Make Your Own Number 3 Cake Using Healthier Cake Options

This past weekend we celebrated our oldest son, T.J.’s third birthday! Since he’s obsessed with anything that has wheels, he chose a monster truck theme. We were having a really small get together, so I decided it would be the perfect time to try something I’ve wanted to do for the past 2 birthdays: make my own birthday cake for him. That way I could control the ingredients and if it came out bad…well, it’s just family.

Simple cake table with balloons from Amazon

Okay, here’s an obvious real life mom confession: boxed cake mix just makes life easier. I was already attempting a different cake design, I didn’t want to throw in making cake from scratch too! I really wanted to try and find a better option than the usual brands. Especially because it would be an opportunity to have the people I love try a better alternative.

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What’s On The Label?

My local grocery store has very limited “healthy” cake options but I was pleasantly surprised by what I ended up getting. They carry an organic boxed cake mix by the brand Food Stirs. It is USDA organic, non-GMO, and glyphosate residue free. Read my post on organic ingredients and glyphosate here. This cake mix can also be made vegan depending on what ingredients you add to it. There are minimal ingredients compared to the regular boxed stuff. My personal favorite highlight of this brand is that there are no artificial colors–which run rampant in regular boxed cake mix.

Box of Food stirs organic simply sweet vanilla cake mix

Food label of food stirs simply sweet vanilla cake mix — Food label for Food Stirs organic simply sweet vanilla cake mix

Artificial colors that are approved by the FDA are Blue no. 1, Blue no. 2, Yellow no. 5, Yellow no. 6, Red no. 3 and Red no. 4. Several studies have shown a link between artificial dyes and attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) (source, source, source). In fact, food labels in the UK are required to include a warning when these artificial dyes are used. I don’t know about you, but my 3 year old definitely does not need anything else that will contribute to increased energy levels.

Ingredients

Every single cake mix box that I picked up from the big three brands–Duncan Hines, Betty Crockers, and Pillsbury–contained artificial colors. Luckily, the bright pink box stood out like a sore thumb. And the best part was that it didn’t cost an arm and a leg. The average cost of the regular box cake mix was about $2.50 and Food Stirs cost $4.48 before taxes at Walmart. Once baked, the cake had a subtle sweetness and the texture was dense.

Another dye-free cake option, if you’re looking for chocolate cake, is by the brand Simple Mills. Their almond flour chocolate muffin and cake mix is non-GMO, gluten free and has some organic ingredients. This one is pricier than Food Stirs though (about $7.99). I ended up using Simple Mills as my base layer but wish I would have just bought 2 boxes of the Food Stirs brand. This one tasted good but when baked, it stayed very thin.

Box of Simple Mills almond flour baking mix, chocolate muffin and cake

Food label for Simple Mills chocolate muffin and cake mix

I only had 2 minimal and organic frosting options at my local grocery store. I ended up going with the cheaper option, Miss Jones organic chocolate frosting, which cost $3.00 before taxes. Thankfully, I ended up loving the flavor and received a few compliments from guests. It had a light, natural chocolate flavor with a hint of coconut oil. After heating for about 10 seconds in the microwave, it also spreads very easy.

How To Make A Number 3 Cake

I followed the directions on the package and baked the cakes in two 8 inch cake pans. I then took them out of the cake pans and let them cool completely. Repeat this for the next box so that you have 4 cake rounds. I didn’t even bother trying to trim the tops of the them for 2 reasons. First, I didn’t want to mess them up just to level them. Second, I didn’t want to create a crumb issue. You know, when you start frosting exposed cake and the crumbs spread everywhere? If you know what you’re doing, go for it!

Also, I cut/shaped directly on the cakes themselves. I did the first two cake rounds using the process in the photos below and then used those cakes as stencils for the second set. I’m showing you instructions using parchment paper mostly because I didn’t document the process while I was doing it. But if you prefer to make these cut outs on parchment and transfer to the cake, that would work too!

Materials

Aside from the box cake mix and any ingredients that you will need for that, you will need:

Two 8 inch cake pans
Sheet pan
3″ cookie cutter or cup with 3″ opening
Ruler
Serrated knife
If using parchment paper, you will also need scissors and a pencil

cake rounds or parchment paper side by side on a sheet pan — Place 2 of your cake rounds on a sheet pan side by side.

Step 1 – Cut The Middle Out

3 inch wide cup or cookie cutter — I used a plastic cup with a 3 inch opening

I used the cup as a cookie cutter and just punched out the hole in the cake with the cup. If using parchment paper, trace around with a pencil and cut it out.

3 inch opening in the center of each cake round — Final product

Step 2 – Trace Cuts

I made the cut lines with the knife right on the cake for this. But if choosing to use parchment, trace with a pencil and cut.

make the first horizontal cut on the first cake round — Make a horizontal line about 2/3 of the way down on the left side of the top cake round

Make a vertical cut line beginning from the end of the horizontal line that you just made down into the second cake round

Beginning from the end of your last vertical cut, make a horizontal cut line on the second cake. It will end up being about 1/3 of the way down.

Make a horizontal cut line at about the halfway point of your vertical cut line on both cake rounds.

final cut lines on both cake rounds — Here is what your cake or parchment paper should look like before making the cuts.

Step 3 – Make Your Cuts

After lining the cakes up, it will look like this.

Step 4 – Clean it up

Even out the bottom by trimming with the knife across

final product using parchment paper — Use this parchment to cut both the top and bottom layer of your cake or use the first layer to cut the second layer.

final product using cake — Final product before frosting

Step 5 – Frost It!

frosted number 3 cake — I added a layer of frosting between the top and bottom layers. Then I frosted the whole thing. I ended up using 2 cartons of frosting for this, but I had about half a carton leftover.

Step 6 – Decorate

To make the “dirt” around the cake, I took the cream out of a row of chocolate sandwich cookies and smashed them up. The trim around the top of the cake and writing was done with a really simple cream cheese frosting. To make the cream cheese frosting, I whipped 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, 2 ounces of cream cheese, and 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Stuff it into a plastic bag and snip a corner to easily squeeze! I bought the monster trucks from Walmart and voila–an easy cake topper that serves as a fun memento for after.

Final Thoughts

Traditional boxed cake mixes contain so many additional ingredients including preservatives, stabilizers, artificial sweeteners and artificial colors. A lot of these ingredients, especially artificial colors, have been linked with side effects including hyperactivity in children. You definitely don’t have to slave away in the kitchen or spend too much to get a healthier alternative. Most local grocery stores have at least 1 or 2 better alternatives to the “big three” brands. This baking shortcut also allows you to get creative with your cake presentation! You don’t need to spend too much to do something different, like make your cake into a number. Create something, read your labels and know the ingredients!