3 healthy homemade vegetable and fruit-based cakes

Age - 2-5 years Category - Recipes 3 healthy homemade vegetable and fruit-based cakes -

It is always a challenge to make kids eat healthily, and especially so when it comes to their daily doses of fruits and vegetables. Fruits and veggies are a storehouse of nutrients and are much needed by a growing kid for strong immunity and a healthy body.

Getting kids to eat fruits and vegetables is not easy as they are more drawn to sugary treats or junk foods. So, if you are finding it tough to feed your child a plate full of steamed vegetables, you need to be creative and work out smart ways. Veg and fruit cakes are something that your kids will surely enjoy because of the presentation. A hidden vegetable chocolate cake will appeal to their sweet tooth too, but provide the essential nutrients without them finding out what’s inside.

Here are a few recipes that are a good way to sneak fruits and vegetables in your kid’s diet:

1. The carrot and strawberry muffin cake

Enriched with the goodness of fibre and real fruits, it is a real homemade treat for kids to enjoy anytime during the day. The best part of this muffin cake is that you can prepare the mixture well in advance and in bulk, and whenever needed, you can bake a batch in the oven and serve fresh muffins to your kids. It is one of the best baked veggie cakes recipes.

Ingredients:

• Plain flour : 3 1/4th cup
• Baking soda : 1/2tsp
• Baking powder : 4 tsp
• Strawberry (finely chopped) : 4 nos.
• Carrot (grated) : 1 cup full
• Porridge oats : 1 cup
• Raw sugar : 1 cup
• Eggs : 2 nos.
• Yolk of egg : 1 no.
• Butter (melted) : 125 gm
• Yoghurt : 1 cup
• Milk : 1 cup

Procedure:

• If you plan to serve the muffin cakes immediately, preheat the oven to 180-degree centigrade and get the muffin tray ready.
• Take the flour, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the strawberry and sugar.
• In another bowl, whisk the eggs and yolk together. Add butter to it along with the milk and yoghurt. Whisk the mixture very well. Then add the strawberry and sugar mix to it and whisk again gently.
• Add the grated carrots and porridge oats and mix thoroughly.
• Pour the mix into each cup in the muffin tray one by one and freeze it if you want to bake later. If you want to bake immediately, put the tray into the oven for about 20 minutes and until the muffin tops turn golden brown.
• Take out and serve.

2. The red velvet cake

The combination of beetroot and cocoa makes this cake a natural delight for kids. Filled with the goodness of beetroot and cocoa, the red velvet cake is a great way to make vegetable cakes for toddlers.

Ingredients:

• Butter, unsalted : 125 gm
• Beetroot, grated : 250 gm
• Buttermilk : 75 ml
• Wine vinegar, white : 1 ½ tsp
• Vanilla essence : 1 tsp
• Castor sugar : 200 gm
• Cocoa powder : 2 tsp
• Flour : 250 gm
• Baking powder : 1 ½ tsp
• Eggs : 2 nos.

For the icing:

• Unsalted butter : 100 gm
• Icing sugar : 350 gm
• Vanilla essence : 1 tsp
• Cream cheese : 175 gm

Procedure:

• Get the oven ready by preheating it to 180 degrees Celsius.
• In a food processor, blend the beetroot, buttermilk, vinegar and vanilla essence, into a puree. Add the eggs, butter, sugar, flour, cocoa, and baking powder and mix well in the processor.
• Bake it in the oven for around an hour till a skewer inserted comes out clean. Allow it to cool.
• Make the icing by whisking the butter, half of the icing sugar and vanilla until it is smooth. Then add the remaining sugar along with the cream cheese and beat the mixture until all ingredients have combined well.
• Spread the icing mix over the cooled cake and spread well. Sprinkle some crumbs on top and you are ready.
• Cut the cake into small pieces and serve.

3. Herbed potato and zucchini cake

If you are looking for a root vegetable cakes recipe, this cake is perfect. It makes for a fantastic meal during breakfast or lunch for your child.

Ingredients:

• Olive oil : 2 tsp
• Onions ,finely sliced : 2 large
• Rosemary, dried : 1 tsp
• Thyme, dried : 1 tsp
• Oregano, dried : 1 tsp
• Zucchini, finely sliced : 1 regular sized
• Yellow cheese : 1 cup

Procedure:

• Heat oil in a large pan and add the onions, garlic, rosemary, oregano, and thyme with a pinch of salt. Let it all cook till the onions become translucent and soft.
• In the meanwhile, grate the potatoes and put them on a small towel. Now squeeze the grated potatoes and take out the excess moisture as much as you can.
• Mix the squeezed potatoes, sliced zucchinis and sauté well till the mixture is dry and cooked. Add the cheese to it.
• Now, add the cooked onion mixture to the potato zucchini mixture.
• Season it all with pepper and arrange it evenly on a baking pan without pressing on the top.
• Put the pan inside an oven preheated at 160 degrees Celsius and bake for around an hour and a half.
• Cut the cake into small pieces and serve with some salads and your kid will love it for sure.