Not-too-sugary cake recipe anyone? For DS's 1st birthday party this weekend

[glasgowbelle]

Does anyone have a good recipe for a healthy-ish cake? Carrot cake perhaps? (Any excuse to get some vegetables down him... )

It's a birthday cake! It has to be sugary!

Just don't serve any other sugary things.

I've got a lovely carrot, honey and sultana cake recipe (can he have honey?)

its delicious - will post it tonight if you don't have any luck

Sorry - I wasn't very helpful. I've got a good carrot cake recipe if you need it - but I really don't think you ought to worry about a bit of sugar in a birthday cake - it's only once a year!

Sounds good, MamaG. I think he can have honey now he's one. I assume cooked honey is less risky than raw honey in any case?

You're right, Seeker. Perhaps I need to relax a bit on the sugar front. Mother's guilt or what?

Or you could make a banana loaf in a round tin? They contain a fairly small amount of fat and sugar as the banana makes it both sweet and moist.

I know some people use apple and pear spread ~(from the health food shop) to sweeten cakes for children instead of sugar. And brown sugar is healthier than white, or honey as mamag suggested.

I think with most recipes you can get away with adding less sugar/fat than the recipe advises, anyway. You could always do a trial run (pop a spoonful of the mix in a paper case and bake for 12 min or so, then taste it to see if it's not sweet enough)

I always put about three quarters of the sugar the recipe says anyway if I'm going ti ce the cake>I think they taste better a bit less sweet and they always turn out fine.

that should have said "going to ice the cake"

He's allergic to banana, sadly, cos that would be a good one to do. Think I'll try the less sugar approach on a trial run. Please could you pass on the carrot cake recipes when you've got a minute? The only one I have is a bit earnest for a b'day cake - uses spelt flour and the like.

carrot, honey & sultana cake

oil for greasing
3 carrots (200g/7oz before peeling)
150ml (1/4 pint) sunflower oil
3 eggs
125g / 4oz thick set or runny honey
50g 2 oz light muscovado sugar
200g / 7oz wholemeal self raising flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
100g 3 1/2 oz sultanas

TO FINISH:
100g 3.5 oz butter at room temp
200g 7 oz icing sugar
smarties to decorate

• set oven to 180 / 350 / GM 4

• Brush the tin (small roasting tin - mine is 7 x 11 inches and about 1.5inches deep) with a little oil, line the base with greasproof paper and brush this lightly with a little oil.

• peel then grate teh carrots

• put the oil, eggs, honey and sugar into bown and mix together using fork or whisk

• Add the flour and baking powder nad mix well then stir in the grated carrots and the sultanas.

• Pour the cake mixture into the lined tin and smooth flat

• Bake for 20-25 mins until it is well risen and golden brown and the top springs back when lightly pressed

• Leave to cool in tin for 10 mins then loosen sides with a round bladed knife and turn out onto a wire rack to coolc ompletely

FROSTING

• Put teh butter in a bowl then gradually add the icing sugar to make soft spreadable icing ---- the recipe I have actually adds the grated rind of an orange and some of the juice, but I found it was too many flavours, better with a plain buttercream

• spread icing over the cake and decorate with smarties (or sultanas!)

Thanks v much, MamaG. Off to buy ingredients
...

did you make it?