Matcha Almond Layer Cake with Matcha Frosting

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When I was in high school I went vegan for about a year.  I loved how it was a challenge and surprisingly, I loved tofu (strange, right?).  The most memorable moment for me during that year was going to Barnes & Noble to buy some vegan cookbooks.  My favorite cookbook at the time was Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, it was filled with every sinful carby confection imaginable.

But I found that with every recipe I baked from that book, I wanted to eat the entire batch!  After learning more about nutrition and food in school I discovered the reason behind me wanting to eat all the cupcakes: they were nutritionally unbalanced!  Most of the recipes called for processed all purpose flour, lots of sugar and vegan "butter."  Just a few things your abs don't like very much...

And that's why I made my own version!  I made it whole wheat, added some protein powder and some yummy extracts (ooh, and then a rich, sweet frosting!)

Don't you just love the green color?  I find it strangely appetizing...

Matcha Almond Layer Cake:  [low fat, high protein]

(makes one 2-layer cake)

Dry:

   240g (2 cups) Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

   52g (1/4 cup) Sweet Matcha

   32g (1/4 cup) Arrowroot Starch

   30g (1 scoop) Unflavored Whey Protein Isolate

   1+1/2 tsp Baking Powder

   1/2 tsp Baking Soda

   1/4 tsp Salt

Wet:

   112g (1/2 cup) Plain, Nonfat Greek Yogurt

   182g (2/5 package) Silken Tofu

   123g (1/2 cup) Unsweetened Applesauce

   42g (2 tbs) Honey

   28g (2 tbs) Almond Oil (or any other neutral oil)

   1 tbs Vanilla Extract

   2 tsp Stevia Extract

   1 tsp Butter Extract

   3/4 tsp Almond Extract

   1/4 tsp Lemon Flavor

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and spray two cake pans with PAM

2.  In a large mixing bowl, add all the dry ingredients and whisk until thoroughly mixed

3.  In a blender, add all the wet ingredients and puree until there are no more tofu clumps

4.  Pour the wet over dry, and fold until mixed (make sure there are no clumps, but don't overbeat)

5.  Pour into the baking pans and bake until surface begins to brown a little, doesn't spring back when you touch it and a toothpick comes out clean.  I'm sorry for the lack of a baking time, I forgot to set a timer!  But I can assure you that it bakes around 25ish to 35ish minutes

6.  When cake is cool, wrap each layer individually with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.  The next day, serve with the frosting recipe below!

Matcha Frosting:

   84g (6 tbs) Coconut Oil, room temp/slightly firm

   19g (1+1/2 tbs) Sweet Matcha

   126g (6 tbs) Honey

   55 drops Stevia Extract

   45g (1+1/2 scoops) Unflavored Whey Protein Isolate

Directions:

1.  In a medium bowl, add the coconut oil, sweet matcha, honey and stevia and mix until a thick, dark green paste

2.  Add the whey protein and stir until texture is even

3.  Put the bottom cake layer down and spoon some frosting onto it, spreading it out over the cake and on the sides (if the cake is warm at all, the frosting will not grip onto the cake, so have it a little cold)

4.  Center the top cake layer down and spoon the rest of the frosting on it, spread it over the cake and on the sides.  Use a square of wax paper to smoothen out the frosting

To store, tightly cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

I am really proud of this frosting.  Even though it looks like hummus at first and is annoying to spread, it has a similar taste and texture to those unhealthy Pillsbury frostings... this one is just a little on the green side.

And now, a little "nutritional showdown" between those cupcakes I made back in high school and the layer cake I made right here!  (both are for 1/8th of the total recipe)

On the left are the nutrition facts for Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World's Green Tea Cupcakes (includes icing and marzipan), and on the right are the nutrition facts for my Matcha Almond Layer Cake (includes the matcha frosting)

As you can see, the calorie- and fat-level are basically identical, but my version is lower carb, lower sugar, higher fiber and higher protein to keep you satiated for a longer period of time.  With my Matcha Almond Layer Cake, you will feel satisfied after one slice rather than all twelve cupcakes!

So moist.  So sweet.

Enjoy the green-ness!

Peanut Butter & Banana Uncrustables

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You've seen the Peanut Butter and Jelly Uncrustables, now it's time for the super stuffed, PB Banana version!

Peanut Butter and Banana Uncrustables:
(makes 3 uncrustables)
   6 slices Whole Grain Bread (for gluten free, just use GF bread... for vegan, use vegan bread)
   ~6 tbs Natural Peanut Butter (no sugar/salt/oil added)
   1 small Banana
   Honey or Agave (to taste)

Directions:

1.  Scoop peanut butter (generously, of course) onto the bread.  Top with banana coins and a drizzle of honey (or agave).

2.  Top with another slice of bread, place the press over the mound, and smoosh!

3.  Stare.  Gawk.  Adore.  Love as your own.

4.  Demolish.

Gooey, gooey goodness . . .

As you can see, I probably used 1/4 cup of PB in just one uncrustable... best moment of my life!

Peanut Butter & Jelly Uncrustables

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PB&Js and I go way back . . . probably from before I was born!

I blame my peanut butter obsession on my mom.  I wonder if she ate PB&Js when she was pregnant with me?  I mean, she did tell me she ate three chocolate bars a day when I was in her tummy, which definitely explains my chocolate addiction)

I even remember buying Uncrustables from the store when I was only six years old.  I was the pickiest eater and hated bread crusts, so Uncrustables seemed like the perfect solution.

Aka, mom hears less whining from me!

But, since my crustless childhood, I have become a health fanatic, and my diet has no room for the unhealthy, store-bought Uncrustables I used to buy so often.  Know why?  Look at their ingredient list!  (I underlined dirty ingredients, like hydrogenated oils, refined sugars and preservatives)

BREAD: UNBLEACHED WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, WATER, WHEAT GLUTEN, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: SALT, YEAST, DOUGH CONDITIONERS (DISTILLED MONOGLYCERIDES, SODIUM STEAROYL LACTYLATE, DATEM, ENZYMES [WITH AMYLASE, LIPASE, ASCORBIC ACID, CALCIUM PEROXIDE, AZODICARBONAMIDE, WHEAT STARCH].

PEANUT BUTTER: PEANUTS, DEXTROSE, SUGAR, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: PARTIALLY AND FULLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS (SOYBEAN AND/OR COTTONSEED AND/OR RAPESEED), SALT, MOLASSES, MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES (PALM AND/OR SOYBEAN OILS).

STRAWBERRY JAM: STRAWBERRIES, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, CORN SYRUP, SUGAR, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: PECTIN, CITRIC ACID, POTASSIUM SORBATE (PRESERVATIVE).

(Taken from the Uncrustables website)

Why buy Uncrustables from the store if you can make an exact duplicate in as little as two minutes?  Plus, you save yourself a hassle without having to thaw it!

Doesn't the ingredient list look much more appealing, too?

BREAD:  WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, WATER, WHOLE GRAIN CRUSHED WHEAT, SUGAR, YEAST, WHEAT GLUTEN, BROWN SUGAR, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: SUNFLOWER OIL, HONEY, MOLASSES, SEA SALT, CALCIUM SULFATE, VINEGAR, CULTURED WHEY, WHEAT BRAN, SOY LECITHIN.

PEANUT BUTTER:  PEANUTS.

STRAWBERRY JAM:  STRAWBERRIES, GRAPE JUICE CONCENTRATE, FRUIT PECTIN, LEMON JUICE.

I think I'll choose the this one!  ^^

Peanut Butter & Jelly Uncrustables: (low sugar, gluten-free*, vegan*)

(makes one large uncrustable)

  2 slices Whole Wheat Bread**, soft

  ~2 tbs Natural Peanut Butter (no sugar, salt or oil added)

  ~2 tbs 100% Fruit Jam (I used strawberry)

Note:  I didn't measure the ingredients, but I like my fillings more than the bread!  I always felt like the store-bought Uncrustables never had enough filling.  Adjust to your taste, and it doesn't hurt if it takes two trials to perfect, if ya know what I mean.

*For gluten free, just use any soft, gluten-free whole grain bread

*For vegans, use any soft, vegan whole grain bread (the bread I used had cultured whey in it)

Directions:

1.  Spread peanut butter and jam in the center of the two slices of bread (as pictured above).  Use however much you want.  If you want more peanut butter, use more peanut butter, if you want more jam, use more jam!  This is very customizable.

2.  Align the slices and put the jam slice over top of the peanut butter slice.

3.  Put the pastry press over the mound in the center of the sandwich and firmly press down on the outside rim.  If you don't have a press like this, you can use a mug and press the edges down with a fork, similar to a pie crust.  If you do wish to purchase the pastry press (I am glad I did!), I got it here.

4.  Once the outside rim has cut through the bread, firmly press down on the center rim.

and then . . .

TADA!  A healthy, fresh, homemade uncrustables sandwich with no harmful ingredients!

Feel free to toast these in a toaster oven, but make sure to lay it flat to prevent bursting and/or spilling deep inside those slot-machine types.

Chomp.

Chomp.

Chomp.

Demolished.

I'm sorry I had to torture you that way.

I couldn't resist.

;)

Raisin Bran Muffins

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I'm pretty sure the words that popped into your head didn't include:

     moist
          flavorful
               enticing

now did they?  Well... they will now!

In honor of my grandfather visiting to see me go off to my sophomore year of college, I made these bran muffins for him! I could sense that the store-bought bran muffins weren't pleasurable to eat, and I just knew that he never looked forward to eating that Fiber1 Original Bran Cereal every morning.

Fiber One:  Cardboard, yes.  Delicious, no.

Raisin Bran Muffins:  Cardboard, no.  Delicious...  HECK YES!

These would serve as a perfect breakfast.  They contain satiating protein, healthy fats, and filling fiber. Plus, they are low-glycemic! My grandpa loves how these muffins don't leave your fingers all oily and greasy like the store-bought muffins will do. Compared to the store-bought varieties, these Raisin Bran Muffins have less fat, more fiber, more protein, and a nutritious, recognizable ingredient list.

Here are the nutrition facts for one large muffin:

Raisin Bran Muffins:  [low fat, high fiber/protein]

(makes 6 large muffins)
Dry:

   144g (1+1/2 cups) Old Fashioned Rolled Oats

   120g (1 cup) Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
   75g (1+1/4 cup) Wheat Bran
   20g (1/4 cup) Whey Protein Concentrate

   1/2 cup Raisins

   1+1/2 tsp Cinnamon
   1 tsp Baking Powder
   1 tsp Baking Soda
   1/4 tsp Sea Salt
Wet:
   1 cup Unsweetened Soymilk

   246g (1 cup) Unsweetened Applesauce

   105g (5 tbs) Honey
   42g (2 tbs) Molasses

   14g (2 tbs) Ground Flaxseed

   14g (1 tbs) Grapeseed Oil
   7g (1 tbs) Egg Replacer (no water!)
   1 tsp Vanilla Extract
   1 tsp Hazelnut Extract
   1 tsp Stevia Extract

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Measure all the dry ingredients and whisk together in a large bowl
3. Measure all the wet ingredients and pour into the large bowl with the dry ingredients, fold until just mixed (don't overstir!). The mixture should look like there is too much liquid
4. Spray a 6-muffin tin with PAM and divide the batter evenly in each tin. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the tops have browned and a toothpick comes out clean. If you are not eating right away, put into an airtight container otherwise it will dry out.

Happy baking!  If you weren't "regular" before, you will be now!  hehe

Lemon Poppyseed Cake & White Icing

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Every time I go grocery shopping, the baking aisle seems to lure me in.  I just love looking at all the different flours, extracts, utensils and pans.  Recently though, I saw a bundt pan and just had to have it.  I picked it up and thought of what I could bake in it...

      Chocolate cake?  Been there.

            Pound cake?  Done that.

I turned around with the pan in my hands and saw the Betty Crocker Lemon Poppy Seed muffin mix sitting neatly on the shelf...  yeah, I'll bake that!  Only from scratch, and uh, not hazardous to my health (no, Betty Crocker, your mixes no longer appeal to me!)

Trial #1:

Pretty good! The cake was airy and sweet, but not sweet enough. The lemon wasn't as bold as I thought it would be, so the lemon extract needed to be increased. Sadly, it was a little heavy on the stomach. I need to lighten it up so I'll add more applesauce.

Trial #2:

I ran out of lemon extract so I knew there wouldn't be enough lemon flavor, but it was sweet enough from adding more stevia. I added more applesauce and added one more egg replacer. It was moist, but It was still dense and heavy like the first trial.

Trial #3:

Mmmm... the lemon flavor came through, and the sweetness made eating the cake much more enjoyable. It is still dense, but soft at the same time. If you don't have a bundt pan, I recommend baking this batter in 2 cake pans. Double the icing recipe below and put some in between the cake as well as on top, then slice and serve!

Lemon Poppyseed Cake:  [low fat, high fiber/protein]

(makes one large bundt cake)

   Dry:

       480g (4 cups) Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

        120g (1+1/2 cup) Whey Protein Concentrate

        96g (1/2 cup) Sucanat (or dry sweetener of choice)

        1/4 cup Poppyseeds

        1 tbs Baking Powder

        1 tsp Baking Soda

        1/2 tsp Sea Salt

   Wet:

        21g (3 tbs) Egg Replacer + 1/2 cup Water

        738g (3 cups) Unsweetened Applesauce

        225g (1 cup) Plain, Nonfat Greek Yogurt

        84g (1/4 cup) Honey

        56g (1/4 cup) Grapeseed Oil (or any other neutral oil)

        5 tsp Stevia Extract

        4-5 tsp Lemon Extract

        2 tsp Vanilla Extract

        2 tsp Butter Extract

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a large bundt pan with cooking spray.

2.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg replacer and water, then whisk in the rest of the wet ingredients.

3.  In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.  Add the wet to dry and fold gently (do not overmix).  Pour batter into the bundt pan and bake for 80-90 minutes, or when the surface is firm when touched.

4.  Flip the pan onto a wire cooling rack, but leave the pan on the cake for ~10 minutes.  Remove the pan and make the icing (recipe below)

^^ it looks and tastes like real icing!

I'm so happy an icing can be healthy.

White Icing:  [fat free, high protein]

    147g (7 tbs) Honey

    52g (6 tbs) Dried Nonfat Milk

Directions:

1.  In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, microwave the honey for 10-15 seconds, until slightly warm.

2.  Stir in the dried milk (it will look like there is not enough honey, but just be patient, it will mix in.  It will also be super thick so flex those muscles!)

3.  Let the icing cool, then drop dessert of choice!

If you don't use all the icing, place in the fridge and use for any other dessert topping  :)

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies & Peanut Butter Frosting

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OH NO!  I just went through 3 peanut butter jars!  Don't worry though... it was for a good cause ;)

Soft, peanutty, chewy oatmeal cookies!

     As I was looking for a healthy oatmeal raisin cookie recipe, I was totally disheartened... it's impossible to find a healthy recipe that looks, feels and tastes exactly like the original oatmeal raisin cookie--all of the "healthier" recipes I found used lots of sugar, too much coconut oil or earth balance, or they were super thin, dry or crumbly. As a gateway to finding the perfect oatmeal raisin cookie recipe, I decided to make Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies. I had never made cookies from scratch before because of their typical ingredients:  butter, sugar, and AP flour...  suuuper healthy...  not.  Anyways, my first crack at my own cookie recipe went surprisingly well! The flavor was great, just the texture was off.

1st Version:
     This cookie tasted really good! It was nice, sweet and great out of the oven. It was a little cakey so I needed to adjust the moisture level and the baking powder and soda levels. Unfortunately, the cookies turned tough and saltier the next day (which I blame on the peanut butter I used, made with roasted peanuts, sugar, salt and oil), so next time I will use my preferred, peanuts-only PB. The oats weren't noticeable in the cookie either, so I need to decrease the flour and increase the oats!

^^ a biiig whoopie pie!

     Onto the next batch!

2nd Version:
     I googled the reasons why cookies become cakey but was yet again discouraged... most of the solutions to cakey cookies involve adding more sugar or more butter, which I refuse to do. One reason why cookies become cakey is because there is too much liquid. In my first batch I used applesauce in place of oil/butter and an egg replacer with 3 tbs of water. Water creates steam in the oven, therefore, letting the cookies rise and become airy. So I cooked the applesauce with some oats over a stove until the water evaporated and I was left with a thick, chunky mixture. I put 1 tbs of egg replacer into the batch and omitted the water to prevent the steaming. I also decreased the baking powder from 1/2 tsp to 1/4 tsp and salt from 1 tsp to 1/2 tsp to reduce cakiness and reduce saltiness. When I was mixing the ingredients together, it was a very thick batter, most of which was crumbly, so I added 1/4 cup of evaporated milk to help (I totally forgot about what too much liquid does to cookies!). I tried forming little patties but the batter was too moist, so I attempted at making blondies.

     Unfortunately, the cookies were a little cakey but the blondies were amazing! They were like muffinish pizzookies, but that is a recipe for a whole separate post (still needs some texture work).  Here is a pic for waiting-torture purposes:

3rd Version:

     Yummy! These were exactly what I wanted:  sweet, soft and chewy cookies. They were extremely peanutty, and I could feel good about eating it because of its superb ingredients  ;)

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies:  [high fiber, high protein]

(makes ~15 cookies, but really just depends on how much cookie dough you eat...)

Dry:

   90g (3/4 cup) Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

   48g (1/2 cup) Old Fashioned Rolled Oats

   48g (1/4 cup) Sucanat

   40g (1/2 cup) Whey Protein Concentrate

   1/2 tsp Baking Soda

   1/2 tsp Salt

   1/4 tsp Cinnamon

   1/4 tsp Baking Powder

Wet I:

   123g (1/2 cup) Unsweetened Applesauce

   48g (1/2 cup) Old Fashioned Rolled Oats

Wet II:

   256g (1 cup) Natural Peanut Butter (no salt/sugar/oil added)

   126g (6 tbs) Honey

   7g (1 tbs) Egg Replacer (with no water!)

   2 tbs Evaporated Fat Free Milk

   2 tsp Hazelnut Extract

   1 tsp Vanilla Extract

   1 tsp Stevia Extract

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Put the Wet I ingredients into a pot and "render" over medium heat, stirring occasionally (should be ready in ~15 minutes). It should turn from this to this:

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
4. In a medium bowl, stir together the Wet II ingredients.  Stir in the cooked applesauce/oat mixture.  Add the wet to the dry ingredients and stir together.
5. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray or line with parchment and roll the dough into 1" balls.  Flatten with your fingers and smooth the cracks that may form the side. Bake for ~10 minutes, or until the the edges are golden brown.

Depending on your taste, you can add any solid ingredients you want to the batter. Here are my favorites:

     As a treat, add chocolate chips.

     As a breakfast, add crumbled walnuts or chopped peanuts.

     As an energy snack, add some raisins or dried cranberries.

Peanut Butter Frosting:

(makes 1/3 cup)

   32g (2 tbs) Natural Peanut Butter

   42g (2 tbs) Honey

   1-2 tbs Dried Nonfat Milk

Directions:

1. In a small bowl add peanut butter and honey and stir

2. Add 1 tablespoon of dried milk and stir again. Add 1 more tablespoon if you want a thick frosting (if you add too much powder, just add more honey until you reach the texture you want)

^^ a healthy cookie in each hand, that is ;)

     Did I mention that the dough for these cookies is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!?! And, it's totally safe to eat since it's eggless! It's similar to those Peanut Butter Protein Balls, but taken to a whole new level. And, it doesn't taste healthy at all (take it from me. I used to eat the Nestle Tollhouse chocolate chip cookie dough right out of the tub... the 36 oz tub... from Costco. Yeah, that cookie dough.)  I won't bore you by talking about how unhealthy and dangerous that cookie dough is, but trust me, it is. Make this dough and bake it, don't bake it, your decision!

I love cookies.  Oh, and I love cookie dough too.  :)

Citrus Pound Cake & Date Sugar Icing

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A healthy Pound Cake?!?

Yes!

A healthy icing?

Yes!!!

I don't think there is one baker out there who answered those two questions like I just did.  I mean, a healthy poundcake?!? I think this is a day that history books need to include!

If you have ever read my Banana Bread post or the About Me page, then you know about my childhood addiction to sugary, buttery, baked goodness.  But now that I have perfected my own 100% healthy banana bread recipe, I no longer crave the perfectly laid out slices at the Starbucks checkout line.  Instead, my cravings have led me to another one of their no-good confections: the Iced Lemon Pound Cake.  I searched FoodGawker, TasteSpotting, I searched Google, I searched everything for a healthy Pound Cake recipe, but failed to find one.

From my previous recipe, the Dark Chocolate Coconut Cake, I had used some tofu and had a bit leftover.  Since I needed four trials to perfect that recipe, I had a chance to make another recipe with tofu in it.  And holy cow, I never realized how fussy tofu is!  You need to submerge it in a bowl of water, refrigerate it, and change its water every day.  Oh, and then use within seven days... how needy!  Anyways, I read that tofu can be used as an egg replacer as it is dense and provides moisture.  This is great for pound cakes because a basic pound cake uses many eggs and a lot of butter...  I found pound cake recipes that use 4 sticks of butter, 2-3/4 cup of sugar and 8 egg yolks...  Uhh, no thanks?  I'll make my own!

Trial #1:
     The first trial was surprisingly a successful one! The only problem were the flavors--I used 1 tablespoon of lemon zest which turned a little bitter after baking... I will use pure extracts in the next trial. This cake was beyond moist, it was wonderful and dense, and the butter extract really came through. Because of the moisture level, I thought that I was able to lower the amount of coconut oil and use applesauce instead. The only wrong thing about this cake was that it didn't look like pound cake. It was flat and more cupcake-like rather than pound-cake-like.

^^ Naked

^^ Dressed

Ain't it purdy?

One thing I wish I could share with you, is this icing.  It was fantastic.  Unfortunately, the sugar I used was to never be found again!  I could have sworn I bought it from Whole Foods, but I couldn't find it anywhere after that.  Not Mrs. Greens, not Nature Works, and not even two other locations of Whole Foods.  I used 1/2 cup of powdered coconut sugar with one tablespoon of water.  I bought coconut sugar because it is low glycemic (like honey, agave and maple syrup), it is high in B vitamins, Vitamin C, potassium and magnesium.  So if all that could come from a sugar, yes, I am making an icing with it!  But, like I said, I never saw it again... :(

Trial #2:

Just like my Dark Chocolate Coconut Cake, I thought I could use arrowroot starch in this as well to firm up the structure and make it more "pound-cake-like." I used 3 tablespoons because that was how much I used in the Dark Chocolate Coconut Cake and it turned out well! Next time, I would test using 1/4 cup though...

Trial #3:

This cake is very moist and dense, and you won't miss that buttery taste of regular pound cake because of the butter extract! The stevia will satisfy your sweet tooth, and the citrus gives the cake some tang. One big plus about this cake: it is low fat! The coconut oil is the only source of fat in this recipe, so bake this and eat up.

Citrus Pound Cake:  [low fat/sugar, high fiber/protein]
(makes one large loaf or 2 mini loaves)

   Dry:
       240g (2 cups) Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
        20g (1/4 cup) Whey Protein Concentrate
        48g (1/4 cup) Sucanat (or dry sweetener of choice)
        32g (1/4 cup) Arrowroot Starch (or cornstarch)
        1+1/2 tsp Baking Powder
        1/2 tsp Baking Soda
        1/4 tsp Sea Salt

   Wet:

        182g (2/5 package) Lite Silken Tofu, drained

        123g (1/2 cup) Unsweetened Applesauce

        113g (1/2 cup) Plain, Nonfat Greek Yogurt

        42g (2 tbs) Honey

        28g (2 tbs) Coconut Oil
        2 tsp Stevia Extract
        2 tsp Vanilla Extract

        1+1/2 tsp Lemon Flavor

        1+1/4 tsp Butter Extract
        1/2 tsp Orange Flavor

Date Sugar Icing:
   192g (1 cup) Powdered Date Sugar
   3/4 cup + 1 tbs Water
   1/4 cup + 2 tbs Honey

Directions (for the cake):
1.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit
2.  Put the wet ingredients into a blender and puree, set aside
3.  In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients
4.  Pour the blender mixture onto the dry ingredients (every last drop!) and fold until everything is incorporated. Batter will be thick (I tend to overmix, and it still turned out fine)
5.  Spray a loaf pan with PAM, and scoop the batter in. Flatten the top with a spoon or spatula and put into the oven.  Bake for about an hour, until a toothpick comes out clean and surface springs back when touched.
6.  Top with icing. Slice into 8 slices when completely cooled! Otherwise it will not slice neatly.

Directions (for the icing):
1.  Measure out the date sugar and put it into a blender, blend/puree/liquify (whatever setting is fastest and strongest) for 30 seconds to a minute.  Shake the container to release any chunks that may not have been blended, and blend again for another 30 seconds or so.  By now, you shouldn't be able to see through the container, sugar should be floating around.
2.  Keep shaking the container, blend, shake, blend.  If it looks ready, it probably won't be... so keep blending!  You don't want a gritty icing (take it from me)
3.  When the sugar is finely ground like regular powdered sugar be, pour it into a medium bowl and stir in the water and honey.  When there is not enough liquid, it will look like a stiff, jam-like spread (which isn't a bad thing, I guess!).  Pour/spread over the cake.

This icing (seen in the Trial #1 pictures) was actually the first icing I had ever made! I had originally used powdered coconut sugar, but never saw it in stores again. I was tempted to buy a premade Pillsbury frosting (even though it is loaded with sugar), but I was saddened to see "partially hydrogenated oils" on the top of the ingredient list... an ingredient that I will never put into my body (read bottom of the linked page).

not buying it = good choice

So, I decided to just powder some sugar myself. Coconut sugar has a strong, distinct flavor, and sucanat didn't taste very good on the cake.  So, I used date sugar! It comes pretty finely ground, but not powdered like regular powdered sugar.  The extra work of powdering your own sugar is so worth the health benefits!  I like how this icing uses fruit sugar rather than processed stuff that a machine dumped out. Date sugar is high in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, while providing a great, unique flavor! Although the color needs some getting used to, I think you will enjoy it  :)  If you don't like it, I guess you can always use regular powdered sugar.  If you like white icings, try this recipe!

I am so happy to see that unhealthy foods actually can have a healthy alternative.  Make this recipe. You won't regret it!