Vanilla Birthday Cake with Vanilla Frosting

It was my roommate's birthday last Wednesday, so I obviously had to make her a protein cake. This cake was a little random. No plan. Just throwing ingredients in the food processor and hoping for the best. It worked :)

Note: I cooked this in a loaf pan. If you are cooking in a cake pan, I would double or triple the recipe.

Vanilla Birthday Cake with Vanilla Frosting

Ingredients:

1/3 cup millet flour (or whole wheat pastry flour should work)
1/3 cup vanilla whey protein powder
1/3 cup oatmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 packet stevia
1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drains (can use chickpeas or cannelini)
1/3 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 egg

Frosting:
1/3 cup Greek yogurt
3 tablespoon vanilla whey protein powder

 Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2.  Throw all ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
3. Add to a loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake about 25-30 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Transfer to a large plate or cooling rack and cool completely.
4. To make the frosting, mix together the Greek yogurt and protein powder. Spread evenly over the top of the cake. I cut my cake into four pieces and layered them, but that doubles the serving size. Do what you like!

For 1 slice (of 4): 164 Cal, 19 g C, 13 g P, 4 g F, 3 g Sugar

Protein Coffee Cake

I loved coffee cake when I was little. It was a staple dessert whenever my grandmother had people over for dinner. Like traditional coffee cake, there is no coffee used in this recipe. It actually tastes more like a cinnamon cake with a hint of coffee flavor. Perfect for breakfast, snack or dessert!

Protein Coffee Cake

Serves 8

Ingredients:

2 scoop Cafe Mocha protein powder by Dymnatize Elite  (or other coffee flavored protein powder)
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup millet flour (could also probably use whole wheat flour)
1/4 cup granulated stevia
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 oz. 0% Total Fage Greek yogurt
1/3 cup skim milk
2 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon butter extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Blend ingredients together (I used my cheap blender from Target).
3. Pour batter into a round cake pan.
4. Bake 25 minutes, or until knife comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack or a plate to cool. 

Nutrition Info (without frosting): 168 calories, 8 g Fat, 11 g CHO, 13 g Protein

If you'd like to add a frosting (my design skills were lacking on this one), add a big scoop of Greek yogurt and a few drops of liquid stevia to a small plastic ziplock bag. Mix well (basically massage the yogurt). Cut the bottom tip of the plastic bag to form a very small hole. Squeeze all the yogurt down towards the hole and pretend your a real baker with a fancy frosting tool. Make sure the cake is completely cooled before you do this or the yogurt will melt!! Store leftovers in the fridge. 

I buy all my flours, proteins, extracts, protein powders and more from Vitacost. They have the best prices, and deliver right to your door (free shipping!). Use this link for money off your first order!

Whipped Vanilla Protein Cake

Moist, fluffy, delicious cake. Need I say more? Threw this together for my sister, but totally stole a piece for tasting purposes. Probably my best cake ever. And it's so simple to make!

I buy my flours and stevia online from Vitacost. It's an online grocery store that has so many fun, healthy ingredients. Here's a discount link for money off your first order: 

Whipped Vanilla Protein Cake

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Cellucor Whipped Vanilla protein powder (or other vanilla whey)
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 packets stevia
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
4 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups almond milk (I used unsweetened vanilla)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a loaf pan or square baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Blend all ingredients together in a large food processor or blender. Make sure you don't over mix! I like to stir the bottom with a spatula to make sure the dry ingredients don't stick and clump at the bottom in between mixing.
3. Add to your loaf pan or baking dish. Cook about 30-40 minutes or until knife comes out clean. For the frosting, I just mixed together Greek yogurt with vanilla casein. Casein protein makes the greek yogurt thicker and more frosting-like. If you only have whey protein, that's fine too!

For the ENTIRE CAKE without frosting (I cut mine into 4 servings, divide as you wish):  694 calories, 14.7 grams of fat, 74 g carbohydrates, 64.4 grams protein

Low Carb Birthday Cake Pancakes

It's not really my birthday, but these seriously tasted just like a Funfetti birthday cake! Low carb, fluffy, healthy, delicious protein pancakes. Love when they come out perfect! I used Cellucor's Cor-fetti Cake Batter protein for this recipe. If you don't have it, substitute with vanilla flavored whey. The flour and psyllium husk are from Vitacost, my favorite online grocery store. They have so many fun ingredients that most grocery stores don't carry. Plus, they have amazing prices. Use this link for $10 off your first order:

Want more carbs to fuel or recover from your workout? Here's another recipe I made that's higher in carbs and tastes like cake too!

Note: If you are scared of the cauliflower- DON'T BE. It is seriously a magical ingredient. Read about why I use it here. 

Low Carb Birthday Cake Pancakes

Ingredients:

1/3 cup riced cauliflower (just add raw cauliflower to your food processor and finely chop)
3/4 scoop Cellucor Cor-fetti Cake Batter protein powder
2 tablespoons coconut flour
1/2 tablespoon psyllium husk
3 tablespoons egg whites
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 packet stevia
3 tablespoons almond milk, more as needed

Directions:

1. Preheat a nonstick pan over medium heat. Coat with cooking spray. Microwave your riced cauliflower for 40 seconds.

2. Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender (I use my Ninja). Blend until smooth. Gradually add more almond milk if needed, but make sure the batter is THICK. A little milk goes a long way.

3. Add batter by the spoonful to the your pan. Cook until the edges set. These will take longer than regular pancakes- be patient! Flip and cook on the other side (about 4 minutes?).

4. Layer with stevia sweetened Greek yogurt ("frosting") if desired. I also like to add nut butter right in the middle :)

Nutrition Facts (pancakes only): 186 Calories, 3 grams Fat, 18 grams Carbohydrates (13 grams Fiber), 24 grams protein

Lemon Cake PrOATein Bars

These came out SUPER moist and cake-like. Fresh lemon zest and lemon juice make these bars burst with clean, delicious, lemon flavor. Perfect to take on-the-go or to add to your protein fro-yo :)

Lemon Cake PrOATein Bars

Ingredients:

1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
1 tablespoon coconut flour
1/4 cup oatmeal
3 tablespoons powdered stevia (or to taste)
1 tablespoon sugar-free lemon pudding mix
Zest of one medium lemon
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup egg whites
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup cottage cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Blend all ingredients together in a blender.
3. Pour batter into a loaf pan coated with cooking spray.
4. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until knife comes out clean.
5. Let cool, then cut into four pieces.

If you'd like to add "frosting", just mix together 1 tablespoon greek yogurt with 1 tablespoon vanilla whey. If you want to get real fancy, throw some more zest on top.

Macros: 1 g Fat, 6.8 g CHO, 11.3 g Protein

*Macros will vary depending on the the protein powder you choose. I used MRM Vanilla for this recipe. 

Acorn Squash Cinnamon Swirl Cake for One

Officially one of my new snack obsessions inspired by @amandamclark. Had some pre-cooked small roasted acorn squash halves in the fridge. Makes a perfectly delicious, moist, clean cake for one! To DIE for. It saddens me that most people don't know how fun and delicious healthy eating is . . . ;)

Acorn Squash Cinnamon Swirl Cake for One

Ingredients:

Half of a small acorn squash, cooked
1/2 tablespoon coconut flour
1 tablespoon Cellucor Cinnamon Swirl protein powder (or any flavored protein is fine)
1 packet Truvia
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons egg beaters
Cinnamon to taste

Directions:

1. Blend together all ingredients (I used my Ninja).
2. Place in a small bowl sprayed with cooking spray.
3. Microwave at 30 second intervals for about 1 1/2-2 minutes. It all really depends on your microwave. Just watch it and don't overcook.

I topped mine with PB2 sauce. So moist and light and cake-y!!!

Nutrition Info (without PB2 sauce): 121 calories, 1 g fat, 20 g CHO, 7 g Fiber, 11.5 g Protein

*Nutrition info varies with different brands of products

Better-Than-Confetti-Cake Pancakes

Seriously- this was the BEST protein pancake EVER!! No Joke, I had CAKE for breakfast. You know Pillsbury's Confetti Cake? Yea- this was better (Quadruple bonus for being WAY healthier!). Before I get into this- I have to thank Lauren for the inspiration. These pancakes were moist, fluffy, thick, beautiful, birthday-party-in-your-mouth-amazingness. I think the secret here was the sugar-free pudding powder. I'm going to experiment more with different flavors, powders, and measures just for fun....But honestly, I don't think I need to mess with this. If you haven't tried a protein pancake yet, THIS is the one to try.

Better -Than- Confetti- Cake Pancakes

     4 tablespoons egg whites
     1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla coconut almond milk (or whichever milk you like)
     1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
     2 tablespoons coconut flour
     1 1/2 tablespoons sugar free vanilla pudding mix
     1Truvia Packet
     1 teaspoon vanilla extract
     1/4 teaspoon baking powder
   
Topping:

     2 tablespoons plain Greek Yogurt
     1/2- 1 tablespoon vanilla protein powder
     Truvia to taste 

1. Add egg whites, milk and vanilla extract in small bowl and whisk.
2. Combine dry ingredients in a separate small bowl.
3. Add the wet ingredients to dry and mix well.
4. Heat a non-stick pan to med-high heat and cook pancakes about 3 min on each side.
5. Combine your topping ingredients and spread on top of your pancakes.
6. Brace yourself for AMAZINGNESS.