A milestone birthday calls for a milestone photo session! Following her one-year commemorative photos, we celebrated with a cake smash!

Now there are different levels of “protective parent.” I let Connie explore and figure things out for herself and don’t hover too much. She’s received bruises and scratches along the way, but she has also gained confidence and curiosity and is developing very well. When it comes to what she is consuming however, I hover! It is important to me that her exposure to pesticides, toxins, and processed foods is very limited. We attempt to give her exclusively organic or non-GMO foods. Sugar is also a no-no. Certainly there have been exceptions and the occasional well-intentioned, but naughty family member. To the extent we can give her only wholesome options we do.

So when it came time to plan for her cake smash, I had to consider the cake. A bakery or store-bought version was not an option. I wasn’t going to have her first full-on sugar experience be the motherload. So I researched recipes and options online and found a coconut flour cake and naturally sweetened frosting option.

The cake is essentially coconut flour and eggs, there are many versions and recipes out there. The frosting is cream cheese and butter sweetened with organic, pure maple syrup, thickened with potato starch, and tinted with blueberry juice. Cody and I tried it and it was pretty good; sweet, but not too sweet. I put the frosting on thick for the benefit of the photos.

When the time came to tear into it, my little girl did exactly what I anticipated, she went for the cake’s decorations–the raspberries! One of her fave items. After getting her fill of berries, we helped her get into the cake and from there she sampled and enjoyed. It was fun to watch and here is the result, with no sugar crash!

After the ‘smash’ came the ‘splash!’ A great opportunity to clean off the sticky and get a few more adorable shots of our sassy girl.

Photos by Rachel Manzke Photography.