Babies First Birthday---cake!
Posted by healthymomma on Mar 06, 2007 · Member since May 2006 · 627 posts
Hard to believe my little girl will be one in a few weeks! So I want to make her a lovely cake. I haven't had much time for foody experimenting cause I'm packing/ unpacking/ organizing new house.
So this is what I am looking for. I want a cake with no sugar or chocolate. Minimal ingredients, wonderful texture. Appealing to everyone. It could be a banana cake or vanilla, or... any great ideas? Thanks in advance!
Ooo cakes! So many options!
Well, here is a dense carrot cake that I adapted from a recipe from fatfreevegan.com
It's yummy!
Carrot Cake
2 cups whole wheat flour
2- 2 1/2 cups raw carrots, shredded
3 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup sugar <-------- (you can leave this out, it tends to be super sweet anyway! Or maybe add in some prune puree?)
1 cup applesauce (no sugar added)
1 cup pineapple, blended
1 ripe banana, mashed
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
1/2 tsp nutmeg (optional)
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional) <----------Obviously leave these out for the birthday girl! :)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour and baking soda (and spices, if using) in a bowl. In a larger bowl, mix sugar, vanilla, blended pineapple, banana, and applesauce together. Add the flour mixture along with the chopped walnuts and mix. Now add the shredded carrots. Mix well. Spread (It will be thick!) in a nonstick baking pan. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. It will brown quickly due to the WW flour so check doneness with the toothpick.
Mmmm, that looks lovely! I hadn't even thought of carrot cake. You reminded me, I do want just whole wheat (or other whole grain), though I find whole wheat pastry flour works in the same quantities as all purpose.
Oh...sniff sniff... baby's first birthday... my monsters are going to be THREE this year... they grow too fast...
Carrot cake is a birthday cake staple in our house too... or apple pie...
I love those picutures K2.........yumm! :)
Now that's a bunny I could eat! ;D
I agree, Jen! Even the yabbit wants a bite! ;)
I may make cupcakes, that's an idea. She doesn't even know what a cartoon is as we don't watch tv. I'm unsure as to what I'll do for icing, maybe something with agave? Any one have an icing recipe with no sugar? I don't do splenda, only natural alternatives. I don't buy into the 'splenda is natural' thing, but that's a whole other thread...
Making the Birthday cake is my favourtie part of the boys party.
How about a character from her favourite book... Miffy (the rabbit) was from a book.
For their second birthday we had a 'bob the builder' theme... I forgot to take a pic of the cakes, so this is the best we have: A head shot of bob.. and a tonka full of "rocks and dirt".
This year, I think its gonna be "mighty machines" themed party, but I have no idea what I'm gonna do for cakes!
K^2
Jenniferhughes, what size pan do you use?
I put it in a 13 x 9. It won't rise much either. The original recipe http://www.fatfreevegan.com/desserts/beet.shtml has beets in it. Which was okay... but when it was warm you could really taste the beet flavor... though it subsided later. I wanted more of a straight up carrot cake. Very yummy with a 'cream cheese' frosting.
HM- I'd love to get a no sugar/ no splenda frosting recipe too!! But isn't frosting pretty much just sugar?... Hmm maybe some natural nut butter something?
Mmmm, nutbutter frosting... thinkin' that I'll do a seed butter frosting sweetened with agave or brown rice syrup because I want to hold off giving her nuts for at least a few more months, just in case. In the past I've made sesame maple spread with tahini and maple syrup for toast or muffins. My fiance really doesn't like it but my son and I can't get enough. Perhaps I'll try out pumpkin or hemp seed butter with agave. Yes, that sounds scrumptious. That's a strange word, scrumptious ::) Anyways, awesome brainstorming everyone, knew you could be counted on.
K2-
How'd you do the 'rocks and dirt'?????
I'm totally doing that for my son's 3rd B-bday!!!! He would love that!!
He loves to collect sticks (which he call 'tickets') and rocks on our weekend hikes!!
I think sugarless frosting might be hard, so you might consider skipping the frosting. In Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World they have a recipe for a low fat cupcake that has you put jam and fresh fruit (I always use raspberries) on the top and then dribble a glaze of powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and soy milk over the top. I bet you could do a topping like that except sub agave nectar or even stevia for the sugar in the glaze. Here's a picture of the finished creation:
That looks delicious. Jam is a good idea. I just got some sugarless jam that is sweetened with fruit juice.
Ooo yummy ungreen. Great pic too!
K2-
How'd you do the 'rocks and dirt'?????
I'm totally doing that for my son's 3rd B-bday!!!! He would love that!!
He loves to collect sticks (which he call 'tickets') and rocks on our weekend hikes!!
Rocks and Dirt = "Chocolate" cupcakes with ground up graham crackers on top of the heap. When I brought out the Tonka I'd put two of those sparklers in and Piet's jaw (this was Piet's cake) just about hit the high chair tray :D I know you can buy (make?) marzipan candies that look like rocks, they would have been really neat too, but I didn't have time to find them.
btw I can't take credit for this idea... I found it in a magazine (maybe Martha Stewart???)
K^2
So this is the recipe that ended up being eaten on the big day: http://www.fatfree.com/recipes/cakes/applesauce-raisin-cake I certainly intend to make that carrot cake still, jenniferhughes, it looks delicious. I didn't put any icing or anything on it. I accidentally overcooked it cause I forgot to check in on it or set the timer. It was just slightly overdone, so it was still very good. I really liked the texture, it wasn't tough like some recipes with no oil. I'll be making it again, in muffin tins next time. We also had hummous with pitas and carrots and corn chips with Dragonfly's Queso mix (for the big people). It was all quite tasty. We then had some barley veggie soup for supper. I ate cake this morning for breakfast with some rice milk!