Eat Cake, Gain Muscle

Let's face it, cookies, brownies, cupcakes, cake, candy and ice cream are some of the most awesome foods on the planet. But sweets get a bad rep. People think they're evil temptations, that they'll make us fat, and hinder the quest to gain muscle and burn body fat. This might be true to some extent, but it need not be so, fellow sugar-lovers!

I found this orgasmic gluten-free bakery in NYC called Babycakes, and have been making all the recipes in their cookbook. When I calculated the nutrition, I was surprised to find that they're actually pretty healthy. With oat flour and other ingredients, they're high in protein and fiber. I just reduce the salt. Could always  add protein powder to baking recipes, I guess, but I eat sweets for the taste, and that usually kills it.

http://www.happivore.com/recipe/babycakes-chocolate-chip-cookies/

Anyone else make healthy sweets?

Does that cookie recipe come out as stated?  I've not had luck with vegan baking and I'm always on the lookout for tried and true recipes for my "allergic to dairy and egg" child.   

Sorry, I don't mean to rain on your parade, but why are these healthier than regular chocolate chip cookies? They just replace one refined flour with another, and one fat for another plus a bunch of other gums and starches to keep it from falling apart. Perhaps its good if you're gluten intolerant, but the canola oil is unhealthy and it still has as much sugar as regular cookies. If you want oats, can't you just make oatmeal cookies?

thecolin said:

Sorry, I don't mean to rain on your parade

...Clouds loom in the distance, thunder on the tip of the tongue.

If you want to eat cake eat cake. If you want to gain muscle do that instead

Why try to dress one up as the other? Isn't a delicious cake good enough by itself?

I had some macaroons and farm ice cream intermittently throughout the weekend. The box of macaroons happened to say gluten free so I knew I could eat the whole box in one go...and the ice cream, well that's from the farm so it's full of health.

p.s. Not in anyway trying to disrespect the OP, just trying to get on the fun train before it pulls away.

I don't think muscle and chocolate chip cookies are mutually exclusive.

 I also don't think that recipe is substantially better, nutritionally, than a recipe with wheat flour, egg and butter unless you are vegan or gluten free.    As someone that is on again, off-again vegan, I appreciate the post though.

Jennifer said:

Does that cookie recipe come out as stated?  I've not had luck with vegan baking and I'm always on the lookout for tried and true recipes for my "allergic to dairy and egg" child.   

It's by far the best cookie recipe I've tried in my life. I'm not even gluten-free, but all my baking is now just because Babycakes' recipes taste better than anything else I've tried. Bob's Red Mill actually prints it on the back of their GF all-purpose flour packages.

The ingredient list is a bit daunting, but trust me it's worth it.

I've had occasional, inconsistent success with protein cheesecake, but tbh I think I'd rather make a full blooded cheesecake and have whey with it most of the time as Witness said it tends to come up a bit less than, and I haven't been able to pin down what I do differently when it does come out well :S

If I isolate this factor, I shall post it.

Low fat milkshakes/iced coffees are my muscle building cheat food.. Delicious!

Jon Douglas said:

If you want to eat cake eat cake. If you want to gain muscle do that instead

Why try to dress one up as the other? Isn't a delicious cake good enough by itself?

Can't we multi-task, do both at the same time?

Protein smoothies can be pretty dessert-like, though. I use orange juice, rice milk, a banana, and mango sorbet. With the sorbet, you really can't even taste the protein powder.

WitnessTheFitness said:

Can't we multi-task, do both at the same time?

 

Protein smoothies can be pretty dessert-like, though. I use orange juice, rice milk, a banana, and mango sorbet. With the sorbet, you really can't even taste the protein powder.

Sorbet's an interesting idea. I might look into that...

I recommend mango

 

 

 If you want oats, can't you just make oatmeal cookies?

And you can put chocolate chips in them because Oatmeal Choco Chip is fantastic.

 

I love cookies, I only forgo them when chocolate or flourless chocolate cake is available.  Cookies for strength! (Training too)

Blairbob said:

 

 

 

 If you want oats, can't you just make oatmeal cookies?

And you can put chocolate chips in them because Oatmeal Choco Chip is fantastic.

 

Well, sure, but some of us don't like oatmeal cookies Oat flour is a very different taste, surprisingly.

 I have no idea about Oat flour. I'm talking about oats as in oatmeal. It adds a different texture.


http://instagram.com/p/jIs5sPSZ7Q/

Hisaka is yoked and no, none of the Cal Strength guys are juiced. They get regularly tested under USADA.

Scott is a pretty cool "bro" though as is "Fat Scott" Brent Hisaka.

Yep, so many people think that to be in shape means sacrificing all the "guilty pleasure foods," but there's no reason one can't have an 8 pack and bliss out on sweets, too. Especially for those of us that have trouble consuming enough calories to gain weight, cake and similar foods can be a great strategy.

WitnessTheFitness said:

Yep, so many people think that to be in shape means sacrificing all the "guilty pleasure foods," but there's no reason one can't have an 8 pack and bliss out on sweets, too. Especially for those of us that have trouble consuming enough calories to gain weight, cake and similar foods can be a great strategy.

QFT.

Well I finally got around to making the cookie recipe in the OP and the cookies came out really well.   Thanks for posting it.

 If you have food allergies and are looking for a recipe that works, this one is a keeper.