1st Birthday Celebrations and a healthy Birthday cake recipe

We had Lennon's 1st Birthday festivities this weekend, super cute! She had a blast and so did the adults lol. We had an Alice in One-derland theme. Here are a few pix from the party

absolutely LOVED Lennon's sugar skull dress!!! couldn't be cuter!

So I totally wanted Lennon to be able to go nuts on a cake, but I still don't want her to have refined flour or sugar, and as nice as the cake was that we got, I didn't want her having all that sugar, so I decided to make her a little personal mini cake, that she could eat and I wouldn't have to worry. I know eventually she is going to eat sugar and candy....but I figure the longer I can keep her from it, and help her establish healthy eating habits and tastes, I'm setting the groundwork for a healthy kid....hopefully!!!

This cake recipe is modified from the birthday cake recipe in my cookbook: http://www.blurb.ca/ebooks/p4305e8b0fae6d8c5cd44

I took out the agave, and added cinnamon. It's not a super sweet cake to begin with but with the agave and some frosting its a perfect indulgent cake to me! Its made with almond flour so high in protein and has a nice nutty flavour. I usually make a vegan frosting with earth balance and icing sugar, but again I didn't want to use the icing sugar for Lennon just yet, so I made a "frosting" with dates, super easy and pretty yummy.

for the cake:
2.5 cups of almond flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
1/4 cup almond milk
3 organic eggs
1.5 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350. Mix the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl, then blend the wet in a separate bowl. Combine wet into dry and mix well. I used a mini cake pan and lined it with parchment, but I have used this in a regular 8 inch pan, it comes out as a thinner cake that way, so you can make 2 and put a filling in it that way also. I cooked this for about 25 min bottom rack, and then moved it to the top for another 5-8 or so, I just kept my eye on it as its thicker then I usually bake it. Its denser than a regular cake but has a really nice flavour

For the Date frosting:
1 cup of organic dates- soaked in water for a few hours
1/4 cup cocoa
couple tablespoons of almond milk or milk of choice

Blend the dates in a food processor until the form a paste, then add in the cocoa and a tablespoon of milk at a time until it has the consistency of icing, you don't want it too thin or thick. Wait for your cake to cool before icing it. I kept mine in the fridge until I frosted it, and then again in the fridge until about half hour before I served it.

and Lennon definitely enjoyed it!!

a gals gotta have cake on her birthday!!!