It’s baby Sky’s first birthday! Or “our birthday” as I lovingly refer to it as. :)
You may have heard of giving baby a smash cake for their first birthday. This term really just means a cake for their first birthday that they will likely end up smashing with their hands and playing with, possibly more than they even eat it!
While it makes for adorable photos, it’s hard for me to get on board with the concept of giving babies a gigantic sugar bomb (potentially laced with food dyes and other shady ingredients) as a birthday present. So for my sweet baby #3, I took it upon myself to create a special treat for him that would be equally nutritious as delicious! Enter my bone marrow cake creation.
This treat is perfect for baby’s very first birthday because the main ingredient is bone marrow which is extremely nutrient dense for babies. Bone marrow is actually considered a traditional, sacred first food for babies. It’s very high in healthy fats, vitamin B12, and iron, and supports babies brain development, immune and nervous system development, and bone health. And come on, it’s the most decadent, delicious tasting food on the planet (at least that’s what we all think over at my house!).
The second ingredient in this treat is raw honey. This is significant and exciting because it’s generally advised that babies under age one do not consume raw honey due to the potential for botulism (a bacteria that can be found in raw honey and can cause adverse symptoms in babies). So serving a raw honey treat for a first birthday celebrates a significant milestone in the food + baby world!
Oh, and of course raw honey is a super food with tons healing properties, especially if you can find it locally produced. So there’s a lot of wins here!
To be honest, this cake is more of a mousse… or a cream pie than an actual cake. But it’s thick enough to stick a candle in and sing your song so I’m calling it a cake.
Recipe
Ingredients
couple pounds bone marrow bones
1/4 cup raw local honey (or more to taste)
pinch of sea salt or other (I use Redmond’s Real Salt)
1/2 tsp cardamom
Directions
Place bones on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Allow to cool slightly so you can handle the bones.
Scrape out bone marrow into a mixing bowl and place bowl in the fridge for at least 30 mins to cool.
Psst— remember to save your bones in a bag in the freezer for future bone broth!
Remove bowl from fridge and whip marrow using a whisker or mixer.
Add all remaining ingredients to bowl and whisk until well blended and you have a creamy, delicious trear! Add more honey if desired.
Pour batter into a small serving dish and place in the fridge for at least 15 minutes to firm up before sticking a candle it.
Decorate your cake with fresh sliced fruit if you please, or simply serve as is!
You can serve as a traditional “smash cake” and let baby go to town on it (this will likely be messy and adorable), OR serve to baby (and guests) with tiny spoons. Remember bone marrow is largely (healthy) fat so a little goes a long way! Enjoy!!!
