6/29/10 Organic Birthday Cake

I was determined to make an organic healthy cake for baby’s first birthday. With plenty of recipes to choose from off the Google search, I decided on a sugar free carrot cake with fresh whipped cream frosting. And to make this cake out of organic ingredients, I had to make a trip to the store. It was one of those M.I.N.O. endeavors, as in Money Is No Object. Only the organic best for my little boy.

Armed with a list and the little one in tow, we get to the organic grocer with our own canvas bags. Okay Lucas, sit in the cart and don’t touch anything. First on the list, whole wheat flour. Definitely cheaper in the bulk bins. Hmm, coarse organic whole wheat or pastry organic whole wheat flour?

“Um, excuse me. I see you just got some wheat flour. Which one should I use for cake?”

“Oh, use the pastry one. I just got some of it to make carrot cake. Hi little baby. Aw, he’s so cute.”

Okay, Lucas, we’ll have to follow her since she’s making a carrot cake too. Oh no, she’s going for nuts. We can’t have any nuts in your birthday cake. But we can get some organic Thompson seedless raisins while we’re here at the bins (it’s a good source of iron)

What’s next on the list? Baking powder and spices. Okay, over to baking aisle. Aluminum-free baking powder. Organic cinnamon and organic nutmeg. Wow, it’s getting expensive. Organic vanilla extract. Yikes, that costs a lot (but hey, it’s from Madagascar and how much of Madagascar as a country is organic?) Organic carrots – we have that from the veggie box! What’s next. Organic sugar-free applesauce. Fresh organic heavy whipping cream. Organic cream cheese for back up frosting plan.

Ground cinnamon $4.89
Ground nutmeg $2.35
Whipping cream $3.45
Baking powder $1.69
Applesauce $2.99
Vanilla extract $5.15
Seedless raisins $2.99
Cream cheese $3.25
Whole wheat flour $0.95
Thompson raisins $1.35

Nearly $30 later just to get out of the store. Still have to go home and bake the darn thing. Crazy, yes. But look at this child. The pictures will be priceless. Mama has gone loco.

FYI: A “cake” without sugar and fat comes out as a macrobiotic tasting brown disc. Fresh whipped cream without sugar ≠ yummy frosting.

In the veggie box
Blackberries (2 boxes)
Carrots with tops
Green kale
Green chard
Cabbage
Beets
Oranges
Spring mix
Grapefruits
Avocados
Radishes
Zucchini

Epilogue: Lucas scraped off the whipped cream with his hand, rolled up a piece of cake, and actually ate some of it. I think he liked it.