I’m often asked when’s a good age to have the kids start cooking & baking, and how can they get involved in the process? Since 18 months old, my kids (Liv is now 6 and Sawyer is 3) have been involved in the cooking process. We started slowly, and they immediately got excited any time they were able to measure, mix, or pour ingredients. Once they got older, we moved on to more advanced skills like cracking eggs and cutting (with kid-safe knives). While I had a completely different vision for Liv’s birthday cake, the kids decided they wanted to be involved in the entire process from start to finish, and I think they did a pretty good job! Of course there were eggs on the floor, sprinkles all over the kitchen, and a mess that made my husband wince, but the kids had a blast and felt such a sense of accomplishment when they made their own cake. In general, I think it’s important to cook with children at a young age to teach them the foundations of healthy eating habits. It’s a great achievement & confidence booster for them and a fun bonding activity for all of us. If they are involved in creating the recipes, I find they’re more willing to try new wholesome foods.
To make the cake from scratch:
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 3 6-inch mini silicone cake pans with coconut oil. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the oil, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Add the maple syrup mixture to the flour mixture until just combined.
To make the cake from a boxed mix:
Preheat oven to 325F. Grease 3 6-inch mini silicone cake pans with coconut oil. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, water, and vanilla. Add mix; whisk until well blended.
Divide batter evenly into 3 bowls. Pour batter into 3 molds and bake for 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Let the cakes cool.
Once cooled, layer the cakes on top of each other. Using a mini rectangular cookie cutter placed in the center of the cake, push down and take out the cut cake pieces. Don't discard as you will need the top piece.
In between each cake layer, add frosting. Pour your chocolate gems into the hold you created. Put the top piece of cake you cut out back on top. Frost entire cake. Cover in sprinkles and decorate with unicorn figurines. Refrigerate until ready to eat. Enjoy and happy birthday!
Ingredients
Directions
To make the cake from scratch:
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 3 6-inch mini silicone cake pans with coconut oil. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the oil, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Add the maple syrup mixture to the flour mixture until just combined.
To make the cake from a boxed mix:
Preheat oven to 325F. Grease 3 6-inch mini silicone cake pans with coconut oil. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, water, and vanilla. Add mix; whisk until well blended.
Divide batter evenly into 3 bowls. Pour batter into 3 molds and bake for 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Let the cakes cool.
Once cooled, layer the cakes on top of each other. Using a mini rectangular cookie cutter placed in the center of the cake, push down and take out the cut cake pieces. Don't discard as you will need the top piece.
In between each cake layer, add frosting. Pour your chocolate gems into the hold you created. Put the top piece of cake you cut out back on top. Frost entire cake. Cover in sprinkles and decorate with unicorn figurines. Refrigerate until ready to eat. Enjoy and happy birthday!