Sugar-Free Fresh Milled First Birthday Cake for Kids
Naturally Sweet Banana & Berry Cake with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Wheat Berries/Fresh Milled Flours
- 360 g soft white wheat berries
Dry
- 1 tsp (5 g) salt
- 2 ½ tsp (12 g) baking powder
- 1 tsp (5 g) baking soda
Wet
- 4 medium (360–400 g) very ripe bananas, mashed (mashed)
- ½ cup (120 g) buttermilk or kefir
- 12 tbsp (170 g) unsalted butter, melted (¾ cup)
- ½ cup (60 g) pure maple syrup
- 1 tbsp (15 g) lemon juice
- 1 tsp (5 g) vanilla extract
Fold-Ins
- 1 cup (150 g) finely diced strawberries or 1 cup whole blueberries
Instructions
Mill & Autolyse
- Mill the wheat berries. In a large bowl, combine the flour, mashed bananas, and buttermilk or kefir until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest 20–30 minutes to soften the bran and ensure a tender crumb.
Prepare Pan & Oven
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line your chosen pan with parchment.
Add Wet Ingredients
- Stir in the melted butter, lemon juice, vanilla, and maple syrup until smooth and fully incorporated.
Add Dry Ingredients
- Sprinkle the salt, baking powder, and baking soda evenly over the batter. Gently fold just until combined. Do not overmix.
Fold in Fruit
- Toss berries with 1–2 teaspoons flour if desired, then gently fold into the batter.
Bake
- Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top.
- 8-inch round: 32–38 minutes
- Two 6-inch rounds: 28–34 minutes
- 9 × 11-inch sheet pan: 28–35 minutes
- Cake is done when the center springs back lightly and a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.
Cool
- Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Do not overbake. Naturally sweet cakes set quickly and stay soft when baked just until done.
- Butter provides richness and moisture in the absence of refined sugar and works especially well with fresh-milled flour.
- Flavor improves after resting, making this cake perfect to bake a day ahead.
For a lightly fermented version, add ½ cup (120 g) sourdough discard during the autolyse step and reduce the buttermilk or kefir to ¼ cup (60 g).
