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So... after a month of better eating and hittin the gym 6 days a week (I didnt go the day after pride... you know, to recover... and felt like a slug ALL DAY... ugh!) my birthday is next week.

I dont want to blow my diet completely out of the water for one stupid peice of cake, but come on! I still wanna have cake! Throw a scoop of ice cream on a store bought peice of cake and that'd probably meet or exceed my daily caloric intake. No way.

Anyone have a recipe for a healthier version of cake? I read a post about carrot cake... cracked me UP, but it didnt sound like that was a "healthier option."

I'd rather not settle for a bran muffin with a candle if I dont have to.

try this:

http://www.healthy-eating-made-easy.com/healthy-cake-recipes.html

it helps if you have or know someone with real baking skills.

Best option I know of, as a healthy cook and baker, would be to use stevia. It's a natural sweetener and can come in both liquid and powder forms. Take your desired recipe replace equally. Use soy or a gluten free flour and perhaps replace your oils and eggs with fat free yogurt and/or pureed fruit. I can come up with tons of ideas but a great place to look is www.sparkpeople.com and you can try www.stevia.com as well. Good Luck and Happy [upcoming] Birthday!!

Jason

Thanks for this topic guys. I am looking at the site now and can't seem to find anything for making a healthy icing. I'm a big fan of icing on cakes.

Most icings are made from hydrogenated oils and I try to avoid that. But unfortunately I succumb to buying what's available on the shelves.

Any recommendations? I use Stevia all the time and have quite a bit in my house. I also like using Splenda which I have in bountiful quantities as well.

Cake is unhealthy??? Maybe it was just the excessive portion??

I give you the solution .. I give you the "cup"-cake ..


notice the dime in the photo!

Seems to me like one piece of cake with ice cream on top is not really going to affect your regimen...

I'd say eat healthy the rest of the day, then get the best cake you can possibly afford (best ingredients) and enjoy yourself (hopefully sharing the cake with your loved ones) -- then get right back on track the next day.

At least treat yourself on your birthday. If you don't eat too much junk on a regular basis and exercise often (it ooks like you do), the occasional treat won't hurt you. Happy birthday!

Even when I've made cakes using the commercial mixes I use Pam Fat Free Cooking Spray and spray the pan molds liberally and I omit the oil that's called for in the recipe. I also add about another 1/4 cup of water in order to make up for the difference.

This makes it a lot less fattening.

I've heard replacing the oil 1 to 1 with applesauce. It helps keep the texture better than water would.

Most store bought cakes and icings are full of crap. the icings especially are just hydrogenated oils, but they are also most likely in pre-made cakes and cake mixes. Chances are there is some High fructose corn syrup in there too.
Try the Whole foods bakery if you want to buy something.

Icing is fairly easy to make, check online, powdered sugar, butter, and a couple other things.

angel food cake is a decent alternative. mostly sugar, egg whites, and flour, so little to no fat, although lots of carbs. you can also do a thin glaze icing if you want.

and i've heard one of the best thing in a diet is a reasonable cheat meal. Just have one once a week or every other week, It lets you satiate all those little cravings, before they grow bigger, and you wind up on the floor in a pile of empty Häagen-Dazs containers.
Just add a few minutes to you cardio sessions this week. It's your birthday.

I used to work with a guy who did fit for life. he ate amazing all week, and then friday was "cheat day" he would come back at lunch with pizza, fries, a burger, chicken strips, and more. always had a stack of containers at least 3 high. And he was in amazing shape.

go to whole foods and buy yourself a cake there, they have many healthy choices.

apple sauce is a good substitute for sugar. stevia is a little difficult to cook with. and Splenda is BAD, it's chemically altered! it is NOT natural.

use safflower oil as well.

one bad or cheat day will not ruin your diet. use the 80% good/20% bad rule.

muchmorethanmuscle saidThanks for this topic guys. I am looking at the site now and can't seem to find anything for making a healthy icing. I'm a big fan of icing on cakes.

Most icings are made from hydrogenated oils and I try to avoid that. But unfortunately I succumb to buying what's available on the shelves.

Any recommendations? I use Stevia all the time and have quite a bit in my house. I also like using Splenda which I have in bountiful quantities as well.

When I make a cake I make my own buttercream frosting - confectioners sugar, butter, skim milk and vanilla.

It's not low sugar or low fat, but it's good.

Cheat. Enjoy your birthday. Our bodies adapt.

Just don't make a habit of it.

yeah don't get all paranoid about one measly piece of cake- its fine every now and then- just don't make it a regular thing.

ActiveAndFit saidCake is unhealthy??? Maybe it was just the excessive portion??

I give you the solution .. I give you the "cup"-cake ..


notice the dime in the photo!

Making cupcakes is a good idea. They are set portions and can be arranged on a tiered serving plate to look nice. It's also easier to get rid of the leftovers by bringing them into work and leaving them in the break room.

Timberoo saidMaking cupcakes is a good idea. They are set portions and can be arranged on a tiered serving plate to look nice. It's also easier to get rid of the leftovers by bringing them into work and leaving them in the break room.

Hah, someone finally agrees with me! The world must be coming to an end as no one has taken me to task about my post.

UStriathlete saidgo to whole foods and buy yourself a cake there, they have many healthy choices.

apple sauce is a good substitute for sugar. stevia is a little difficult to cook with. and Splenda is BAD, it's chemically altered! it is NOT natural.

use safflower oil as well.

one bad or cheat day will not ruin your diet. use the 80% good/20% bad rule.

Lots of things are chemically altered. Splenda has not been shown to have any toxic effects... Plenty of natural things are bad for you too.

Salubrious saidLots of things are chemically altered. Splenda has not been shown to have any toxic effects... Plenty of natural things are bad for you too.

Splenda gives me the "runs" big time! Can't touch the stuff! give me good old sugar!

[size=SIZE NUMBER GOES HERE]Hey Guys. I was planning on taking becoming a nutritionist so ive taken alot of food classes and we've focused a lot on substituting ingredients and w.e.

So anyway..

with cakes.. substitute the OIL with unsweetened APPLE SAUCE!!! (im pretty sure you could also leave out the sugar too). I've never tried it but have heard its rather delicious.

another thing I've heard ( ITS A WEIGHT WATCHERS TIP) and have had the unfortunate opportunity to try is, with a cake mix just add one can of diet soda. but its rather disgusting but you're the one who's asking. lol

Eat a piece of cake on your birthday. ONE, REASONABLE piece of cake.

There are certain occasions where my diet goes out the window.

-Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthday

What you could do to make yourself feel less guilty, is to do a full body workout (lifting) before or after the eating. You're much less likely to gain fat if you have a hard, full body workout.

I was just at the grocery store and saw a bunch of options in the health & natural foods section - gluten free, etc.

Ellie Krieger has a show on the Food Network called "Healthy Appetite" which is all about making healthier, leaner versions of the food we generally crave - and I am sure she has some cake recipes. The great thing about Ellie is that she sticks with whole, all-natural ingredients and simply believes in moderation. She's a great resource if you're like me (i.e. refuse to touch anything like margarine, butter or sugar "substitutes" with a ten-foot pole).

Hey guys! Thanks for all the advice and tips!

Following the Angel Food cake idea someone suggested, I found this recipe on MedicineNet.com, complete with nutritional breakdown. Yay!

Chocolate-Mocha Angel Food Cake
The flavor combination of chocolate, coffee, and sugar in this cake is simply addicting. I love how you can take something simple like an angel food cake mix and make it spectacular with just a few added ingredients.
Ingredients:


1 box (1-pound size) one-step angel food cake mix
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/3 cups very strong decaffeinated coffee, cooled
8 ounces light whipping cream or Light Cool Whip® (optional)
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Move oven rack to lowest position if you're using a tube pan, or the middle position for loaf pans.
2. Mix cake mix with cocoa in large glass or metal bowl at low speed until blended.
3. Pour in coffee and mix at low speed until moistened. Then beat exactly 1 minute at medium speed. Pour batter into an ungreased tube pan (10x4-inch) or two (9x5-inch loaf pans).
4. Bake 35 to 45 minutes for tube pan, and 33 to 43 minutes for loaf pans. Cake is done when crust is deep golden brown and cracks on top appear dry. DO NOT UNDERBAKE.
5. Cool tube cake upside down on a glass bottle or heatproof surface until completely cool. Cool loaves in pans tipped on side on cooling rack until completely cool.
6. Loosen edges with flat knife or metal spatula to remove from pans.
7. Whip up whipped cream if desired, adding powdered sugar to taste toward end of whipping.

Yield:
12 servings

Nutritional Information:
Per serving (without whipped cream):
159 calories, 4 g protein, 36 g carbohydrate, 0.5 g fat, 0.3 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 331 mg sodium, 1 g fiber. Calories from fat: 3%.

Per serving (with light whipping cream):
214 calories, 21 mg cholesterol, 6 g fat. Calories from fat: 25%.

Go with an ice-cream cake. Treat yourself. Just be sure to invite a lot of friends so there are no leftovers. haha

Find a nice man who's willing to be covered in whipped cream and put a candle in his navel.

Jeepdave,
That sounds amazing! Need to save that for my birthday in Nov.

Any suggestion on what kind of coffee to use in it? Do you think it'll make a difference since it is baked in anyway?
How about brand of Angel Food Cake mix?

Wow I was just reading "healthy" carrot cake recipes on line (there are many) and they do sound pretty tasty!

I used to make a healthy-ish cheese cake with mascarpone cheese, tofu, and almond paste. It was ok, but was not nearly as satisfying as a slice of the real stuff.

So now I just have a treat a few times a year and enjoy myself rather than trying to be completely healthy 100% of the time. Besides, that is why god created jogging.

Stop worrying about it and eat the damn cake. As a personal trainer, I know this sounds like odd advice, but trust me on this one, it will not kill you. Here's the deal, if you completely restrict yourself from everything you are eventually going to get psychologically burned out. Watch out when that happens, because it will take a week to undo the damage of that feast. Further, in the clients that I have seen the once a week cheat meal actually seems to help their progress. They go out and enjoy pizza and they come in the next day a pound lighter. What gives? I suspect the sudden influx of calories and carbs replenishes any deficit and helps convince the body that food is plentiful and to jack up the metabolism. In everyone I have ever talked to that is serious about diet and training, one piece of cake, or one cheat meal of pizza did not damn them to life of obesity and poor health. In fact, psychologically it seemed to help them stay on the diet because they know they have a reprieve from the strict diet coming up, so they are less likely to give in when they aren't supposed to. It also relieves the stress created from continuous self restriction, and it might even have a biological benefit. All this being said eat the cake, but eat one reasonable piece with one reasonable scoop of ice cream. Nothing I've said here should be interpreted as a license to eat the whole damn cake and tub of ice cream. Even fitness models are human once in awhile, especially on once a year occasions like a birthday. Relax you will do fine if your discipline is on target every other day of the year.

It's not good cake until your teeth hurt.

I'm with the guys advising moderation. On your birthday, get a nice big piece of cake with lots of frosting. Just follow it up with some extra cardio and good eating for the next few days.

The stress of worrying about it will do more damage to your body than just eating a piece of cake and enjoying it.

I don't agree with YngHungSFSD for a two reasons.

For one, I don't want to eat foods that have hydrogenated oils in them. Icing on cakes have hydrogenated oils, trans fats, etc. Nearly all prepared cake snacks have the them too. I think it's a smart idea to come up with healthier options and to use sweeteners like Splenda. It comes from sugar and so far has the safest reputation compared to other calorie free sweeteners. Let's hope it stays that way.

And for number two:
The more I eat well and fine tune my diet the sicker I feel when I actually do eat something that's loaded with refined ingredients. And "no" I don't eat the whole cake.

How about this option. Ever hear of Edible Arrangements? These look quite tasty. I'd surely 'scarf' one of these down with no guilt if I were to receive one. Here's what I'm referring to.
http://www.ediblearrangements.com/
t

Are you really worrying about blowing your diet over ONE PIECE OF CAKE?!

It's CAKE. It's your birthday!


INDULGE



*there is no such thing as a healthy cake.

In Jordan's recipe book it's not a cake unless the frosting contains lard or butter!

Yes please - shake in terror of the trans fats, the saturated fats, the insert-fear-striking-diet-word-here fats.


(and if you seriously want to waste your time on a healthy cake - which by the way... are actually more difficult to master than the terrible dreaded normal cake - probably is going to wind up being worse for you because you won't feel satisfied in the same way that a 'unhealthy' cake will)

Sure - butter, lard, and sugar aren't the greatest for your arteries or waist line, but nothing touches the soul in quite the same way...


And carrot cake? Carrot cake is for brunch at your grandmother's house...

Seriously?

Have your cake and eat a REAL one too!

(You have just violated all of my expectations as the premier pastry chef god of RJ... may all your soufflés deflate!)

YngHungSFSD saidStop worrying about it and eat the damn cake. As a personal trainer, I know this sounds like odd advice, but trust me on this one, it will not kill you. Here's the deal, if you completely restrict yourself from everything you are eventually going to get psychologically burned out. Watch out when that happens, because it will take a week to undo the damage of that feast. Further, in the clients that I have seen the once a week cheat meal actually seems to help their progress. They go out and enjoy pizza and they come in the next day a pound lighter. What gives? I suspect the sudden influx of calories and carbs replenishes any deficit and helps convince the body that food is plentiful and to jack up the metabolism. In everyone I have ever talked to that is serious about diet and training, one piece of cake, or one cheat meal of pizza did not damn them to life of obesity and poor health. In fact, psychologically it seemed to help them stay on the diet because they know they have a reprieve from the strict diet coming up, so they are less likely to give in when they aren't supposed to. It also relieves the stress created from continuous self restriction, and it might even have a biological benefit. All this being said eat the cake, but eat one reasonable piece with one reasonable scoop of ice cream. Nothing I've said here should be interpreted as a license to eat the whole damn cake and tub of ice cream. Even fitness models are human once in awhile, especially on once a year occasions like a birthday. Relax you will do fine if your discipline is on target every other day of the year.

Applause

muchmorethanmuscle saidI don't agree with YngHungSFSD for a two reasons.

For one, I don't want to eat foods that have hydrogenated oils in them. Icing on cakes have hydrogenated oils, trans fats, etc. Nearly all prepared cake snacks have the them too. I think it's a smart idea to come up with healthier options and to use sweeteners like Splenda. It comes from sugar and so far has the safest reputation compared to other calorie free sweeteners. Let's hope it stays that way.

And for number two:
The more I eat well and fine tune my diet the sicker I feel when I actually do eat something that's loaded with refined ingredients. And "no" I don't eat the whole cake.

How about this option. Ever hear of Edible Arrangements? These look quite tasty. I'd surely 'scarf' one of these down with no guilt if I were to receive one. Here's what I'm referring to.
http://www.ediblearrangements.com/
t

NUMBER 1: Make your cake from scratch - or by it from a local bakery (that is not in a super market).

NUMBER 2: Any artificial sweetener is still just that - artificial. And any artificial sweetener will NEVER replicate what sugar does in pastry/baking. It is absolutely no comparison.

jeepdave75 said Throw a scoop of ice cream on a store bought peice of cake and that'd probably meet or exceed my daily caloric intake. No way.

You sound like how I was when I was recovering from anorexia.

A piece of cake is not going to suddenly make your body gain twenty pounds over night. A scoop of ice cream is not going to make you leave all your life changes behind...


Well unless it's ice cream and cake I made, but that is besides the point (it's life changing stuff).

as I've said - Eat the damn cake.

looknrnd saidBest option I know of, as a healthy cook and baker, would be to use stevia. It's a natural sweetener and can come in both liquid and powder forms. Take your desired recipe replace equally. Use soy or a gluten free flour and perhaps replace your oils and eggs with fat free yogurt and/or pureed fruit. I can come up with tons of ideas but a great place to look is www.sparkpeople.com and you can try www.stevia.com as well. Good Luck and Happy [upcoming] Birthday!!

Jason

From one baker... to a someone-who-puts-things-in-the-oven...


That is going to result in something close to chemically cardboard.

Health V.S. Taste in the cake arena... and Taste always wins.

Sure - You can make a healthy salad, you can make a healthy burger, you can make a healthy anything that involves cooking.

But baking? Baking requires a devotion to exactness and a devotion to ratios. If you decide to remove all the fat from a cake - it will never be as tender. If you decide to remove all sugar from a cake (putting in something fake instead) - it will never have the proper crumb or crust.

Don't f*** with cake.

Happy Birthday. Have your cake and eat it too.

Seriously, you sound like a very disciplined guy. Having one piece of cake in celebration is not going to destroy your diet. It's an exception, not the rule.

Wow... what have I started?
Let me clarify. Im *GUNNA* have the cake.

I just wanted to lean a little more towards a healthier option. Ya know? I mean, changing the diet, and habits, etc has been good... Ive actually been enjoying it all. So why not learn something along the way beyond "veggies are good and trans fats are bad." Why not learn how to have a little indulgence without going overboard?

Im gunna make the Mocha Angel Food cake, cuz I like angel food cake and it sounds yummy. I may or may not drizzle chocolate on top. I may or may not throw some berries into the mix. I may or may not have ice cream.

And yeah... im GUNNA share it.

I dont wanna be the fat and calorie nazi, I just wanted to find out if I could be a little smarter about it than wofling down a big slice of Baskin Robins and callin it a "cheat meal."

I agree with you YngHungSFSD. Completely depriving myself would be insanity, but I also think completely indulging myself or overindulging might also be a little insane.

Im doin good on a day to day basis now... so why stop?

fastprof saidHappy Birthday. Have your cake and eat it too.

Seriously, you sound like a very disciplined guy. Having one piece of cake in celebration is not going to destroy your diet. It's an exception, not the rule.

I'm very disciplined about my diet, which is predominantly paleo with minimal grain and dairy. A couple months ago, I went on a week-long retreat and completely blew my diet off. I ate two of every dessert, totally crashed my blood sugar a few times, and didn't have a care in the world about it. When I returned home, I'd only gained two pounds. I tightened my caloric intake and lost four pounds in a few weeks. So, yeah, one piece of cake isn't going to kill ya.

NYCguy74 saidI've heard replacing the oil 1 to 1 with applesauce. It helps keep the texture better than water would.

Most store bought cakes and icings are full of crap. the icings especially are just hydrogenated oils, but they are also most likely in pre-made cakes and cake mixes. Chances are there is some High fructose corn syrup in there too.
Try the Whole foods bakery if you want to buy something.

Icing is fairly easy to make, check online, powdered sugar, butter, and a couple other things.

angel food cake is a decent alternative. mostly sugar, egg whites, and flour, so little to no fat, although lots of carbs. you can also do a thin glaze icing if you want.

and i've heard one of the best thing in a diet is a reasonable cheat meal. Just have one once a week or every other week, It lets you satiate all those little cravings, before they grow bigger, and you wind up on the floor in a pile of empty Häagen-Dazs containers.
Just add a few minutes to you cardio sessions this week. It's your birthday.

I used to work with a guy who did fit for life. he ate amazing all week, and then friday was "cheat day" he would come back at lunch with pizza, fries, a burger, chicken strips, and more. always had a stack of containers at least 3 high. And he was in amazing shape.

replacing oil with applesauce actually works quite well, especially with chocolate cake since chocolate has such a dominating flavor (it masks the taste of applesauce)!

Applesauce works as a substitution only if you are replacing half the fat or less with applesauce. Also, if the cake calls for butter - you can't use applesauce (your cake will end up tough).

The only time when applesauce can be used is in cakes where the butter is either added melted, or when oil is the form of fat used in the cake.

Sure, the applesauce adds moisture... but it also makes the shelf life of your cake lower and it is going to add more sugar to the recipe.

I've had greater success using as a substitute in banana bread and other quick breads.

Cake? Not so much - unless you're making one of those scary things that comes out of a box.

One of the Weight Watchers tips is, plan to eat something you love each day.

Its your birthday.... have a piece of cake. One desert isnt gonna kill you. Just don't eat half the cake. Just have a piece and enjoy it!