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No matter the occasion, Healthy Vanilla Birthday Cake with Chocolate Frosting is a great choice. This delicious recipe uses almond flour, maple syrup, and coconut oil to create a unique and delicious flavor that everyone will love.
The birthday cake to end all birthday cakes
Who says birthday cakes must be reserved for actual birthdays?! One of the funniest realizations I’ve discovered in adulthood is the fact that you don’t need to be celebrating to enjoy a good ole’ slice of birthday cake.
Simply moving along in our day-to-day is reason enough to sit down on the couch with a heaping serving of your favorite flavor.
For me, that’s always classic vanilla with a decadent chocolate frosting. Mmmmm.
I recently had a craving for that exact thing and headed to my local grocery store, as I didn’t really feel like baking. I wanted my cake right then and there! After a few minutes peeking at the different ingredients, I totally changed my mind and decided that I would make a healthy cake from scratch. For the sake of health, my craving could wait!
I got to baking, and sure enough, this healthy vanilla birthday cake with chocolate frosting was born. This is the birthday cake of birthday cakes. It’s delicious and healthy and made with ingredients that are nutrient-dense and taste great!
Whether you’re celebrating a friend’s birthday or want to acknowledge the freedom of adulthood with a cake just because, you’ve got to give this recipe a go!
Ingredients used to make healthy vanilla birthday cake
Since this recipe consists of both a cake and a homemade frosting, we will be using different ingredients for both parts. The first nine will be dedicated to the cake, leaving the coconut cream and chocolate chips for the frosting! Yummm.
- Almond flour
- Arrowroot powder (or tapioca starch)
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Eggs
- Melted coconut oil
- Maple syrup
- Vanilla
- Lemon juice
- Coconut cream
- Chocolate chips
Tools needed to make this recipe
Making a cake is always a bit more involved than making a simple cookie or brownie recipe, but the end result always makes the labor so worth it!
This recipe is very straightforward and easy to follow. It will be even simpler if you gather the necessary tools before you begin! Here’s everything you’ll need to make your yummy, healthy birthday cake.
- Double boiler
- Stirring utensil
- Three 6 inch cake pans or two 8 inch
- Large mixing bowl
- Small mixing bowl
- Hand mixer or whisk
- Frosting utensil
How to make healthy vanilla birthday cake with chocolate frosting
To make healthy vanilla cake and chocolate frosting, we’ll be using two sets of directions. We’ll start by making the frosting, as it needs ample time to chill in the refrigerator. While it chills, we will work on the cake! Let’s dive in.
Frosting:
In a double boiler (a saucepan filled with water with a glass bowl on top filled with chocolate chips), melt the chocolate and coconut cream. The coconut cream is the hard white part at the top of the can. Discard the remaining liquid, or save it to use in smoothies.
Once the chocolate and cream are melted, let the bowl rest on the counter for 15 minutes. Then, place it in the fridge for 2 hours.
Cake:
To make the cake, begin by preheating the oven to 325F and greasing three 6 inch cake pans. You can use two 8 inch pans instead, but they’ll need to cook a little bit longer.
Next, in a large bowl, combine the almond flour, arrowroot, baking soda, and salt. In a smaller bowl, whisk the eggs, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and lemon juice.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and stir until combined. Divide evenly amongst the cake pans.
Next, place the pans in the oven and bake uncovered for 28 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Once fully cooked, remove from the oven and let cool.
Meanwhile, remove the frosting from the fridge. If it’s too hard to blend, let it sit for 15 minutes at room temperature. If it’s soft, whisk it with a hand mixer until fluffy. Don’t have a hand mixer? You can use a hand whisk!
When the frosting is ready, add it to the cake, followed by a layer of sprinkles. Enjoy!
A healthier vanilla cake recipe
In most cake recipes, you’re more than likely to see ingredients like flour, butter, granulated sugar, and vegetable oil. It’s safe to say that cakes with including ingredients are pretty much lacking major nutrients.
I always try to make my baked goods with health in the forefront of my mind. After all, my blog is all about living whole! For this cake, I used a handful of ingredients that serve as nutrient-rich swaps and help to make this recipe a bit healthier. Here are some of the things that I used.
Almond flour
Rather than using all-purpose flour, I pretty much always use almond. It’s filled with a larger list of nutrients and is simply a better choice health wise. It’s also a fantastic source of protein!
Arrowroot powder
This ingredient is a healthy alternative to cornstarch that contains a long list of nutrients. It provides potassium, B vitamins, and even iron. It works as a thickening agent in baked goods.
Maple syrup
When on the hunt for an all-natural sweetener, I always say that maple syrup is the way to go. It’s perfectly sweet but also void of the chemicals present in granulated sugar!
Coconut oil
Coconut oil is a healthy fat that I like to use in place of heavily processed alternatives (like canola, olive, or almond oil).
Vanilla cake substitution options
Within this recipe, there are a few ingredients that make easy swaps. Here are some ideas that you may wish to implement!
- Eggs: For a vegan cake, you may be able to swap eggs with unsweetened applesauce or flax eggs! I haven’t tested this and this may change the taste a bit, but it will still be yummy!
- Coconut oil: Coconut oil can be replaced with any similar high fat oil.
- Maple syrup: Instead of maple syrup, you can use honey.
- Add-ons: Get creative with your toppings! In addition to sprinkles, you can add chopped candies, mini M&Ms, etc. You can even put some whipped cream around the edges!
Have your cake and eat it too
With all of my cake recipes, there are more than enough variations to go around! There is truly a recipe for everyone. If you liked this healthy vanilla birthday cake with chocolate frosting, you’ll enjoy my other recipes too!
- Paleo Chocolate Cake
- Healthy Carrot Cake (Gluten Free)
- Paleo Strawberry Shortcake
- Healthy Gingerbread Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe by Erin Morrissey and Photos by Quarter Soul Crisis
Healthy Vanilla Birthday Cake with Chocolate Frosting
No matter the occasion, Healthy Vanilla Birthday Cake with Chocolate Frosting is a great choice. This delicious recipe uses almond flour, maple syrup, and coconut oil to create a unique and delicious flavor that everyone will love.
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1/4 cup arrowroot powder (or tapioca starch)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Frosting:
- 1 can coconut cream
- 1 (12oz) bag chocolate chips
Instructions
- Make the frosting first. In a double boiler (a saucepan filled with water with a glass bowl on top filled with chocolate chips), melt your chocolate and coconut cream. The coconut cream is just the hard white part at the top of the can. Discard the remaining liquid or use in smoothies.
- Once melted completely, let bowl rest on counter for 15 minutes. Then place in fridge for 2 hours.
- Preheat your oven to 325F and grease 3 6-inch cake pans. You can most likely use two 8 inch, just cook for a little bit longer.
- In a large bowl, combine your almond flour, arrowroot, baking soda, and salt.
- In a smaller bowl, whisk eggs, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and lemon juice.
- Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until combined. Divide evenly amongst three cake pans.
- Bake uncovered for 28-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool completely. Meanwhile, take frosting out of fridge. If it is too hard to blend, let sit for 15 minutes at room temp. If it’s soft, whisk with hand mixer until fluffy. If you don’t have hand mixer, whisk well with a hand whisk.
- Ice completely cooled cake and top with sprinkles.
There may be affiliate links in this post!ย By purchasing a product I recommend, I may receive a small compensation. However, I only recommend products I absolutely love and use myself. Thank you for supporting Erin Lives Whole, it helps keep this blog afloat ๐
Bobbie says
This was such a great cake! Thank you!
Erin says
Hi Bobbie, so happy you loved it! ๐
Stephanie Velasco says
Amazing recipe! Everybody loved it.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Stephanie, so happy it was a hit!!
olivia says
Is it possible to use coconut sugar instead of maple syrup?
Erica says
I really want to get that cake batter type of flavor in the vanilla cake! Would you suggest adding almond extract? If so, how much?
Erin says
Hi Erica, yes! Almond extract helps with that flavor and 1 tbsp should work! Let me know how it comes out!
Olivia says
Could I substitute pasture raised melted butter for coconut oil?
Olivia says
I meant the other way around!
Erin says
Hi Olivia, yes that sub works! Let me know how your cake comes out!
Sam says
I made this cake for my sons birthday and it was a hit! Thank you for the delicious recipe!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Sam, so happy you both loved it! Happy belated birthday to him!
Kayla says
Made this cake for my mom’s birthday and everyone loved it!! The frosting was my absolute favorite ๐
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Kayla, so happy it was a hit!!
Sarah says
Iโm obsessed with this recipe!! So good, so easy to make. I ended up doing a sheet pan cake and just monitored the time. I then froze it before shaping + decorating for my nieces birthday cake!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Sarah, so glad you loved it!
Anupma says
I like your cake recipe and I made it on my brother’s birthday. The cake was yummy. Thanks for sharing this yummy Vanilla Cake recipe.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Anupma, so glad everyone enjoyed it!! ๐
Anupma says
I made this cake for my brother’s birthday. The cake was yummy. thanks for sharing this unique cake recipe.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Anupma, so happy you all liked it and happy belated birthday to him!!
Crystal Shepel says
Hello!! Does The icing get runny when the cake is iced and left at room temperature? Thanks!
Erin says
Hi Crystal, nope, it’ll be ok!
Bridget says
If I make this the day before, should I wait to ice it? And does the cake need to be stored in the fridge overnight? Thanks! Can’t wait to eat it!
Erin says
Hi Bridget, yes, wait to ice it the next day and store the cake on the counter overnight! Let me know how it comes out!!
Jaclyn hanan says
I made this cake twice and it was delicious thank you so much!
Erin says
Hi Jaclyn, I am so happy you loved it so much! ๐
Bakingo says
Thanks for sharing the content related to Healthy Vanilla Birthday Cake. I will try to make this at home.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi! You’re welcome and let me know how it comes out!
Manvi says
Very delicious looking cake and very unique. One thing which is I loved most that you sprinkled colorful tiny Candies on cake. great job….
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Manvi, so glad you enjoyed it!!