Birthday cake made of all things healthy

Goal: make a birthday cake that lowers, not raises, cholesterol.

I did some research and this is what I came up with.

Original recipe here. I made some changes.


Birthday Cake made of All Things Healthy

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup flax meal (you can make your own by grinding/smooshing flax seeds. I bought the meal at WINCO's bin section. Flax seeds provide both omega-threes and fiber which both help fight cholesterol)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar (this isn't a low sugar recipe :D)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup almond milk mixed with 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice (this is basically homemade almond milk buttermilk. I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk which has only 40 calories per cup and no saturated fat.)
3 eggs (there is cholesterol in eggs but saturated fat affects your cholesterol more dramatically than cholesterol from food, so the eggs aren't a big deal..and good luck baking without eggs...lol.)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup finely grated zucchini
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Glaze:
1/4 almond milk
1/2 cup dark chocolate (or semisweet chocolate chips)
1 1/2 tsp honey


 1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, flax meal, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

2.  In a separate (large) bowl, stir together sugar and applesauce until sugar mostly dissolves in the applesauce. Add "buttermilk", eggs and vanilla. Mix well. (A spoon is good for all of this. No need to get out anything electric.)

3.  Add half the flour mixture. Stir until moistened. Add zucchini. Mix well.

4.  Add the rest of the flour mixture and the chocolate chips.

5. Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350 F for 40-45 minutes. (Touch the top and if it springs back it's probably done.)

6.  Cool on a wire rack (in pan) for about 15 minutes. Then remove from pan and cool completely.

7.  For the glaze, warm the milk over low heat (don't boil) and add chocolate. Stir it quickly until smooth. Stir in honey. Spread over top of cooled cake.

***This was TASTY but next time I think I'd add a banana (the kind you keep in the freezer after they get old) to moisten it a bit more.

Enjoy!