Ideas for a healthier birthday cake

TheFlyingGerbil

Our whole family is on a diet at the moment and it's going quite well, but at the end of the month it's my Mum's birthday. She's said she doesn't want a birthday cake as it will spoil the diet but I think that's heresy - she's had one every year for the last *mumble, mumble* years and it's just not a birthday without one.

Does anyone have any ideas for a cake that is healthier or ideas for an alternative to a cake that 's still festive (i.e. not muesli bars with a candle pushed in!) My only idea so far is to have cupcakes instead of a big cake as you are limiting yourself to one small serving.

Joe

Boomdocker

Well as you have mentioned cup cakes how's about making a tiered selection of cupcakes. I love these on tiered plates and think they look so pretty. You could personalise the decoration if its a 'special' birthday.

thriftlady_2

Hi joe,
My only thought is a pavlova with Greek yogurt or a yogurt and cream mixture instead of all cream. Meringue is full of sugar, but it's virtually fat free. Top with lots of fresh berries, pineapple or peaches.

You can make a fat free sponge (google a recipe if someone doesn't supply one here), and I think your idea of individual cakes is a good one. You could stack them up like a tiered cake with a candle in each one. Why not freeze surplus cakes to avoid temptation, or give them away to friends and neighbours.

annie-c

Yeah, I would agree, a fatless sponge... could be made on a flat baking tray and rolled up with a low fat filling and loads of sodt fruits to decorate. Yum!!

Disdisbiff

Hi Joe

I was going to suggest carrot cake and if you still wanted to make cup cakes why not put the carrot cake mixture in cup cake cases.
Carrot cake is relatively healthy and even with the cream cheese topping isn't very fattening at all

HTH

Biff

foreign_correspondent

maybe a sponge flan case with loads of nice fresh fruit and a glaze? Served with low fat ice cream?? Marks and spencers do a lovely rich vanilla low fat ice cream - not cheap but excellent for a real treat!

odds-n-sods

I'd go with the pavlova; its cheap to make deoending on the fruit you buy to put in it.

TheFlyingGerbil

Thanks guys, I think I may go with the Pavlova - reading about them here reminds me she loves them. Now I only need to decide if I should risk making the meringue myself, it sounds a bit scary!

Joe

edit: I love carrot cake and made it once, it was gorgeous. I can't decide again!

thriftlady_2

Meringue is dead easy -made one last month for eldest son's 12th b'day.

1 egg white (no specks of yolk in) to 2oz caster sugar -I used 2 egg whites and 4oz sugar to make a pav big enough to serve 8.

Beat egg whites until fairly stiff and glossy looking -you should be able to turn the bowl upside down without them falling out.

Add the sugar in tbsp beating well with each addition.

Spread the meringue on a lined baking tray. Mound up the edges with the back of a spoon to make a wall.

Bake at 150c for 1 hour -when the time is up turn the oven off and leave the meringue inside until completely cool.