[kamilla626]

I am so undecided about this. We do not serve strictly whole foods at home, but my dd hasn't had much junkfood either (Breyer's icecream, low-salt crackers, regular sandwich bread, barbeque sauce on chicken...)<br><br>
Part of me is thinking "It's just one special day... who cares!!" and I really want to see dd mash her paws into a typical birthday cake with sugary decorations, but I think I want to find some healthier alternative.<br><br>
My sister gave her ds strawberry shortcake for his 1st b-day party, but I remember feeling kind of bummed that I couldn't see him dive into a heap of white frosting.<br><br>
Any suggestions?

 

[Evan&Anna's_Mom]

You know, they don't have to be mutually exclusive. OK, so its hard to do frosting without sugar. But you don't have to do artificial ingredients or dies either. To find the balance though, you do have to cook (or at least mix). How about a cake with cream cheese frosting? Or even plain white frosting that you made? At least you would know what's in it.

 

[3 Little Monkeys]

my kids have never been big sugar eaters - we just don't give them very much. That said - they both had their own little birthday cake with all the sugary frosting and decorations (and mess to go with it) both of them took a few tastes, then they just played in it. I did make both cakes if that makes any difference. It was so much fun to watch them playing and exploring the cake - although the mess I had afterwards wasn't all that fun :LOL

 

[mirlee]

When we buy a cake, we get them with whipped cream icing. They have a lot less sugar and are nice and creamy. The other suggestions are great too.

 

[Aura_Kitten]

they <i>aren't</i> mutually exclusive.<br><br>
for my son's first birthday, i made two cakes ~ one was a single layer vegan white cake; the other was a two layer Oscar the Grouch vegan spice cake. i made them both at home, from scratch... the spice cake was actually the healthier of the two, although i did make the frosting w/ vegetable-oil based margarine and a fair amount of powdered sugar, plus a little bit of food coloring (hey, it wouldn't have been Oscar the Grouch without green, kwim? <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/wink1.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="wink1"> )... i felt better knowing that they were home-made with fresh, natural ingredients and as many substitutions for healthier stuff that i could sneak in, and less refined sugar than "normal" birthday cakes...<br><br>
and after all, it *is* only one day. a piece of cake (or a couple) isn't going to spoil a child on sugar for the rest of their life. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile"> enjoy it and have fun.

 

[Henry's_Mamma]

You could do a healthier cake (maybe a spice cake or carrot cake) and vegetable dyed frosting/icing (I think you can actually purchase vegetable dyes at a lot of health food type stores). Or do the strawberry shortcake but cover the cake with whipped cream icing (only a teaspoon or so of sugar plus vanilla extract).<br><br>
It is only one day ... and kids will certainly be exposed to a lot worse things than one b-day cake. I say make it yourself so you can control what's in it, and then just let your dd go to town. I think it will mostly be a fascinating play thing! (And a big mess!)<br><br>
Have fun!

 

[Kleine Hexe]

I made a carrot cake and homemade icing. Used the recipe from Whole Foods for Babies and Toddlers. Little guy ate it up.

 

[Tuesday]

and, how about, making cupcakes instead of a cake? so if you go full out with the sugar etc., you are serving less of it. Besides, if other children are attending, I've noticed kids seems to love cupcakes!!<br><br>
My son is turning one at the end of this month and I'm thinking of making either cupcakes or individual bundt cakes. Not sure about the recipe though ...