My birthday is coming up very soon and I know my family is going to buy a birthday cake for me. We've been doing this every year for each immediate family member. If there is 1 thing that is my ultimate weakness, it is my yellow cake and vanilla frosting/icing birthday cake each year. I can eat an entire 12-inch round cake in 4 days tops! I should know...I've done it in the past. I have no self control for bday cake.
Are there any healthy alternavtives to birthday cake? I tried to Google a cake made up of mostly fruits, but I ended up with actual fruitcake results. Yuck!
Any suggestions? Oh, and before anyone mentions it...no, it is not an option to not have birthday cake. I've mentioned it to my family before last year and they looked at me like I was crazy. Birthday is to birthday cake what Christmas is to a Chrismas tree....at least that's how it is in my family.
My mouth is already watering just thinking about birthday cake. It's crazy I know!
How about a small cake that is just large enough to give each person one slice without any leftovers? Make it a single layer, so there's less frosting, and do without any fancy decorations that just add more frosting and calories.
A trifle made from chunks of angel food cake, fresh fruit, and whipped cream could be fun.
www.cookinglight.com has a lot of good recipes for cakes that are healthier than traditional recipe cakes.
I think some ladies on this forum have taken a regular boxed cake mix and simply mixed it with one can of diet soda (in place of the water, eggs, and oil). I believe you just mix it up until well-blended, then bake as usual. (Google "cake mix diet soda" and you'll easily find the instructions.) I would use a dark pop (e.g., Diet Dr. Pepper, Diet Coke) for a chocolate cake mix, and a light pop (e.g., Diet Cherry 7-Up) for a yellow or white cake.
Back when I was little, in the '70s, it was very common to bake a cake in a 9x13 pan, allow it to cool, then poke holes every few inches using the handle of a wooden spoon. Then, not-yet-set pudding or Jell-O was poured over the entire cake. The topping filled in the holes and acted as a self-frosting. If you use a sugar-free version of pudding or Jell-O and pour it over the diet-pop cake, you'll have saved a ton of calories!
Happy early birthday!
This year for my birthday, my husband got one of those Edible Arrangement things. It was...AWESOME! My daughter and niece nearly picked it clean by themselves and the adults gobbled up what was left. It's not inexpensive but it's fun and pretty and different and it was ALL eaten.
I'm not a huge birthday cake person, it's just not my thing. I tend to request other birthday sweets. Maybe you can point out to your family that since it's your birthday, you'd like to try something new.
If you must have the yellow cake, I'll suggest a non-healthy one-time indulgence: cupcakes! If you go to a really nice gourmet bakery, your family can get a single yellow cake/frosting cupcake for each person. You'll get your birthday cake fix, but you won't have any tempting leftovers calling your name.
Vegan cakes can be extremely yummy and very low calorie (like half the calories of regular cake) if you find the right recipe.
Also lemon cake, angel foods cake, or your mostly worried about calorie counting cupcakes are great cause you don't have to worry about cutting a piece just right.
I like the eatable arrangement idea! Those can be pretty pricey though.
If you must have the yellow cake, I'll suggest a non-healthy one-time indulgence: cupcakes! If you go to a really nice gourmet bakery, your family can get a single yellow cake/frosting cupcake for each person. You'll get your birthday cake fix, but you won't have any tempting leftovers calling your name.
This is exactly what I did for DH's birthday this year. Instead of having a full sized cake, I made just enough cupcakes for the people who were attending his dinner. We did have a few leftover, I kept one for DH and sent the other 3 home with various guests for their kids of other family members. I'll be requesting the same things for my birthday.
Eat the birthday cake for goodness sakes! The birthday cake that you like, not some alternative that might suck.
Enjoy every bite and get back on plan right afterwards.
One slice of birthday cake isn't going to kill ya
The folks above have great ideas. I just wanted to share that it was my oldest son's 12th birthday. I have been doing SO great for over 2 weeks that I really didn't want to go nuts. We normally go out to the birthday person's favorite restaurant then I make home-made cake. Anyway, my son's FAVORITE restaurant is Subway so we all walked the whole block to the restaurant and I stayed in my calories. I have made angel food (plain and chocolate varieties, plain and chocolate whipped cream, and both strawberries and blueberries).
This year I asked if I could make Bisquick instead. I used Bisquick Healthy Heart Pancake recipe for shortcake biscuits. I substituted Truvia (for sugar) in both the biscuits and the whipping cream. I also substitued 40 calorie Almond milk (for the skim milk).
The whole family ate it up. I was so happy. Yummmm. Today, I ate a 1/2 biscuit plus a couple chopped strawberries with Truvia (no whipping cream). I really liked it too and would have that again as a little treat after a successful calorie count day.
I don't know what your dietary needs are (low carb, low sugar, etc) but taking a regular birthday cake and substituting mashed bananas for the oil takes out a HUGE number of calories. Take it a step further and substitute whole wheat for white (or half-and-half), brown sugar for white, etc.
OR
Like Suzanne said, make a smaller cake so you get one yummy slice and everyone else finishes it off *at* the birthday party. If there's a slice left over, send it home with someone. Nothing wrong in indulging every now and then
My bday is just around the corner too and we always have cake at work, this year I said I just want a 'cake pop' They are new from starbucks and look like a lollipop but they are teeny tiny cakes on a stick! They even make a birthday one!
My birthday was a little less than a month after I started losing weight. I went home for the weekend and Mom made angel foodcake, with just a little bit of a powdered sugar glaze. I'm a huge fan of angel foodcake, so it didn't feel like I was denying myself anything.
Healthy alternative to birthday cake?
I should know...I've done it in the past. I have no self control for bday cake.
