This weekend, my little girl turned 2. I just love that little peanut and her growing personality. I would say I’m excited to be moving out of the baby stage.. but it’s only a few months before we move back into it.

This was her birthday cake!

I know it’s not the typical two-year-old birthday cake (what, no Dora?!), but my girl loves berries. So berries we had.. and lots of them.

But let’s back up a second.

This recipe is called Yellow LARD Cake. Say what!?!

A few years ago, I would not have been caught dead eating anything with lard in it, let alone a dessert. I grew up on the idea that lard and shortening (which are NOT the same, by the way) would make you super fat and you should avoid them at all costs. Pass the butter spray, please! (Can’t believe that’s still a thing.)

After lots of time spent learning about real food, my mind began to change. Maybe animal fats really were the way to go! I think the idea was really cemented in my brain when I took on the GAPS Diet, since the first stages of Intro included only tallow as the only fat (the beef or lamb equivalent for lard). For more reading about lard and it’s place in a nourishing diet, check out this post at Weed ‘Em and Reap.

The recipe for the cake comes from a book that everyone in the Paleo community has been talking about, Beyond Bacon. The cookbook is the brainchild of Matt and Stacy from Paleo Parents, one of the best Paleo resources out there. The book is all about how to take advantage the whole pig, scary bits and all. Matt and Stacy explain how to find quality pork and walk you through all of their preparations in a way that takes intimidating projects (like rendering your own lard) seem very doable.

The book is stuffed full of quality recipes. I’ve got my eye on the Smoked Pork Belly, Asian Short Ribs, Cucumber Dill Quiche, “Corn” Dogs, Fried Yuca, Savory Bacon Jam, Caramel Praline Lard Fudge, The Best Brownies.. so, like I said. A LOT of quality recipes in here.

Matt and Stacy recommend their chocolate frosting to top the yellow cake, but I opted for whipped cream and fresh fruit in honor of my little berry lover. I used real cream, but you can use whipped coconut cream interchangeably. (You may also notice some powdered sugar on the cake. That is NOT paleo, I just think it looks so lovely for photographs!)

I followed the directions in the book for two layers of cake, but unfortunately, one of my layers broke as I was removing it from the pan. My advice would be to chill the layers in the fridge completely and then flip the pans and tap the cakes free only when you’re ready to assemble the cake. Be sure to line the pans with parchment paper, too- that makes a huge difference with these dense paleo cakes!

As for the taste, we can’t get enough! No complaints there. The cake was a great base for berries and cream, but I’d love to try the chocolate frosting on it, too. Can’t go wrong with any kind of cake, if you ask me.

So, in honor of my little girl and her 2nd birthday, I’m giving away a copy of Beyond Bacon to one of you! I have pretty much dropped the ball on giveaways around here, so I’m very happy to be bringing you one today. Makes the heart full to be able to give things away. Just follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter widget below, my darlings, and the winner will be announced at the end of the week!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Popsicles, again?
Yes, always.

Orange popsicles, that is, since I apparently that’s my specialty. (See these creamsicles and mango yogurt pops for the proof.)

While cleaning out the fridge last week, I came upon half a papaya that needed some love (aka I didn’t have the heart to throw it out.) Usually I buy papaya strictly for juices (it’s anti-inflammatory and ya’ll know I need some of that!) but it looked past it’s juicing prime. So popsicles seemed the obvious choice in the heat of summer and because for some reason I couldn’t just cut it up and eat it like a normal person.

I could have made them straight papaya, but I love to add a bit of creaminess to my pops. I was out of any useful coconut products, so I used the cream from the top of the raw milk jar. It was a wise choice, believe you me. A little bit of lime, vanilla and honey and BAM- papaya pops comin’ at ya.

Next time you have half a papaya sitting alone in your fridge, this recipe can be your go-to. I assume that probably won’t happen to most of you, but a girl can dream.. someone out there thinks my blog is useful and actually makes my recipes, right? haha

Really, though- I love you guys. Thanks for reading my crazy popsicle posts and sticking around Oven Love for all these years. You’re the bees.

1.0 from 1 reviews

Papaya Cream Popsicles (Papaya Paletas)

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

This recipe will make 4-6 large popsicles and 8-12 small popsicles, depending on the size of your mold.

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Snack, Dessert

Serves: 4-12

Ingredients

• ½ large ripe red papaya, peeled and seeded
• ⅓ cup heavy cream, coconut cream, or full-fat coconut milk (or omit all together, if you like)
• juice of one lime
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1-2 tablespoons raw honey (optional)

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and puree. Pour into popsicle molds and add popsicle sticks.
2. Freeze for 3-5 hours or until firm. Run warm water over the mold if the popsicles don’t come right out. Serve immediately.

3.1.09