Whenever a birthday or other special engagement comes up, many people head straight to the bakery to purchase a cake. With all of the creative decorations and plentiful flavors, store bought cakes aren’t only attractive, but they taste great as well. But ask almost anyone buying these cakes what the complete ingredient list is and most can only name a few of them. Others don’t even care what the ingredients are as long as it looks and tastes good, they’re going to buy it. The delectable, moist cakes, with creamy and buttery frosting are to die for-literally. With all of the dangerous ingredients, including but not limited to: artificial flavors, preservatives, trans-fat, dyes, and many more, it isn’t worth consuming these seemingly harmless cakes.
What is trans-fat, anyway? And what’s the big deal about it?
Many people ask these questions all the time. Trans-fat, short for trans-fatty acids, is what forms after altering the chemical compound of liquid oil during a hydrogenation process which solidifies the oil, making it into shortening or margarine. This process makes the lipid convenient for use in food, yet extremely unhealthy to people. Many foods contain this man-made fat: cakes, cookies crackers, pizza, and a great deal more. According to the Food & Drug Administration (FDA,) who starting January of 2006 required that all packaged food manufacturers list the amount of trans-fats in their products, trans-fat has been proven to directly contribute to a host of serious illnesses such as gallstones, liver disease, high cholesterol, heart disease, obesity, and many others. The FDA passed this new rule in hopes that manufacturers would be encouraged to alter their recipes to exclude this dangerous fat, as well as to inform consumers of exactly what they’re putting into their bodies. The FDA has obviously made a very wise decision because since the January of 2006, manufacturers have been creating healthier versions of certain foods, and even some organic versions.
Is butter really butter?
Many consumers go to a bakery or grocery store looking for butter cream frosted cakes. Most of the time, the ‘butter cream’ is actually partially hydrogenated soybean oil or shortening, which contains the dreaded trans-fat. Most bakers claim that they prefer to use this horrible substance instead of actual butter because the shelf life is longer and it also stays solid for longer periods of time in warm temperatures, unlike butter. Who would have thought that the horrible artery-clogging lipid tasted so yummy and can actually mimic butter in taste? Well, despite its good taste, people need to think about the consequences of consuming such an unnatural, man made fat, no matter what the ‘advantages’ of using it are. Most people feel that trans-fat can’t be as dangerous as everyone claims, since it’s in so many everyday foods, but that is obviously a total misconception. Sadly, others will blatantly state that they refuse to give up their favorite foods just because they contain trans-fat.
Who knew food coloring was unhealthy?
The beautiful and colorful decorations on store bought cakes are made with artificial food coloring. Despite the FDA approving food coloring for ‘safe’ use in food, it’s actually not very safe. The artificial ingredients are obtained from petroleum, acetone and coal. These products aren’t even made for human consumption, so how could they possibly be safe? In 1972, red dye #2, which had previously been considered a ‘safe’ food coloring, was taken off the market due to its discovered cancer-causing abilities. If this particular food dye was causing such serious problems in people, what makes the FDA think that all the other artificial dyes are harmless? Well, unfortunately, since the FDA continues to allow all the other countless food colorings to be used in food, many people have developed allergy-like symptoms after consuming products containing these dyes. If a person wishes to be healthy, then they need to avoid these at all costs, no matter if they’re in cake, candy, yogurt, or any other food.
Healthier alternatives to store-bought cakes
Well, most people wonder what alternatives there are to buying cakes from your neighborhood grocer’s bakery. There are actually several options. First of all, a person can go to a bakery at a large health food store. One popular natural bakery is in a large store called Whole Foods Market. And with more and more people learning just how unhealthy and unnecessary the use of trans-fat and other unnatural ingredients put in all foods are, not just cakes, more grocery stores, restaurants and bakeries are catering to the needs of these individuals. Manufacturers are creating more and more organic foods, and stores are beginning to stock their shelves with healthier alternatives to items previously considered unhealthy. Unfortunately, organic or all-natural bakeries are few and far between and it may be inconvenient to get to one. A person who is determined to avoid cakes made with all of the chemical-based ingredients and disgusting, artery-obstructing trans-fat should not let the inconvenience of finding a natural bakery deter them from their quest to acquire healthier cakes. Whenever they’re able to get to a bakery, fine, but if not, there are healthy and convenient alternatives to this problem. There are wonderful websites like http://www.dancingdeer.com/Cakes.html or http://www.deliciousorganics.com. Another great option is buying cake mix and ready-to-use frosting from a local health food store. Most health food store carry several varieties, and this will enable a person to easily mix and toss a cake into the oven and decorate it however they please.
Don’t organic foods taste ‘funny?’
Unfortunately, when some people hear the word organic, they automatically assume that the food will taste bland or tasteless. Some even expect organic food to taste downright revolting, but fans of organic food all agree that healthier forms of food tastes great. Most people won’t even notice the difference in the taste, and if they do, they will most likely appreciate eating real cake, made with pure and natural ingredients. There is no need to worry about ghastly aftertastes or eventually developing heart disease of some other serious illness. Of course some people are predisposed to these illnesses, but it wouldn’t be very smart to accelerate their development by eating unhealthy cakes and other foods.
Yummy cake recipes
Some individuals would like to eat healthier cakes but simply can’t afford the expensive prices of buying an organic or all-natural one from a special bakery or from the Internet. If the person isn’t interested in using all natural cake mixes from the health food store, then the recipes below are easy to follow and will enable a person to ‘have their cake and eat it, too.’ Making these homemade cakes also enables people to customize the cakes to their own preference. They can decorate them however they like, make them with multiple layers, if they wish, etc.
Recipe # 1- Take your favorite cake recipe and substitute all the required ingredients for organic or all natural. These ingredients may be slightly more expensive, but isn’t being healthy worth it?
Recipe # 2 – Basic white cake:
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cups unbleached flour
- 11/2cups unbleached cane sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 sticks unsalted butter
- 3 TB cocoa
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla (natural, not artificial)
PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Sift unbleached flour and unbleached cane sugar together in a large bowl. Bring to a boil butter and cocoa and pour over flour mixture, using a whisk to mix whole hot. Beat eggs, baking soda, buttermilk and vanilla together and add to flour/ cocoa mix. Bake for 35 minutes in a sprayed or buttered 9×13 pan. Cool the cake and let it stay in pan.
Really easy & delicious frosting recipes for all-natural cakes
Yummy mouth-watering cream cheese frosting
INGREDIENTS: (1) stick of butter
(1) pound of organic or unbleached powdered sugar
(1) 8 oz package of organic cream cheese
(1) tsp of natural vanilla flavoring
DIRECTIONS:
Place softened cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl. Gradually add butter, and continue beating until smooth and well blended. Fold in powdered sugar, and continue beating until smooth. Add vanilla, and stir to mix.
There are many variations of this recipe, as well as the other recipes. If the baker wishes for a different color for the frosting (or cake), natural sources of colors can be used, such as a small amount of beet juice. Beet juice will not alter the taste of the cake, and will be a safe alternative to commercial dyes. Also, if an individual is making a cake for a business or one that can’t be refrigerated at all times, then health food stores sell shortening which can be substituted for butter. The great thing about this type of shortening is that is has not been hydrogenated, so it doesn’t contain trans-fat!
Butter cream frosting
This delectable frosting can be made into peanut butter frosting by stirring in about 1/2 cup of all natural peanut butter after it’s made; or chocolate frosting by beating in 2 all natural squares melted unsweetened chocolate at the very end.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup organic butter, softened
- 6-7 cups organic powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 6-9 Tbsp. milk, organic, soy or rice
- 2 tsp. vanilla (all natural)
PREPARATION:
In large bowl, cream butter until very fluffy. Add part of the sugar and salt and beat again. Continue adding sugar and milk in small batches, interchangeably beating until very fluffy. Stir in vanilla. Fill and frost cake.
After eating these yummy cakes, whether homemade or purchased from an all-natural bakery, most people refuse to go back to the disease-provoking cakes from traditional bakeries. They will realize that their life is important enough to go to the extra trouble to ensure that they’re eating cake that is not only delicious, but that is also healthy.
