Cake Friday! Tried and loved!

My daughter turned seven on Monday, which meant I needed to make her cupcakes and something healthy to take to school and share with her class. I love making and eating cupcakes but since I have become all to aware of chemicals and other nasty items in our food, I read the back of a traditional cake box (it was Betty Crocker I believe).

Did you know that yellow cake mix has yellow dye in it??
Frosting is just as bad - it has high fructose corn syrup and a ton of other unidentifiable items in it. I am done with those items. Done! What are they thinking???

Thank goodness I am now a regular shopper at Trader Joe's and they have some new products out that I used and will review for my readers.

Trader Joe's now makes a cake and frosting mix - without harmful chemicals!
For your reading pleasure - please visit this post and blog - which I found today and cannot wait to read more about. Two ladies write a blog and a book called "Cooking with Trader Joe's"- I think I am more excited about that than I am that it's Friday!!

So - I used the cake mix and there were two options on the back - make with oil or make with butter. I chose the oil version - but my BFF told me the butter is simply divine. I have to admit, it did not taste that good when I licked the spoon (and the inside of the bowl) but after it came out of the oven, it was just as good as any other cake mix.

Now - the frosting takes a bit of getting used to. It's butter cream frosting - so it's not what our kids are traditionally used to eating but it was good (however fattening). Although my daughter often says "Trader Joe's stuff has less chemicals in it but it doesn't mean it's all good for you" Well said Meg!

Next up - Sunday night baking for her class treat.
Our school only allows "healthy" birthday snacks so this one is always tricky. However, I had been eyeing up a recipe on the side of the Multi grain Pancake and Waffle Mix. It was called a "Blueberry Coffee Cake" and boy was it easy. I folded in frozen organic blueberries, used the multi grain mix in place of bleached (yuck) flower - some eggs, oil, and wallah - I got a lovely square cake that I cut into mini squares and they were moist and delicious.
I cut back on the amount of sugar and substituted some pure Vanilla for an extra little kick - cause that's how I roll!

Delish! A must try for all!