Maybe its an only child thing, but birthday celebrations are my favorite time of the year. I love gathering all of my close friends and family and doing something fun to celebrate another year around the sun and planning birthday parties for just about any friend that will let me! If you can’t tell, I LOVE planning my yearly birthday party and this is something that has been in my repertoire from high school dance team activities to college sorority functions to now adulthood.
When I’m throwing a birthday party, I love going allllll out. I want my guests (and myself!) to feel like its a special day and have the best time. I’m such a people person and I always want to make sure everyone else is having fun before I can have fun! I also particularly love setting up parties. Give me a theme and I will run with it (while making sure its tasteful too)!
For my birthday this year, I wanted to have an intimate gathering outdoors to catch up with friends and family and celebrate the summertime. I’m all about healthy living and finding those “better for you” alternatives to some of our favorite indulgences, so I set myself on a mission to find healthy and delicious sweets to enjoy as my birthday treat and create a cute set-up to celebrate right at home in my backyard!
FLORAL KETO BIRTHDAY CAKE
This was my first venture into a Keto cake and I did so much research to find the right one that had the best texture, flavor and actually tasted like a birthday cake! This Keto Vanilla Cake Recipe from Sweet As Honey is absolutely divine, plus it’s dairy-free, gluten-free, diabetic and easy for beginners.
I wanted a three-tired cake, so I doubled the recipe and used 6′ baking pans and watched the cook time at around 21-22 minutes since my pans were smaller than those in the recipe.
After cooling, I added icing from the same recipe in the middle layers and swiped a thin layer around the outside to make a “naked” cake look. The night before, I placed some edible flowers in a sturdy book to create decoration for the cake with pressed flowers. Edible flower availability depends on the season and whats available locally, so I chose to use those found in Texas during the summertime: carnations, roses and chrysanthemums.
Tip: Make sure to use flowers that are grown without pesticides or harmful chemicals and to give them a good wash and ample time to dry before you press them.
BIRTHDAY PARTY HEALTHIER FLORAL SUGAR COOKIES
I’m a cookie gal, so of course I had to find a healthy sugar cookie recipe! I used some pressed and fresh edible flowers on the cookies and added a touch of rose water in the recipe to give them that floral taste that I love so much!
Truth: I always pick the lavender and rose flavored macarons if they’re available in the sweets shop!
This Ultimate Healthy Cut-Out Sugar Cookie Recipe from Amy’s Healthy Baking was super easy to make and they turned out delicious, but without the guilt!
For the birthday party set-up, I moved a long table outside in the backyard and layered it with vintage lace table cloths for a boho-feel. I added some greenery, fresh flowers and fresh fruit down the center of the table for the decor and added some candles and lanterns to create some ambiance as the evening turned to dusk. The set-up turned out super cute and it was a great way to celebrate without having to go too far from home!
Hosting another occasion? Check out some of my other event ideas
