This Healthy First Birthday Smash Cake (no added sugar) is the perfect recipe for your baby’s special day! It is easy to make and turns out so yummy and cute for the best smash cake photos. It can also be made ahead of time!
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Healthy Smash Cake Recipe
If you are looking for a healthy and smashable cake for your baby’s first birthday party, this recipe is for you! My little girl just turned one this month, and I wanted to make a special sugar-free cake for her 1st birthday. She had a blast, and so did we! Seeing her reactions was so much fun, first trying the raspberries on top, then the pineapple bliss balls and whipping cream. She did not eat the cake at the party (which happens in most smash cake sessions), but this is one of the recipes I always make for her in a muffin format, and it is a HIT!
Reasons to Love This Best First Birthday Cake
- No added sugar: This cake is naturally sweetened with bananas and raisins. No artificial sweeteners, refined sugar, or even maple syrup is used in this recipe!
- Perfect size: It is a small cake, the ideal size to keep the fun tradition without wasting a lot (since it will likely be trashed after the smash session). I used two 6-inch cake pans for a two-layer cake, and they turned out the cutest! You can alternatively use three 4-inch cake pans for a three-layer cake.
- Easily adaptable: You can use freeze-dried fruit to add some color to the sugar-free frosting and add your baby’s favorite fresh fruit on top! You can make a coconut or chocolate cake by adding desiccated coconut or cacao powder to the batter.
- Smashable: It has a fluffy texture, the perfect recipe to be smashed!
- EASY to make: Planning a baby’s 1st birthday can be a stressful time, with every single detail of what needs to happen, plus taking care of a baby that still needs to eat, nap, etc.… This cake is so easy to make, and you probably have all the ingredients on hand already!
Ingredients to Make Baby’s First Birthday Cake
This smash cake recipe uses super simple ingredients. Here is what you need to make THE BEST Smash Cake for your little one:
- Bananas: For added sweetness and moisture. The riper the bananas, the sweeter the cake.
- Eggs: Used as a binder and for added protein.
- Golden raisins: These nutrient and calorie-dense raisins add sweetness. I like using golden raisins for the color; I prefer a lighter cake with white or light-colored frosting.
- Butter: To add moisture to the cake.
- All-purpose flour: I like to use a combination of oats and all-purpose flour. This way, the cake is healthier and also fluffy!
- Oat flour: This is used for added fibers and nutrients.
- Baking powder: To make the muffins rise.
- Cinnamon: For added flavor and sweetness (optional).
- Milk or orange juice: To add more moisture to the cake (optional).
- Frosting + toppings: See all my ideas below.
Step-by-Step Instructions
The process of making this sugar-free smash cake is very easy.
Baking the Cake
- Preheat oven to 356F and prepare two 6-inch cake pans.
- Melt the butter (about 20 seconds in the microwave).
- Add the ripe bananas, eggs, raisins, and melted butter to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Combine the oat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
- Whisk the dry ingredients until combined.
- Pour the blended wet ingredients into the dry ingredients bowl and whisk until combined.
- Split the cake batter evenly into the two 6-inch cake pans.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool before removing from the cake pan.
- In the meantime, prepare the frosting of choice (see options below)
Assembling and Decorating:
- Cut the rounded top of each cake to make them even creating a flat surface.
- Drizzle milk or orange juice to make the cakes even more moist (optional).
- Using an offset spatula or knife, spread the frosting on the bottom layer of the cake. Place the top layer on top and apply the frosting on top and sides of the cake if desired.
- Decorate the frosted cake with fresh fruit, bliss balls or freeze-dried fruit.
Healthy Frosting Ideas
You may add color to any of the frosting options below by adding freeze-dried fruit powder. Add freeze-dried strawberries or blueberries to a food processor until they turn into a fine powder, then mix into your favorite sugar-free frosting!
Whipped Cream
- Add 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream to a stand mixer and whisk on medium until thick. You may also use an electric hand mixer.
Greek Yogurt
- Add Greek yogurt to a fine-mesh strainer lined with a coffee filter (paper towels or cheese cloth) over a bowl or wide glass and let it drain the water overnight. This will make the Greek yogurt even thicker, holding the cake more efficiently and working better as a frosting.
Coconut Cream
- Refrigerate 1 can of full-fat coconut milk overnight or freeze for about 30 min. Open and scoop out the cream at the top. Beat the cream, using an electric mixer, until fluffy.
Topping Ideas for Baby’s 1st Birthday Cake
Here are some fun ideas you could use to decorate this smash cake:
- Fresh Berries: I used fresh raspberries to decorate my baby girl’s cake, raspberries are her favorite berries and I just knew she would eat them right away!
- Jam Swirls: You can add some fruit jam to your favorite frosting for a colorful and fun twist. There are endless possibilities here: Strawberry, blueberry, mango to list a few.
- Use a candle or cake topper: This is cute for taking the pictures, just make sure there are no sharp edges on the cake topper that could be a hazard for the baby.
Recipe Tips for Success
- To prepare the cake pans, you may use non-stick cooking spray or spread some butter using a paper towel. I like to add some flour after the butter and spread it all over the cake pans. Alternatively, you can cut some parchment paper and line the bottom of the pans.
- You can use three smaller 4-inch cake pans if you’d like three cake layers. Adjust the baking time for thicker cakes.
- Use overripe bananas with a few brown spots for better results.
- To make the cakes ahead: If you can’t bake the cake the day of the smash cake session, you can bake the day before. Let the cake layers completely cool on a wire rack and place them in an airtight container at room temperature until the next day. Then follow with the frosting the day of. You can make the frosting a few hours earlier and keep the entire cake in the fridge until the time to smash. Or, you can make the frosting ahead, store it in an air-tight container and frost just before serving.
- To make cupcakes: This recipe is excellent to make cupcakes as well. Evenly split the batter into your muffin tray and bake for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. If making mini-muffins, reduce the baking time to 15 minutes.
Tools Needed
- Blender
- Two 6-inch cake pans or three 4-inch springform pans.
- Whisk
- Parchment paper
- Offset spatula
Substitutions
- You may replace the all-purpose flour with 1:1 gluten-free flour, or use 100% oat flour, just make sure the total is 1 ¼ cup as the oat flour is less dense than the all-purpose flour.
- Dairy-free: Use melted coconut oil in place of the butter.
Storage Instructions
Cake
- Let the smash cake cool completely, then store it in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap for up to 1 day at room temperature and up to 3 days in the fridge.
- To freeze, store the unfrosted cake layers in a freezer airtight bag for up to 3 months.
- To reheat, microwave the cake in 30 second increments until warm. You can also let them defrost overnight in the fridge.
Frosting
- Store the frosting in an airtight container in the fridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use two 6-inch cake pans, or three 4-inch cake pans. I find these to be the best for smash cakes as it needs to be small for the baby, plus you don’t end up throwing away a lot of your ingredients.
A smash cake is a small birthday cake made for baby’s 1st birthday and the smash cake photoshoots. You can place it on the floor (remember to cover it!) or on a highchair for the baby to play with it and smash as he/she likes. It is a messy process but one that will be remembered forever.
Most people serve a small smash cake for the baby and have a bigger cake for the party guests. However, leftovers of the baby’s smash cake can be eaten by the family (if they don’t mind the potential mess).
Did you try this recipe? Let me know in the comments and rating below!
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🥣Recipe
Healthy First Birthday Smash Cake (no added sugar)
Equipment
- 1 Blender
- 2 6-inch cake pans or three 4-inch cake pans
- 1 Whisk
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 356F and prepare two 6-inch cake pans.
- Melt the butter (about 20 seconds in the microwave).
- Add the ripe bananas, eggs, raisins, and melted butter to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Combine the oat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
- Whisk the dry ingredients until combined.
- Pour the blended wet ingredients into the dry ingredients bowl and whisk until combined.
- Split the cake batter evenly into the two 6-inch cake pans.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool before removing from the cake pan.
- In the meantime, prepare the frosting of choice (see options below in the recipe notes).
Notes
- Cut the rounded top of each cake to create a flat surface.
- Drizzle milk or orange juice to make the cakes even more moist (optional).
- Using an offset spatula or knife, spread the frosting on the bottom layer of the cake. Place the top layer on top and apply the frosting on top and sides of the cake if desired.
- Decorate the frosted cake with fresh fruit, bliss balls, or freeze-dried fruit.
- Add 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream to a stand mixer and whisk on medium until thick. You may also use an electric hand mixer.
- Add Greek yogurt to a fine-mesh strainer lined with coffee filter (paper towels or cheese cloth), over a bowl or wide glass and let it drain the water overnight. This will make the Greek yogurt even thicker, which will hold the cake more easily and work better as a frosting.
- Refrigerate 1 can of full fat coconut milk overnight or freeze for about 30 min. Open and scoop out the cream at the top. Beat the cream, using an electric mixer, until fluffy.
Nutrition
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