Celebrate with healthy cakes | Page 2 | Daily News

Celebrate with healthy cakes

German Chocolate Cake
German Chocolate Cake

It’s no secret we get a kick out of making not-so-healthy things a bit healthier. It’s also no secret we like to celebrate, and we’re fans of the occasional indulgence. Hope you’ll celebrate the healthy way making a healthier cake, picking a healthier drink, or fitting in a few bodyweight exercises before heading out to party. Here are some favourite healthier ways to make a cake to celebrate any occasion.

Healthier Cake Tips

Applesauce is your friend

This old lunchbox favourite makes a great substitute for sugar or fat when baking a cake (just don’t try to replace both at the same time…). When subbing for sugar, applesauce can be used as a replacement in a 1:1 ratio — just be sure to reduce the amount of milk, water, or other liquid in the recipe by ¼ cup for every cup of applesauce added.

To cut down on oil or butter, start by replacing half of the fat with applesauce (for example, a recipe using 1 cup oil would be reduced to ½ cup oil and ½ cup applesauce).

Swap white flour for something a bit healthier

Skip white flour for something healthier, whether it’s whole-wheat flour, nut flour, or a mix of a few different types. White, or “all-purpose” flour is processed in a way that removes the bran (the outer layer of the wheat grain) and germ of the wheat, taking away all the healthy stuff like fiber.

Slim down the toppings

If you’re already chowing down on cake, there’s no need to top it with more refined sugar! Instead of traditional frosting and candy toppings, try frosting with something lighter, such as fresh whipped cream (or coconut whipped cream!) or meringue. Instead of sprinkles or candy, top with fresh fruit or antioxidant-rich dark chocolate.

Cut down on fat to save unnecessary calories

In addition to applesauce, there are a number of easy and healthy recipe substitutions to help cut back on unnecessary added fat in all kinds of baking recipes. (Not that fat is unhealthy, just that, why add extra if you don’t need to? Save your fat allowance for that hunk of Brie cheese in the fridge!) One of our favorite substitutes is mashed banana. Just one cup of mashed banana works perfectly in place of 1 cup of butter or oil (just be prepared for a big banana flavor kick, too). For chocolate cake, ¾ cup prunes pureed with ¼ cup boiling water makes another great substitute for butter.

healthy carrot cake

 

Few healthier cakes to try

1. Carrot Cake

This healthier carrot cake recipe cuts out the sugar, white flour, and excess butter in favor of healthier substitutions like dates, whole-wheat flour, and bananas. Add in a healthy dose of carrots, coconut, walnuts, and raisins, and you’ve got a perfectly textured cake with zero added sugar. And you don’t need to pass on the cream cheese frosting, either — this one calls for cream cheese sweetened with honey and lime juice.

2. Healthier German Chocolate Cake

Moderation is still key with this semi-decadent recipe. The classic recipe gets a healthier twist by subbing in a natural sugar alternative in the actual cake, and soy milk and coconut milk in the frosting.

3. Flourless Chocolate Cake

There’s no flour in this simple chocolate cake, but that doesn’t make it any less decadent. You only need a few ingredients, too, nearly all of which pack a nutritional punch: baking chocolate, eggs, butter or coconut oil, cocoa powder, and honey.

4. Banana Snack Cake

Any cake that can count as a snack gets an A+ in our book. A combo of whole-wheat and corn flour give this loaf cake a nice crumby texture, while stevia, ripe bananas, and almond butter lend just the right amount of sweetness.

5. Flourless Tangerine Cake

This recipe takes three tangerines — the whole things — and turns ‘em into smooth, citrusy puree that turns the resulting cake a festive shade of yellow-orange. Sugar, almond meal, and eggs make up the rest of the cake for a lightly sweet, super-citrus flavored cake perfect for a spring or summer celebration. We imagine it would be to die for with a drizzle of dark chocolate. (Yum!)

6. Whole-Wheat Chocolate-Zucchini Cake

We promise you won’t be able to taste the zucchini or recognize the whole-wheat flour in this tender and delicious cake recipe. In addition to these two wholesome main ingredients, the cake gets its sweetness from a bit of honey and applesauce, and its unique flavor from cinnamon, cardamom, and cocoa powder.

7. Fruit-Only Tiered “Cake”

This “cake” is the ultimate healthier choice for celebrating. Spoiler alert: There is no actual cake! But there’s still loads of deliciousness. You’re going to need some serious fruit peeling and knife skills to pull this one off!

(Recipes of the above cakes can be found on greatist.com)


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