4.63 83 Published Nov 03, 2021, Updated Jul 07, 2023
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This recipe is almost as easy as making cake from a box… almost! It’s made with just 10 simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry! It’s a great base recipe that can be customized with mix-ins and frostings. This cake is gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar free but still absolutely delicious!
Birthday Cake Made Healthier
In most traditional birthday cake recipes you’ll see white flour, white sugar and butter or vegetable oil, but in true EBF fashion I decided to make an upgraded birthday cake that’s gluten-free, dairy-free and free of refined sugars thanks to a few substitutions.
almond and oat flour – to make this cake gluten-free I swapped white flour for almond and oat flour. The combo of the two results in super fluffy, light cake! maple syrup – I swapped white, refined sugar for my favorite natural sweetener, maple syrup. coconut oil – instead of using vegetable oil or butter we’re using coconut oil, which adds healthy fats and isn’t as processed as some of the alternatives.
Here’s What You Need
eggs – make sure your eggs are at room temperature before baking this cake. I won’t get into the science behind it but it’s key for a fluffy cake! Also, if your eggs are cold the coconut oil will harden up when combined. I haven’t tested this recipe with a vegan substitute like flax eggs, so I’m not sure how the cake will turn out. If you decide to try a vegan version let me know in the comments below! pure maple syrup – the natural sweetener in this cake. I haven’t tried other sweeteners, but I bet any liquid sweetener would work as a substitute. dairy-free milk – any dairy-free milk works but I used unsweetened almond milk (make your own almond milk or use store-bought). coconut oil – make sure your coconut oil is in the liquid state. You can heat on the stovetop or microwave for a few seconds until melted if necessary. Feel free to sub with any oil of choice or melted butter. vanilla extract and almond extract – delicious flavor enhancers that round out this cake and adds that true birthday cake flavor. blanched almond flour – I recommend using blanched almond flour because the skins have been removed so you’re left with a fine-texture, light colored flour that works perfectly for cake. oat flour – you can make your own oat flour by grinding rolled oats in a food processor or you can buy oat flour from the store. baking soda – to help the cake rise. salt – to bring the flavors of the cake together. rainbow sprinkles – I used supernatural rainbow sprinkles. They’re free of artificial dyes and are gluten-free and vegan.
How to Make Healthy Birthday Cake
In a large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients – the eggs, maple syrup, milk, coconut oil, vanilla extract and almond extract. Make sure the mixture is fully combined and smooth throughout before moving on to the next step. In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients – almond flour, oat flour, baking soda and salt. Mix well. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well with a rubber spatula until just combined and smooth. Try not to over-mix or your cake will be too dense. Gently stir the sprinkles into the batter. Spray your cake pans with cooking spray or coat with coconut oil and then pour the cake batter into the baking dishes. Bake at 350ºF for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. You’ll know the cakes are done when you insert a toothpick into the center and it comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then carefully remove each cake and place it on a wire rack to cool completely. Once the cake has cooled to room temperature, frost, top with more sprinkles and enjoy!
Using Different Size Cake Pans or a Cupcake Tin
8 inch pans: This batter will make enough to fill two 8 inch cake pans. If using two 8 inch pans, bake for 20 minutes until golden brown on top and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. 4-inch pans: If you want to make a mini cake using three 4-inch cake pans, you’ll bake for 20-25 minutes and you will have batter leftover! I used this recipe for my daughter’s birthday cake and was able to make three 4-inch layers for the cake and 5 cupcakes with the leftover batter. Cupcakes: You’ll want to bake these for 15-20 minutes in paper liners. The recipe makes about 17 cupcakes. Square pan: I haven’t tested it, but I bet you could also make this cake in an 8×8 or 9×9 inch square pan. I’m not sure about the bake time, but I’m guessing 20-30 minutes.
Healthy Birthday Cake Variations
As I mentioned, this cake is a great base recipe that can be customized with different mix-ins and frostings! I used rainbow sprinkles as a mix-in and for topping and frosted the cake with my healthier cream cheese frosting, but the options are endless. Here are some ideas:
switch up the frosting – my vanilla buttercream frosting, strawberry buttercream frosting, healthy chocolate frosting or peanut butter Greek yogurt frosting would be delicious paired with this vanilla cake. If going the store-bought route, my favorite healthier store-bought frosting is Simple Mills vanilla frosting. swap the sprinkles – instead of sprinkles chocolate chips would be a delicious mix-in and topping! I bet mixing in fresh or frozen blueberries for a fruit-themed cake would also be delicious.
Can You Make This Cake Ahead of Time?
Yes! This cake can be made 1-3 days in advance. To make ahead of time, let the cake layers cool completely and store them in the fridge, covered until you’re ready to assemble and serve. Alternatively, you can frost and decorate the cake and store it covered in the fridge until ready to serve!
How to Store Leftovers
Store any leftover cake in an airtight container on the counter for 1-2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. I haven’t tried freezing this cake, but I would imagine it would freeze just fine either frosted or unfrosted. If you’re making this cake ahead of time for a special occasion and want to store it in the freezer, I would store the individual layers separately in an airtight container or bag (I love my Stasher bags). The day before you’re ready to serve, let the layers thaw in the fridge then assemble and decorate as desired!
More Cake Recipes to Try
Grandma Miller’s Pound Cake 3 Ingredient Icebox Cake Vegan Coffee Cake Healthy Vanilla Cake Almond Flour Cupcakes Flourless Chocolate Cake Easy Berry Cake Healthy Vanilla Cupcakes Pumpkin Coffee Cake Sweet Potato Cupcakes Healthy Chocolate Cupcakes Oatmeal Carrot Cake
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Be sure to check out all of the dessert recipes here on EBF!
