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Children's health

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Original poster

Sugar free (but delicious) birthday cake

45 replies

Mandilinki · 30/10/2013 09:23

Does anyone have a tried and tested recipe for a healthy birthday cake? My son is turning a year soon and I'd like to make a cake he can actually eat!
Thx

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

chocoluvva · 30/10/2013 09:55

Not exactly, but you can use banana instead of half the fat and all the sugar.

YDdraigGoch · 30/10/2013 09:56

I think you'd need some sugar at least. Why can't DS have sugar?

MrsSpencerReid · 30/10/2013 10:00

I make cakes with 1/2 the amount of sugar in the recipe, you can't tell!!

cestlavielife · 30/10/2013 11:52

tbh a bit of sugar as a one of for a party is prob better than artificial sweetener!

why cant he have any sugar?

but ask in health food shop eg use stevia Stevia is a naturally-sourced sugar substitute with no calories - use half the quantiities .
experiement first so you know what works you dont want the birthday cake to taste foul...
lot sonline eg

allrecipes.co.uk/recipes/tag-5812/sugar-free-cake-recipes.aspx?page=2

Fillybuster · 30/10/2013 11:55

Unless your son has allergies or other health issues, I'd just go ahead and bake a normal birthday cake, with sugar, butter etc, and let him have a small slice. Honestly, it won't kill him ....

Sirzy · 30/10/2013 13:26

I agree with others just make a normal cake and give him a small slice. won't do any harm.

Bunbaker · 30/10/2013 22:14

I saw a recipe for a cake using xylitol instead of sugar. I would hate to deal with the nappies after that

If there is no medical reason why your son can't have sugar I would just make a normal cake, but only give him a little.

Mummyoftheyear · 30/10/2013 22:17

I've got a banana bread one. It tastes like fruit cake but no nuts. PM me your email address and I'll send you a photo of the recipe. I'm about TK make it for the umpteenth time as his birthday (and my DD's ) is fast approaching!

Mummyoftheyear · 30/10/2013 22:18

Mine has no sugar and no sweeteners. It's great!

Bunbaker · 30/10/2013 22:28

I have just found these sugar free cake recipes

Mandilinki · 31/10/2013 11:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

Mandilinki · 31/10/2013 11:35

Thanks!

OP posts:

YDdraigGoch · 31/10/2013 20:40

But the whole point of cake is that it's a sweet treat. Otherwise you might just as well give him a sandwich!

Do you eat sugar?

noblegiraffe · 31/10/2013 20:43

Banana has sugar in it

Ragusa · 31/10/2013 21:17

Did he have milk? Cos that is full of sugars

Sparklyboots · 31/10/2013 21:35

Hi Mandilinki, I also kept my DS (refined) sugar free as long as possible, he was about 2 and a half before he knew what chocolate was. For cakes I've used lots of datey recipes, look for anything with lots of dates in and you should have a very sweet but wholesome cake. Never bothered with the sugar substitute type things because it's the processed crap I take issue with. We've used 'raw' recipes for birthdays and special occasions, too, the desserts can be quite faffy but they are delicious and you don't have to scrape your child off the ceiling after they've eaten them.

People get a bit bothered by it, like he is missing out? But he eats a brilliant diet, varied and mainly wholesome. We are more relaxed now (I remember reading that you're 2 before your gut is matured) and he has a bit of whatever everyone else is having when we're out. He doesn't go mad for it and it hasn't put him off the good stuff we have at home.

Just wanted to post that I totally recognise that desire not to be the person feeding crap to the kid. I know that he will eat crap. But not when I'm the person making choices for him. We eat a wide range of mainly plant based, unprocessed foods and he is absolutely thriving on it. I can't understand why people feel so aggrieved by it but they sometimes do. I do try a

curlew · 31/10/2013 21:38

Why are dates better than sugar?

Sparklyboots · 31/10/2013 21:39

oops sorry just wanted to say, I try and listen sympathetically to people's concerns but think they have some other axe to grind when they are getting het up about the way I feed my child.

Sparklyboots · 31/10/2013 21:40

Well, I think dates are better than sugar because they come with fibre, which makes them slower to digest, they have iron and other minerals in useful quantities per serving. They are very high in unprocessed sugar though, I do take that point.

curlew · 31/10/2013 21:49

Absolutely, a date has more nutrients in it than a spoonful of sugar. But it has a spoonful of sugar as well!

Sparklyboots · 31/10/2013 21:59

Yes, but if you ate a spoonful of sugar or the equivalent in dates, the dates would provoke a lower insulin spike because of the fibre. And you'd have some nutritional benefit from the dates.

Our general approach is to eat food that we can recognise from the natural environment. We do eat some flour or flour based products, and some fermented stuff, but most of the stuff we eat is stuff you could pick or find yourself in the natural environment. It's the right thing for us, because we think it is a sensible approach and we feel good on and about our diet. I'm sure that this just makes me completely irrational from some perspectives. But since I'm not forcing it on anyone else, I can't see the harm?

chocoluvva · 31/10/2013 22:00

the whole point of a cake is that it's a sweet treat I have multiple food sensitivities including dairy egg and yeast so I hardly ever have anything with a cakey texture now. (or bread for that matter ). The cake texture contributes to the pleasure - honestly. I really miss it. I occasionally make myself soda bread and it is such a treat. (+dark chocolate)
Processed sugar cane/beet is a relatively modern invention. In the 'olden' days it cost an absolute fortune and was eaten only by extremely wealthy people. OP's DS is really not missing out.

chocoluvva · 31/10/2013 22:03

My teenage DS likes my banana cake which I make with 1oz butter, 4oz white SR flour, 2 eggs and 3-4 very ripe bananas. It looks like nothing on earth and it isn't very sweet, but he's been known to eat a whole cake in one day! (He also eats a right pile of junk )

Debs75 · 31/10/2013 22:06

People don't seem to get that refined sugar and the maltose fructose, lactose sucrose which are naturally occurring are in fact quite different. OP if you want to keep him refined sugar free then try some of the sugar free recipes. Yes sugar is everywhere but you can limit it as much as you want if you don't mind more intense cooking.
I would love to join you in a sugar free family diet. I really don't think we would be missing much

RescueCack · 31/10/2013 22:18

We made a grain free banana bread cake for DS's 1st birthday. Added blueberries and decorated with strawberries. I found it on realhealthykids.com. It uses almond flour. We like it so much I bake it most weeks now. I've just taken one out of the oven with cinnamon and nutmeg and it smells amazing.

We don't eat refined sugar or grain and haven't for nearly a year now. It has been life changing.

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