Kristy ([info]girlx512) wrote in [info]naturalfamily,
2010-02-09 19:39:00
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First birthday cake recipes

I know I can Google this 'til I'm blue in the face, but I want something tried and true. I'm pretty sure we're going to give in and let Lily have at the traditional bakery birthday cake for the big ol' family party we're obligated to throw, but for our little family celebration I'd like to bake up a healthier alternative. (What, carrot cake isn't a vegetable serving?)

So, does anyone have recipes for a special treat that's not so awful to stick a candle in and feed to a baby? She has no allergies, so I'm not concerned about anything specific, but something not so sugar-rific would be great.

Thanks!

Edit: Woo-hoo, I just got my husband to agree to a special cake for her at her party too :) On the contingency that it tastes good and is still a special treat for her. So I'm thinking a whipped cream frosting, pureed strawberry filling, and I suppose I'll be experimenting with cakes so that it doesn't turn out like a hockey puck.

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  • 19 comments

[info]vojerleda

February 10 2010, 01:42:31 UTC 2 years ago

well, this may not seem like much help, but applesauce *can* be an acceptable substitute for fats with some recipes, so I'd start there. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sugarless-Applesauce-Cake/Detail.aspx

The reviews are very helpful, also.HTH

[info]sueg

February 10 2010, 01:48:10 UTC 2 years ago

Honestly, if you just bake it yourself with real butter and sugar it's already so much healthier.

For my son's first birthday I did a couple cakes that incorporated fresh fruit. One was studded with blueberries, the other topped with peaches.

[info]basmelech

February 10 2010, 02:13:35 UTC 2 years ago

i made an applesauce carrot cake recipe. did it as mini cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. was tasty and had very little sugar. i actually served it at his party (about 10 kids 6 and under) and they all liked it a lot!

[info]lonelygodess

February 10 2010, 02:16:36 UTC 2 years ago

The last cake I baked had apple sauce, 1lb of shredded carrot, raisins, pineapple, and bran flour. I did use a bit of organic sugar, but not too much because of the sweetness of the fruit and veg. Besides the maple-cream cheese frosting it was pretty darn healthy.

You should be able to come up with a cake or cupcakes that aren't terrible, if that's what you're after. Possibly one filled with fresh fruit instead of a layer of icing. Or you could forgo the cake all together and opt for a less traditional desert.

[info]nonnierms

February 10 2010, 05:15:22 UTC 2 years ago

For my son's first birthday, I did his very favorite dessert--watermelon :) My in-laws pitched a bit of a fit but I didn't give sugars and junk food to my kiddo at that age for the plain and simple fact that he still didn't eat a whole lot of solids and still often opted to skip a meal to nurse instead :p I wasn't about to make what little food he agreed to eat something not so good for him :p His second b-day we did a cake because he was eating a healhty well-balanced diet and I was okay adding in some treats now and then :)

[info]lonelygodess

February 10 2010, 13:39:54 UTC 2 years ago

=D Though I'm crazy about baking, I think I'd rather have a giant fruit platter in place of cake. >_> But shhh, don't tell anyone.

[info]erinmdmd

February 10 2010, 02:34:04 UTC 2 years ago

Well, its a treat and typically those are chock full of sugar.

If you really want to not do a typical birthday cake, I'd consider doing some kind of "loaf"= pumpkin or banana or whatever and sub applesauce for the more refined white sugar.

It will still be sweet, but not super sweet.

[info]juniper_rose

February 10 2010, 02:36:28 UTC 2 years ago

I made a zucchini bread recipe, added cocoa powder, put it in cupcake tins, called them chocolate zucchini cupcakes, and topped them with homemade whipped cream.

[info]pipu

February 10 2010, 03:31:04 UTC 2 years ago

first birthday cakes

I did banana muffins with cream cheese frosting for my first, and carrot cake with cream cheese frosting for my second.

[info]popchex

February 10 2010, 04:57:43 UTC 2 years ago

Re: first birthday cakes

That's what I did as well for my son's first - the banana muffins. Then I iced them to look like baseballs since that was the theme. It was such a hit, nobody ate the "adult" cakes, and everyone was fighting over the 8 muffins I made for the kids. rofl

[info]theneolistickid

February 10 2010, 04:18:15 UTC 2 years ago

We have traditionally done a carrot cake for our kids' first birthday. One option is to make cupcakes and just leave the frosting off the birthday girl's cupcake. Carrot cupcakes with cream cheese frosting can be REALLY yummy. I just looked for my wife's recipe but couldn't quickly find it, but I'm that will give you a place to start.

[info]grasshulaskirt

February 10 2010, 04:29:25 UTC 2 years ago

My mom makes carrot cake without any added sugar, it's very good because carrots are so sweet!

Favorite icing is coconut oil melted, coconut flakes and powdered sugar. So simple and yet people go crazy for it !

[info]in_my_pjs

February 10 2010, 04:43:51 UTC 2 years ago

For my daughter's first birthday i made a small cake just for her... with breastmilk... i used a regular cake recipe but anything that called for milk or water, i used breastmilk. she had a blast playing in it & i felt better about her playing in a cake.

[info]pejabunnie

February 10 2010, 06:45:54 UTC 2 years ago

I made conventional cake for everyone else and for my DD I made the vegan applesauce cake from Mothering magazine without the nuts. I didn't frost it, and she loved it, especially the raisins. I went vegan since DD is sensitive to dairy.

[info]therachel

February 10 2010, 18:09:32 UTC 2 years ago

A dense chocolate zucchini cake can be made less sweet and still be delicious, good with jam and whipped cream if you'd like, kind of like strawberry short cake, only a more adult and delicious variety :)

Gotta turn kids into foodies young!
heehee

[info]katesmash

February 10 2010, 19:29:09 UTC 2 years ago

We've done cream cheese frosting sweetened with honey, and substituted agave nectar for sugar.

My daughter just turned one, and we did an orange cake (with orange zest and orange juice and raw sugar) with strawberry-marmalade filling and cream cheese frosting. It was awesome. She's a big fruit fiend, though.

[info]usagi629

February 11 2010, 01:41:58 UTC 2 years ago

My son is turning one in a week, so I've been looking into this too.. here's a few options...

http://www.grizzlybird.net/2007/01/babys-1st-birthday-cake-recipes.html

My aunt scanned a recipe from King Arthur Flour for "baby cake" that uses applesauce and pumpkin. Here's the scan...

[info]springsign

February 22 2010, 04:12:49 UTC 2 years ago

I used this one from wholesomebabyfoods.net: (with some modifications)

Applesauce Healthy Cake Recipe
(This recipe is reprinted in it's entirety from the Prostate Cancer Alternatives website. While the recipe calls for Splenda, we note that you should use natural sugar. This recipe is very very yummy and sweet enough with the use of natural sugar. You could probably even leave out the sugar.)


Ingredients:

1/2 cup Earth Balance soy buttery spread, softened (I used real butter)
1/3 cup brown sugar
8 Splendas, a sugar substitute (use real sugar for kids - 8 teaspoons or tablespoons)
3 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups applesauce
1 Tsp cinnamon
1/8 Tsp ground cloves
1/2 Tsp salt
1 Tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1/2 cup whole rye flour (I left this out because I detest rye and just added extra white flour)
2 Tsp baking soda
(I left all of the fruits and nuts out since it was for babies)
1/2 cup sliced dates (optional)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
Sprinkle of Confectioner’s sugar (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, beat together the buttery spread, brown sugar and sugar until smooth.
2. Add egg whites, applesauce, cinnamon, cloves, salt and vanilla, then mix well. Add both of the flour and baking soda. Stir until blended, then add the dates, walnuts, and/or raisins, if desired.
3. Spray the Bundt pan with Pam or the like. Pour the batter into a Bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool slightly, then turn it out upside down onto a serving plate. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar if desired.

I made them into mini-cupcakes and added whipped cream frosting. I made a regular, not-healthy cake for the adults which was great, but everyone liked the babies' cakes, too.

[info]danpilgrim

September 23 2010, 16:01:54 UTC 1 year ago

Oh, I know another good cake recipe - it is my favorite recipes of caribbean cakes! Try it - you may like it too :)
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