Healthy 1st birthday cake ideas?

[jojomama]

I am looking for a healthy, organic, low-sugar recipe for my little one's 1st birthday. For my 1st birthday, my mom made me a yogurt pie, but now has no idea how Any ideas for that or any other healthy options (including healthy alternative to icing?) would be super helpful!
TIA

[Zenzero]

I made (gluten free) carrot cake, with just a bit of honey in it instead of sugar (but sure it would work without, since there was vanilla and dried fruit in it or you could maybe use apple juice or something else to sweeten) and a maple cream cheese frosting (just cream cheese, maple syrup and vanilla). It wasn't very sweet but super yummy and everyone loved it!

Hope you find something and have a lovely day!

[dfunk98]

i made a a separate cake for both my dd's and ds's first birthdays so that they could just have at it and eat it with their hands. it was made out of oat flour, bananas, apple juice concentrate and yogurt. then the "frosting" was strained yogurt (to get the liquid out) and apple juice concentrate for sweetness. they ate it like it was their last meal!! i remember my aunt saying at dd's paty "oh, she's going to up tonight after eating all that sugar" and couldn't believe it when i told her there was no actual "sugar" in the cake!!
pm me if you'd like the recipe.

[Carley]

Strained yogurt (aka yogurt cheese) is an amazing 'icing.' It tastes a lot like cream cheese, only better!

This cake is sooo good: http://www.recipezaar.com/Harvest-Ca...rosting-344922

It's considerably more laborous than regular carrot cake (which is also soooooooooo good), but it's chock full of veggies & everybody loves it.

I got the recipe from Edible Seattle. This poster made similar changes as I did, only I used yogurt instead of buttermilk because that's what I had. If you use pumpkin or squash it's decidedly more dense. I love it both cakelike and densey. Its so good either way!

I didn't use confectioners sugar in the frosting, originally I used strained yogurt with applebutter. It's pretty delicious! Last time I made it I used homemade vanilla strawberry-rhubarb preserves insead of applebutter & it was like... mindblowing. Sounds like an odd combo, but whoa. It was freakishly good. Plus, it turned the frosting an ever popular bright pink color. Win!

I've also added spices like cardamom, allspice, orange peel and lemon extract to the cake and/or the icing. It's a great cake to mix up.

All this cake + frosting talk has me all worked up... :

[SandyMom]

Originally Posted by Zenzero

I made (gluten free) carrot cake, with just a bit of honey in it instead of sugar (but sure it would work without, since there was vanilla and dried fruit in it or you could maybe use apple juice or something else to sweeten) and a maple cream cheese frosting (just cream cheese, maple syrup and vanilla). It wasn't very sweet but super yummy and everyone loved it!

That sounds really yummy!
About how much honey would you use to replace say, 2 cups pf sugar?
I wonder if you could use pineapple juice?

[organicmidwestmama]

with my dc#1 it was classic carrot cake with cream cheese frosting made by grandma. my friend worked at a raw vegan restaurant and gave her dc a delicious raw carrot cake (not gluten), so yummy.

[Zenzero]

Originally Posted by SandyMom

That sounds really yummy!
About how much honey would you use to replace say, 2 cups pf sugar?
I wonder if you could use pineapple juice?

Not sure about the substitution but the recipe I had called for 2Tbsps honey plus sugar and I just omitted the sugar and it was still really good, just not super sweet.

I think pineapple juice would work.

[jojomama]

Wow! Thanks so much to all who responded! I really appreciate the ideas.

[nycmom18]

dfunk: would you mind sharing your recipe with exact measurements for the cake you did separately for your lo's? i dont bake much, but i really would love for my ds to eat a cake on his bday!

[LBMarie9]

Originally Posted by Zenzero

I made (gluten free) carrot cake, with just a bit of honey in it instead of sugar (but sure it would work without, since there was vanilla and dried fruit in it or you could maybe use apple juice or something else to sweeten) and a maple cream cheese frosting (just cream cheese, maple syrup and vanilla). It wasn't very sweet but super yummy and everyone loved it!

Hope you find something and have a lovely day!

could you please share this recipe? thanks!

[Zenzero]

2 1/4 cups flour (I used a bought gluten-free mix)
1tsp baking powder
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
2tsps ground cinnamon
1tsp mixed spice
1 egg (or replacement, I used flax)
1/4-1/3 cup water or milk
2Tbsps honey
1/2-2/3 cup sugar (I left out)
2 cups shredded carrot
1tsp vanilla essence
1/3 cup oil/melted butter
1/2-3/4 cup chopped walnuts or raisins (I did a mixture, pecans would be good too, or you could leave out completely)

1. Preheat oven to 375-400F (190-200C) and grease cake pan/muffin tins.
2. Sift together flour, baking powder, bicarb, salt & spices.
3. In another bowl beat egg and add milk/water, honey, sugar (if using), carrot, vanilla & oil/butter. Stir well.
4. Pour liquids into dry ingredients and stir until just combined, adding nuts/raisins during final strokes. Don't over-stir.
5. Fill tin and bake for 20-25 mins for muffins, longer for one cake. I just check by inserting a knife to see if it comes out clean.

For frosting combine cream cheese, maple syrup & vanilla (I used some essence and some from a pod). I didn't measure these (sorry!) just went by eye and taste and mixed them with an electric whisk, but by hand would probably be fine too.