! My mom used to make it for me every birthday... when I was a teenager! I love it. It does include sugar and all the other normal cake mixings, too so he can still have fun with it. Anyway, let me know if you're interested and I'll send it your way!

I will say if you order cake from your local bakery most of them will give you a small 1st birthday cake free with a order of a big cake. I have done this for years. all my children have gotten there own 8inch round cake for there first birthday free. but it is up to you. I now to bake a cake is more time then buying one. I like to make it if I had time but my kids always prefered the bakery ones to mine.

I got this recipe from another Mama (Martha G.) it's a big hit with everyone (suggest leaving out the walnuts for 1 YO). My son's lactose intolerant so I make a cream cheese frosting with Tofutti's "Better than Cream Cheese", I just searched online for an Allspice CCF recipe - no one suspected it wasn't "real", everyone had seconds.

Moist Carrot Cake

INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour (I used 50-50 whole wheat & AP)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 eggs
3/4 cups vegetable oil (I use olive oil)
3/4 cups applesauce
2 cups white sugar
2 3/4 cups shredded carrots
1 can crushed pineapple, drained (about 8 ounces)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup flaked coconut (I used unsweetened)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix sugar, oil, applesauce, and eggs. Beat in flour mixture. Stir in shredded carrots, crushed pineapple, chopped nuts and flaked coconut. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

Have fun!

T.

I found some recipes and I simply omitted the sugar. I used some applesauce (sugar free) to sweeten it. Baby food, like prunes or blueberries can do the same. I also used whoe wheat flour, flax seed, and smelt flour. I added pureed carrots to it also. For one, the icing was cream cheese mixed with mashed berries and the other was berries that I reduced in a skillet with some water. It all may not sound all that great but my little one loved it!!!

How exciting, your little one is turning a year old! I cant wait for my son to get there too! I was just reading your request and dont get me wrong, I am not a pastery chef but have you considered Angel food cake? You can always add strawberries to it , whip cream and/or icecream or whatever fun stuff you would like! Be creative with it. All I know his Angel food cake is really healthy... I would check out www.foodnetwork.com they should have some cool recipes on there. I really dont cook too many treats so I really dont have any good advice for ya. Hope this helps in some sort of way. Goodluck with your little one :)~

I make a yummy/easy jello poke cake with sugar free jello and sugar free cool whip. If you want the recipe, just let me know.

Don't feel guilty...let your one year be kid...one day with a chocolate cake is not going to ruin him for life. Hope he has fun....

A carrot cake would add some veggies. I don't have a specific recipe, but it would be easy to find. I like www.allrecipes.com. You could also check out www.wholegraingourmet.com. I think there is a chocolate cake recipe on there but you use whole grain flour instead of white.

best wishes!