A healthy birthday party cake- whole wheat carrot, orange cake featuring The Very Hungry Caterpillar on carrot frosting (Fiesta Fridays- #8)

I have been busy planning my son’s birthday party  to be held tomorrow. He loves The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, so I decided that is what I would make. If you are not familiar with the book, it is a lovely story about the caterpillar who eats lots of things including fruits, a cupcake, lollipop and cheese over many days and then undergoes metamorphosis to turn into a butterfly.

I decided to make it as healthy as possible, with oranges and carrot and a thin layer of butter cream frosting made with organic un-hydrogenated shortening and vegetable juice for coloring. The caterpillar alone is made with fondant and synthetic colors, just for decoration (who eats fondant props anyway, it does not taste good). Other props are plastic fruits, mini cup cake and a lollipop. Making this was so much fun!

The cake is ready, just in time for Angie’s Fiesta Friday #8 and you all get to taste it virtually before we cut it at the real party!

Ingredients for cake:

whole wheat pastry flour- 4 cups

baking powder- 4 tsp.

baking soda- 3 tsp.

sugar- 2 cups

salt- 1 tsp.

cinnamon- 1/2 tsp.

yogurt- 3/4 cup

milk- 3/4 cup

canola oil- 1 1/4 cup

navel oranges- 2

grated carrot- 3 1/2 cup

Method:

* Pre-heat oven to 350 °F. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon powder in a bowl.

* Peel orange roughly, trim the edges and chop into big chunks. Blend it along with the yogurt.

* Add orange mixture,  milk and oil to the dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in grated carrot.

* Pour batter into greased 10 ” and 6 ” pans lined with parchment paper. Bake for 1 hr.

* Make another batch of the same and arrange the layers with cherry filling in between. Use separator plate for the layers.

Ingredients for frosting:

Spectrum organic shortening- 2 cups

powdered sugar- about 1.5 lbs.

carrot juice- about 5 tbsp.

beet juice- 2 tbsp.

Method for frosting:

Beat frosting ingredients with a mixer and decorate!