Do you think sugar makes kids hyper?
It’s a widely-held belief that sugar makes kids act crazy, but I’m not sure I believe it. Especially at birthday parties, with all the presents and balloons and ice cream and games… who wouldn’t get excited in such a revved-up atmosphere? And the experts are split: some swear childhood hyperactivity and sugar are linked, while others argue no solid evidence exists to back up the theory.
No matter the truth, there are still many other reasons to be wary of America’s favorite sweetener. Excess sugar consumption has been linked to gum disease and cavities, blood sugar spikes, mood swings, Diabetes, and obesity (which can lead to high cholesterol, heart disease, etc.).
One thing is certain: as a whole, we are consuming way too much sugar. According to a study conducted by Family Circle, the average teen is taking in roughly five times the AHA’s recommended daily sugar limit of 6-9 teaspoons. And eating sugar leads to craving more sugar: Penn State researchers found that the more sugar children consumed, the less they ate vegetables, fruits, and other healthy foods.
So what’s a sugar-craving, health-conscious dessert lover to do?
Have a piece of cake!
That’s what.
With a light and fluffy texture, the following healthy cake recipe can hold its own against any boxed birthday cake mix. It’s been kid-tested and approved, so you know it must be good. Yet it offers you fiber, selenium, manganese, and protein… all while tasting like real, sugary birthday cake!
The cake above is frosted with my recipe for Healthy Strawberry Frosting.
(No, I don’t think it’s bad to have a slice of processed, sugary, white-flour birthday cake every now and then. But if you can make a healthy cake that tastes just as good, why not save your empty sugar calories for something else?)
Kid-Approved Healthy Cake
Adapted from Homemade Donuts.
- 1 1/3 cups milk of choice (320g)
- 1 1/2 tbsp white or apple cider vinegar (23g)
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract (15g)
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp veg or melted coconut oil (50g)
- 2 loosely-packed cups spelt or all-purpose flour (or Bob’s gf, plus 1 tsp xantham gum) (240g)
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2/3 cup xylitol or sugar of choice (140g)
- 1/8 tsp pure stevia, or 1/4 cup more sugar of choice
- jam, frosting, sprinkles or Hannah’s Homemade Sprinkles
Healthy birthday cake recipe: Preheat oven to 350 F, and line two 8-in round pans (or one 13×9) with parchment paper. Combine first four ingredients in a small bowl, and whisk well. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients and stir very well. Pour wet into dry, stir until just evenly combined, pour into the pans and immediately put in the oven. Bake around 22 minutes, or until cakes have risen and no longer look undercooked. Allow to cool 10 minutes, then gently go around the sides with a knife and invert the pans onto large plates. (The frosting recipe I used is linked directly under the second photo of this post. If you use that particular recipe, I recommend frosting the cake just before serving.)
View Healthy Cake Nutrition Facts
For more specifics on the amount of sugar in this healthy white cake recipe–even if you use all sugar and none of the optional substitutes–see the nutrition facts above.
For the birthday cake photoshoot, I called my roommate at work and asked her if she knew where the matches were. Her response was a suspicious “Why are you looking for matches?”
Ever since I set a pot on fire about a year ago, she doesn’t trust me with matches. 😕
Link of the Day: 14 Homemade Larabar Recipes
Katie this recipe is amazing! You have posted it at the perfect time as my mum’s, brother’s and sister’s birthdays are this weekend! Now I can have a slice of all three cakes!! 😀 thank you!
This looks yummy! My birthday is in a month and I may make this for myself. Happy birthday to me! I used your chocolate cake recipe for my daughters birthday (with Nutella buttercream icing, definitely not vegan) and I ha so many compliments on it! Can’t wait to try this one.
On your nutrition facts it puts everything in grams. I don’t know about other people but I have no idea what 96 grams of cake looks like. Can you please put it in the form of 1/8 or 1/16 rather then grams. Thanks
It does say the number of servings on the nutrition fact page if you read the page.
Can we use applesouce or mashed banana instead or oil?
Sorry, I haven’t tried so I really can’t say.
That’s hilarious 🙂 How did you set a pot on fire!?!
I’m still not even sure what happened. I was trying to make sugar caramel… I accidentally added the vanilla extract before cooking, so maybe that was it. In any case, the entire pot suddenly exploded into flames. I even got a photo… should probably post it someday :).
Mmm…I love jam-filled cakes. Like a jelly doughnut 🙂
I noticed that you use a lot of xylitol in your recipes and wondered where you get it. Also, what can you tell me about it as far as nutritional stats? I’m always a little wary of artificial sugars, but I’ll admit that there are many I don’t know much about.
Beautiful cake decorating by the way 😀
Xylitol is actually not an artificial sweetener. It’s a natural sweetener from birch (well, sometimes from corn, which is why I recommend this brand: http://www.xylitolusa.com/).
Birthday cake is the best – Healthy birthday cake is even better. 🙂
Hey! Long time no comment, I know… but I’ve been stalking still… 😉 I was just thinking, as I read this post, that you are doing Healthy Food a disservice by saying “it’s ok to have REAL birthday cake now and then.” That implies that a healthier version is somehow not real, or, fake. I hate it when people ask me about my “fake food,” just because it’s not the full-fat/sugar/HFCS/artificial crap that’s in a lot of boxed/processed foods.
I argue that your recipe, and other healthier versions, are the ‘real’ food. Thanks for sharing this one – I have lil man’s birthday in ONE week, so I have cake on the brain!
Just sayin’.
You are so incredibly right! Ugh, and I should know better. Changing my post right now!
It looks so cute with the pink frosting and sprinkles! But based on my picky-eater childhood, I know that kids won’t eat cake based on looks alone, so this MUST be delicious! And with my own birthday coming up… 😉
Do you think you could come up with a healthy angel food cake recipe? I’ve wanted to do this myself, but if you feel up to the challenge, perhaps you’d like to try it.
It is on my list of things to try. 🙂
I have to make sure to try this!
Can you make this with a mix of hemp protein and almond flour so that it can be grain-free?
Thanks.
Sorry, I’ve never tried.
Regarding the question of sugar causing hyperactivity – children who have overgrowth of yeast in the gut or yeast allergies can have serious reactions to sugar. This can look like hyperactivity or tantrums/emotional meltdowns. They do react to refined sugars without a doubt (my youngest daughter is one of these little people).
I am a registered dietitian and there is absolutely no scientific data linking high sugar consumption to hyperactivity in children. In studies, when parent’s believe that there children consumed a sugary beverage or candy they rated their child’s behavior as “hyper” although they were only given a placebo which contained no sugar.
However, I definitely do agree that sugar is not healthy for you and high sugar consumption may be linked to various chronic diseases.
This looks so delicious Katie. I love the idea of using coconut oil. So much healthier. Oh and I’m not allowed near matches either, ever since the BBQ lite up like a A-Bomb 🙂
This was posted on my birthday. How perfect 🙂 Thanks Katie!! This looks really good and I can’t wait to make it! What did you put between your 2 layers of cake?… It looks like a jelly or something..?
Yes, just strawberry jelly. I really love a brand called Sorrell Ridge right now.