Cakes!

I have it from a very reliable source:  there are LOTS of birthdays in September.  I've been asked about some healthier party foods, so I thought I would share the following recipes from Feeding The Whole Family by Cynthia Lair.  I HIGHLY recommend this book for anyone with children living at home.  The first section of the book is stocked full of great information written in a clear and concise way about healthy eating and why it is important.

Gracie's Yellow Birthday Cake
Prep Time:  50-55 minutes
Makes 2  8-inch layers or 18 cupcakes

1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp non-aluminum baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 cups cooked millet
1 1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup melted butter, or coconut oil
1/2 cup Grade B maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, separated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly oil and flour two 8-inch cake pans.  Sift flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large mixing bowl; set aside.

Put millet and juice in blender; blend until smooth.  Add butter, maple syrup and vanilla to the millet puree in a blender; pulse briefly.  Add egg yolks to millet puree and pulse again.

Add wet ingredients to dry mixture and mix well.

Place egg whites in a separate glass or metal bowl and beat until peaks form.  Fold egg whites into batter.  Pour into cake pans.  Bake 30-40 minutes, or until cake begins to pull away from edge of pan.  Let cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing.  Wait until completely cook before icing.

Yummy Yam Frosting
Prep time:  5 minutes
Makes 3/4 to 1 cup frosting

1 cup mashed baked yams
1/4 cup softened cream cheese or soft tofu (2 ozs)
1 Tablespoon melted unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons Grade B maple syrup
1 tsp lemon or orange juice

Place yams, cream cheese, butter, maple syrup, and juice in a bowl and cream together.  Puree with a mixer or in a food processor to a smooth, spreadable consistency.

Hats created and photographed by Lillian B Photography.

Elly Haddad is a certified holistic health coach and founder of Elemental Fit - a health coaching practice devoted to educating and equipping women to create balanced lives for themselves and their families.  She works with clients all over the United States in-person and via phone conducting one-on-one counseling sessions, group workshops, teleseminars and cooking classes.  Through improving overall health, her clients find success in conquering cravings, developing healthy eating habits, weight-loss, stress reduction and more.