This easy healthy smash cake recipe is the perfect compromise for your baby’s first birthday cake. Your little one will be all smiles with their very own healthy smash cake, naturally sweetened and perfectly sized just for the birthday baby!
*Please note* this post has been updated as of June, 2019. The recipe remains the same, but the post has been updated to include a video at the bottom of the post to show you how easy these are to make!
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SMASH cake!! What every 1 year old needs for their birthday. Both hands in, face covered in icing, cake everywhere. Babies go from not being able to eat ANY solid food for the first 4-6 months of their life, to sloooowly adjusting to the tastes and textures of real food, to solely surviving on solids.
For most babies, I assume these first few solids are super-duper healthy and full of nutrients, carefully purchased and cooked by their loving caregivers. I love the idea of presenting a little baby with a giant cake, covered in sweet stuff, for them to enjoy all on their own. I’m pretty sure 99% of babies short-circuit when suddenly faced with the reality of their very own cake.
My second child, Walter, just turned 1 on Tuesday and I served him this healthy smash cake (read more about my year with Wally here). Wally took one look at the cake and thought, “challenge accepted”. Evidence below.
What is a smash cake?
Smash cakes are a relatively new concept. They’re typically a small frosted cake made just for the birthday baby. As much fun as it is to watch a baby go bonkers over a cake, a lot of parents I know don’t want their 1 year old child filling up on loads of sugar and fat (pssst – I’m one of them). I totally believe in moderation, and a sweet treat now and then, but there’s just something about letting a 1 year old have free rein on a super sugary cake.
SO, I created this much healthier version that I could feel good about watching Wally devour. I made something similar for Oscar on his 1st birthday, but Oscar has never been quite the enthusiastic eater that Wally is, so I probably could have given him the real McCoy and still been safe. (Mini orange carrot cake)?!
What flavor cake is best for a 1st birthday?
When you think of cake, you usually think of chocolate or vanilla, but this healthy smash cake recipe creates more of a big healthy strawberry-banana muffin than a cake. It’s made with whole wheat flour, whole milk, and a homemade fruit puree of banana, strawberry and unsweetened applesauce. I told you – healthy! You will want to choose a very ripe banana to ensure it adds enough sweetness, so there’s no added sugar.
How do you make a healthy smash cake?
After you prepare the fruit puree, combine it with the milk, egg and vanilla extract, and then gently combine it with the dry ingredients. Pour the cake into your prepared pan and bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. I made my cake using this adorable little 6″ springform pan I found at Zest Kitchenware. You can also get one from Amazon
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Once the cake was cool, I used dental floss to create 2 layers. You could also use two 4 1/2″ pans and have an automatic double layer. There is probably a more sophisticated way to create layers, but I love using dental floss. It works so well!! Hold both ends of the floss taught in your hands and just pull through the whole way.
The “icing” for the healthy smash cake is simply unsweetened whipping cream with a tablespoon of maple syrup. You could also add a little of the leftover fruit puree for some color and extra flavor. I liked the idea of a bright white cake. Prepare the whipped cream no longer than a few hours before you’re going to frost and serve the cake, to ensure it holds its shape.
If you’ve got a baby approaching the big “1” you’ll be happy to know that you can have all the fun of a smash cake without all the junk! I can confirm that my little buddy had no complaints about his very own healthy smash cake!
Happy birthday Walter!
Since you’ve arrived at this page, I’m guessing you’re into all of the healthy recipes for your kiddo. I’ve got some other amazing kid-friendly recipes that you need to check out. Most of them don’t contain any added sugar!
- Baby Banana Muffins
- Baby Banana Pancakes
- Banana Waffles for Baby
- Green Monster Muffins
- Raspberry Coconut Balls
- Mini Sweet Potato Muffins
- Green Monster Crackers
And be sure to PIN this recipe for later!!
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Healthy Smash Cake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 1 smash cake 1x
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Let your baby have all the fun of their very own healthy smash cake, free of refined sugars and unhealthy fats. This easy healthy smash cake recipe is the perfect compromise for your baby’s first birthday cake.
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 banana, very ripe
- 3 strawberries
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Frosting
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and butter and flour a 6″ springform pan*
- In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- Place the banana, strawberries and applesauce together in a blender and mix on high until completely pureed.
- In another small bowl, whisk together 1 cup of the fruit puree, the milk, egg and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and carefully stir with a large wooden spoon until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before running a knife along the edge of the pan and removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
- If wanting to create 2 layers, use a long piece of dental floss to cut the cake through the middle. Wrap the cooled cake in saran wrap until ready to place on a plate and frost.
Whipped Cream Frosting
- Place a mixing bowl and beater in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours before you are about to prepare the whipped cream. Pour the whipped cream into the chilled bowl, and beat on high with an electric mixer until the cream is the consistency you prefer.
- Frost the bottom layer of the cake first, then follow with the top layer. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve*
Notes
- You could also use two 4 1/2″ pans. Reduce cooking time to about 20-23 minutes.
- I recommend frosting the cake no more than 3-4 hours before serving to ensure the whipped cream maintains its shape.
Keywords: healthy smash cake, healthy smash cake recipe, easy healthy smash cake, healthy 1st birthday cake alternatives
Update: June 2019
So, my 3rd baby, Hattie, turned 1 earlier this year and I made her the same cake, but added a bit of cream cheese to the whipped cream icing to stabilize it enough to pipe the icing on. I used a bit of beet juice to color half of it pink, for pretty rosettes!
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Katherine! That is such a super cute cake for Walter! I bet he loved that and it’s healthy but yummy at the same time!! He’s such a cutie and I love all those baby cars behind him! hahaha! Looks like you all had fun! Have a great weekend!
Thank you so much Kim!! He really did love it, I think he was in shock we put this giant cake in front of him haha! Have a great weekend too friend!
If I make the cake the day before, how would you store it? Room temp or in the fridge?
Hi Amy! If it is un-iced, I would keep it stored at room temperature. Iced, I would keep it in the fridge!
Hi. Can I use regular basic flour just as easy? Same amount?
HI Kinsey, yes! Definitely!
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Love that this is a healthy smash cake!! I will definitely have to try this next time I make a smash cake!! Xoxo 🙂
Thanks miss!! I hope you had a fabulous weekend 🙂
I love that pic of Walter diving into the cake mouth-first! I wish it was socially acceptable for me to do that :). It looks like he had a great first birthday! Have a great week, Katherine!
Haha!! I wouldn’t judge. He definitely had a great day!! Thanks so much Kelsie. Have a great week tooooo!
Hello. Your photo instructions stated milk but couldn’t find it in the ingredients list. How shall I go about it? thanks!
So sorry about that! Thank you for catching my mistake! I’ve updated the ingredients and instructions to include the milk. 🙂
Hi! Can this be made in a shaped cake pan instead? Will it hold up?
I have never tried this, so I can’t be too sure! I would assume if the shaped pan is similar in size it would work!
Follow up: I used a cake pan shaped like a number 1, and it held up just fine. I had to double the resize though because of the size of the pan 🙂
GREAT to know Abby. So happy it worked out!
Could I use just regular 9 inch cake pans? I’ve never used a springform pan, and I don’t own one!
Hi there, if you want to use 9″ pans I would double the recipe and use 2 pans. If you keep the recipe as is and just use 1-9″ pan the cake will be about 1/3 the height of the one you see in my images.
I want to make this recipe for my baby girl. Can I make it one day ahead and store in the fridge? I can wait for the frosting until tomorrow but I’d like to get the cake done before.
Hi Lea – you could definitely make it the day ahead! I would let it come to room temperature for about an hour before frosting and serving 🙂
Thank you for your reply!
Can this be made as cupcakes instead? Sounds really yummy!
Yes! It would probably only make about 6-7 cupcakes. Be sure to reduce the baking time to about 12-14 minutes 🙂
Do you think I could do these in muffin tins for a smaller cake and less clean up?
You could certainly try! I would just decrease the bake time quite a bit and check every 5 minutes with a toothpick!
Can the cake sit out over night without the frosting?
Yes, definitely!
This looks delicious! My hubby is GF so we don’t use regular flour in my kitchen. With cup4cup gf flour I am assuming I will just have to add a little more flour and some xanthan gum. Ideas?
I honestly don’t have much experience baking with gluten free flour, I’m sorry! If you’re used to substituting gf flour for regular, I would do it your regular way and treat this recipe as a muffin recipe. Hope that helps!
hi it really important to me to use a super healthy cake recipe for my little girl’s upcoming birthday. But will be on holiday at the time. Is this recipe suitable for freezing?
Yes! Definitely. It will keep frozen for up to 2 months, but I would freeze it prior to icing 🙂
I want to try this for my twins 1st birthday! Could I use blueberries instead of strawberries?
Yes, absolutely!! It’ll just change the colour of the cake a bit, but would be just as pretty!
Hello! This cake looks great! Would you please tell me what you used for sprinkled decoration of it?
Thank you Valeriya! I found the sprinkles at Bulk Barn 🙂 They’re just colourful little letters and numbers!
Hi! This sounds delicious. I’m going to make it for my son. Could it be made in a 7inch pan? That is the smallest that I have.
Definitely, you’ll just have to adjust the baking time – check it around 20 minutes!
Hi! I’m a bit confused on the frosting. Did you buy heavy whipping cream to make your own or did you use, already prepared whipped cream. Sorry for what’s probably a silly question!
Hi Maranda! I used heavy whipping cream to make my own, but you could use prepared whipped cream too! Whatever is easier for you 🙂
Hi! So you used whipping cream and syrup and mixed them together in the mixer until they become a certain consistency? If you use some of the fruit purée do you need to lessen the amount of whipping cream used? Going to try this for my sons first birthday this weekend!
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Where did you get those gorgeous sprinkles?
Not sure why it says anniversary cake.. I was asking about the alphabet sprinkles for baby’s first smash cake ♡
Hi Tammy! Your comment just got stuck behind a ping back for my latest post 😉 I got the sprinkles at Bulk Barn!!
How many days ahead of eating can I make this cake ? I can’t keep it frozen while camping prior to birthday.
Hi Sue, un-frosted, you could make it 2-3 days ahead of time and keep it in the fridge. In the freezer it will last up to 2 months.
This looks great my little guy turn 1 in just over a month, and been searching for a good recipe. He has an egg allergy so this is great! Do u think u could use blue berries in stead of strawberries? Those are his favorite.
That’s great! I hope he loves it. You can definitely use blueberries, just know the color of the cake will be pretty dark! 🙂
Hi, I was wondering if I can steam this cake instead of put it in the oven (sadly I don’t have an oven). Cheers
Hi there- my little one is allergic to eggs, could I add a little more apple sauce in sub of the x1 egg?
Hi Amanda! I’d think this could probably work. You could also sub for a flax egg with 1 tbsp ground flax combined with 2 1/2 tbsp water. Let it sit for a few minutes to thicken!
Hello! Do you know if a frozen banana would change the cake at all? (I would dethaw it first, of course) :p Thanks!
I think it would work just fine, since you’re pureeing it anyway! 🙂
Could I substitute an extra banana for the strawberries? My little guy has a strawberry allergy
Yes! You could also try blueberries or another fruit 🙂
So you only use one cup of the applesauce, banana and strawberry mixture??
That’s right! You will have a bit leftover.
I made this for my daughters birthday yesterday and it was PERFECT! Followed the recipe to a T. Thanks!
Hooray! I’m so happy to hear that. Thanks for letting me know!
Thank you so much for the recipe! The cake came out nice and fluffy!
Happy to hear that Krystal!!
First off i wanted to thank you for this recipe. Its the only smash cake recipe that i found which had all ingredients my son has had before. I made this cake yesterdat in (2) 6 inch pans. Your instructions say pour ingredients into pans my batter was the consistency of a biscuit batter. It was so thick I couldn’t get it to lay flat. It cooked in 10 min in my oven. Can I add more of any of the ingredients to make it less dense? Thank you again for the recipe .
Hi Jade! I’m surprised it was so thick, but yes! You can add a little more milk and/or applesauce to get the consistency you’re looking for. It should not be as thick as biscuit dough! Good luck!
I cook on the stove all the time but I do NOT bake very often at all. You used 1-6″ pan, I just bought 2-6″ pans to make my son’s smash cake on 2 months. Would I follow same instructions and just divide it between the 2 pans or double the recipe? Also would cook temp and time stay the same?
The pans mentioned are 6inx2in
I would divide the recipe between the two pans to make two layers! The bake time will be less, try checking it after about 15 minutes, using a toothpick. If you double the recipe you’ll have a very tall cake.
Lol okay thanks!
I really want to try this! I’m confused about the syrup. Do I pour that in with the whipping cream and beat the two together?
Yes! The maple syrup is what lightly sweetens the whipping cream.
Substitution for Apple sauce? Nephew is alergic
You could use 1/4 oil or melted butter 🙂
JuSr replace apple sauce with 1/4 cup oil or melted butter?
Yes
How could I make this chocolate? I think my one year old already has a preference….
Can I use regular, all purpose flour in the smash cake recipe?
Yes, definitely!
The same exact amount or that’d change since it would not be the same flour?
The same amount; the cake will not be as dense (which isn’t a bad thing)!
Hi, im making this for my son’s first birthday next week, but he hasn’t had whole milk yet. Would substituting almond milk be OK? Or would it change the consistency?
Yes! You can definitely use almond milk 🙂 Happy birthday to your son!
Will make this next month for my girl’s 1st. Since it won’t be berry season what other fruit can I replace the strawberries with?
You can always use frozen berries!
I am so excited to make this! The thought of my baby girl plunging into a full cake of sugar makes me cringe! Now I can happily celebrate with her cake smash! 🙂 Thank you!
I’m so happy to hear that! I’m sure she’ll love it. I felt the same way about my baby and all of that sugar!
I am planning to make this for my one year old’s birthday. For practice, I had a 9” springform pan and I doubled the recipe and baked for 40min. The cake turned out ok. The problem is the cake is a little bit dense, tastes more like banana muffins and doesnt look like it’s smashable. Any thoughts?
Love this recipe idea! Where are those sprinkles from- those are so cute! Are they sugar free? I haven’t been able to buy sugar free sprinkles 🙁
I found the sprinkles at Bulk Barn, but unfortunately they aren’t sugar free!!
Hi, is this cake dense or does it rise well? I love this recipe and want to try it, but just curious on what the end product is. 🙂
also could i substitute coconut or almond milk? Thanks!
Hi there, so sorry for the slow response. It is not a typical “light and fluffy” cake, but more of a muffin texture. It does rise rather well, though!
Thanks so much for the healthy smash cake recipe! I made this for my daughter’s first birthday and she loved it! She’s hasn’t had much sugar in her diet thus far and it was great to be able to let her go to town on something that wouldn’t give her a stomach ache later 🙂
Ah I’m so, so happy to hear that. It’s exactly why I created it! Babies don’t need a ton of icing and sugar, right!? Happy birthday to your gal!
Hello! I was very excited to try this recipe but something went wrong. I followed the directions to the t and went over them a few times I can’t find what I did wrong. The batter came out as dough. I actually had to push it down into the pan to make sure it was even I baked for 25 mins and the outside is brown while the inside is still dough. How do I make it more like batter?? Add more milk? Thank you for you help in advance.
I cannot thank you enough for this recipe!!! My little girl is only 7 1/2 months but I’m already planning little details Haha and I have searched so many times for healthy cake smash recipes and I had yet to find another health conscious mom, surprisingly!! Lol so thank you!!!!!!
Thank YOU so much for the comment! Reading comments like yours makes me so happy 🙂 I know what you mean – it was strange to me how few options there were. Who wants to feed their 1 year old a bunch of sugar?! Haha! You’re so welcome. Let me know if you have any questions! XO
I never baked a cake in my life! So I tried this just to pre-plan. The top of it is all crusty,
cracked and mountain like…what am I doing wrong? I doesn’t resemble cake at all.
Hmm I don’t know! If you followed the directions, it should come out like a very large muffin 🙂
Should I double the recipe if I am using two 8in pans?
Hi Brooke, I don’t want to steer you wrong since I’ve only made the mini cake, but I do think if you doubled the recipe you could use two 8″ pans. Just be sure to check baking times, you’ll need less time since you have two. Start with 15-20 minutes then check with a toothpick every 5 minutes.
Good simple recipe. Healthy for my little one to enjoy. I made it twice. It is easy to throw together and surprisingly tasty for a cake with absolutely no sweetener! Obviously the riper the banana and strawberries the better 😉
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Thanks Justine! Happy to hear that – I make it sometimes without any decorations, etc just as a yummy treat for the kids!
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I’m planning on making this for my son’s first smash cake in a few weeks! Happy to see the update about adding the cream cheese to the frosting to make it a bit more stiff. How much did you use and when did you add the cream cheese to the fluffing of the heavy cream? Thanks!
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Hi! I hope he loves it!! So I added just 4 oz of softened cream cheese once the heavy cream had gotten quite thick already. It definitely holds the shape better!
Hello,
Thanks alot for this recipe, it seems pretty easy healthy and delicious 😋. I did try to make it but I have to bake it fir over an hour and it all burned over but it didn’t actually all from inside cooked. I really did all the recipe like step by step with all the ingredients, I did use a frozen strawberry instead of the fresh ones though but I don’t think that’s why. Could you please give me some tips
Best regards
Suhad
Hi Souhad, I’m sorry it didn’t turn out the way you had expected! Baking it for over an hour seems much too long, so perhaps it was the frozen strawberries?
Hi There,
Can I substitute the flour with oat flour? Would it be the same amount? Thanks!
I honestly couldn’t tell you, I don’t know if the oat flour would give enough rise! If you try it let me know 🙂
Alternative too using an egg? My son is allergic too egg whites. Not horrifically, but it flares his eczema up decently.
You could try a flax egg! I haven’t tried it myself but I think it could work.
I’m going to make this for my daughter’s first birthday but wanted to ask how much cream cheese I need to add to the whipped cream to stabalize.
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Hi Jane! I added 4oz of cream cheese (room temperature) to the whipped cream. I also added a bit more maple syrup, since the cream cheese is not sweet at all. Good luck!
Thank you for your help
Trying this recipe tonight for my son’s 1st birthday tomorrow. I’m very excited. I picked it especially because my boy’s name is Walter as well!
I hoped it worked out well for your Walter!! 🙂
Hi, thanks for the recipe, I want to make something similar to the pink and white swells for my girl turning 1 and I was wondering how much cream cheese you put in to stabilise? As we’ll be having our do in the park I want to make sure that the icing will be able to last a little while before it gets devoured. 🙂
HI Vivian! I used 4oz cream cheese (softened) to stabilize, along with some powdered sugar, since I thought plain cream cheese might be too bland for my little! Good luck!
Just made this for my little guy’s first birthday today! My big girl (3.5) and I had fun decorating it with rainbow sprinkles and Cheerios. Nice moist cake and tasty even with the low sugar content, and he seemed to enjoy it – perfect for a first birthday cake! Thanks Katherine!
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Aw, yay. Comments like these absolutely make my day, Krystle. Thank you for letting me know, and I’m glad he (and you) enjoyed the cake!!
This cake recipe is great! The cake is firm, rose well while baking and held its shape after cooling. Just in case anyone is wondering, it can be stacked easily for a tiered cake! Thanks!
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Thanks Angela! I’m glad you enjoyed!!
Can I substitute or skip the strawberry?