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, 2021. 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
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 1 smash cake 1x
Description
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.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
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!
How much cream cheese did you use so that you could pipe it? Could you do the icing in advance and it would hold its shape or did you have to do it and serve soon after?
Hi. Can I use regular basic flour just as easy? Same amount?
HI Kinsey, yes! Definitely!
★★★★★
My Grand son is turning 1 today. I’m using your recipe to bake his first birthday cake. Can I use two 5” crystal pans?
Congrats on your grandson’s birthday! Sorry I’m late to respond, hope the cake worked out!
Would it be possible to make the cake prior and freeze?
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!
Do you think I could replace the strawberries with blueberries???
Yes! The cake will just be darker (more of a purple hue)
Hello Katherine,
I am looking to do this cake for my daughter’s 1st birthday next week. You have ingredients scale under the recipe 1x,2x,3x which scale did you use? And what did you layer the cake with between the two layers, more fruits? Thank you Diana
Hi Diana, I didn’t scale the recipe at all, so unless you are wanting to make double (or triple) the amount you see, just follow the recipe as is! Good luck!
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!
Hey! I made this for my little guy’s 1st birthday today. I didn’t decorate it yet but I wanted to know about your sprinkles. Are they ordinary sprinkles or some healthy variety i haven’t heard of yet? Thanks for this recipe!
Sorry for the late response! They are just ordinary sprinkles, I got them at Bulk Barn!!
Wow, super easy and healthy cake.
Hey Katherine, can I replace the strawberries with cherries.
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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 🙂
What is the colorful topping you sprinkled on top of the white cake frosting?
Hi Becky! Those are just sprinkles I picked up at Bulk Barn 🙂
What would be a healthy way to dye the frosting green? I want to do a dinosaur theme for my little man. I could use food coloring but I don’t personally really know what’s in those.
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!
How much cream cheese did you add to make the frosting pipe-able?
Hi Isabella, I used 4 oz of softened cream cheese.
Hello, just wondered if you can freeze the cake (without frosting) ahead of time?
Yes, definitely! Just thaw overnight in the fridge.
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!
Any substitute for egg ?
Unfortunately, no! Sorry!
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!
Hi, would this cake work with gluten free flour?
I have not tried it! I would suspect it would work fine though!
Hi Katherine, hope you see this I know this post was old! I am in the process Of making this for my son right now. I’m going to serve it to him tomorrow and I just baked the two layers and Suggestion on storing them overnight without the icing in the fridge. You mentioned that I should ice two hours before serving so I wasn’t going to ice them but I’m worried that the two layers will become hard overnight in the fridge. I’m going to be adding a little bit of cream cheese to the icing to make it a little more structured do you think that makes a difference and I could I said and put it in the fridge overnight to be ready for tomorrow?
Hi, can I whip the icing by hand? Don’t have an electric beater?
This looks great! Just wondering if I can substitute the whole wheat flour for almond flour??
I haven’t tried it, but I don’t think the cake will hold its shape very well with almond flour! 🙂
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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!!
Hi Amy, how much cream cheese did you use to stabilize the frosting? Thank you
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)!
OMG Catherine, i baked two of these for my twins 1st birthday and even grown ups loved it ignoring their more expensive cake🙄. I was pleased with myself. Thank you so much for this stress free recipe. Im baking muffins for my babies today from same recipe.
Tumi, thank you SO much! I’m so happy to hear that. Hope the muffins turn out well too!!
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?
Hi Carla! You can use a different fruit (blueberries or raspberries). If you skip it, I would increase the applesauce amount to 1/3 cup.
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Thanks for the easy recipe! My son’s birthday is tomorrow I just made this – just wanted to come on and let you know that my consistency was really thick and gummy as well and I just added some applesauce and almond milk to make it a little bit less thick, seemed to work ok. Also my puree mix didn’t quite make a full cup with the specified ingredients. Haven’t tasted the cakebut looks good and cooked well!
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Thank you for the comments, Helen! Glad it worked out in the end.
I’m not a baker but going to give this recipe a go! However, I am stuck already! Whole meal flour… plain or self raising? My local store sells both 😫🙈
Hi Laura! Just plain whole wheat flour will do, not the self-raising kind. Good luck to you!
Hi so I making the cake right now just wondering how do you cut it with the floss I tried and it’s not working. How much time do o give before cutting with floss
Hi Sophy, I use a sharp knife to first cut about 1/2″ deep around the cake, then use the floss to slide it through.
This was a fantastic cake! My baby is usually a difficult eater, but she spent a good 30 minutes tearing into this and actually consumed a good amount. I was happy to let her enjoy it without worrying about a sugar high. Thanks very much!
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I’m so, so happy to hear that. Thank you for taking the time to let me know how well it worked out! Happy birthday to your little gal! 🙂
I made this as a test bake today and it’s fab! But want to do it for my boy’s 1st birthday and need to scale it up for a 6 inch pan and am in uk. Do you have measurements in grams at all or know what one cup is for you? I know they’re all different 😊
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Glad the test run worked out ok Eike! I do not have measurements in grams unfortunately, but if you ask Google you should be able to find out what the difference is 🙂 Good luck!
Hello! What is the consistency like of this cake? Can I carve it into a shape? Is it soft? Thank you!!!
Hi Courtney!! The consistency is kind of like a big muffin, if that helps. It is soft but not super soft like a typical white cake. Depending on the shape, it could work!
Hello! I only have one 9” springform tin, should I double the recipe? Thank you! Lauren x
Hi Lauren! Yes, I would! Use the toothpick method to check on the baking time, as well. They may take less time to bake as they’ll be spread out.
Hi there! Tried the recipe today in an 8” pan and baked for 20 mins and it was worked great! I am wanting to get a taller cake. Do you think I can double the recipe in an 8” pan and increase baking time to about 40 mins?
Hi Katie. Do you have two 8″ pans? I think it would work to double the recipe, but if I were you I’d do it in two layers, and just add some whipping cream in the middle to get the height you want!
This recipe turned out exactly the way you described it – like a giant muffin! Even though I used all purpose flour. Thanks for the great recipe.
★★★★★
Yay! Thanks for letting me know Rachell. I’m so happy to hear that.
Beginner baker here so when I saw whipping cream, I googled and learned the differences between “whipping cream” and “heavy whipping cream”. Since your recipe calls for whipping cream, I got the whipping cream and it looks way too light and airy to be the cream in layer cakes. Then I read some comments and you mentioned it’s actually heavy whipping cream… Can you please clarify? Although it’s already too late to get heavy cream now 🙁
Hi Tina, heavy cream and whipping cream are essentially the same thing. They will yield the same texture. The reason it seems so light is that it is light! It’s not going to be thick like a frosting, because we’re trying to keep it healthier for the babies 🙂 You do not need to go buy anything else! The one you have will be just fine.
Thanks for the reply! I’m just not sure about it because it doesn’t really hold well as a layer between the two slabs of cake. It’s not firm so the cake slides when I try to cut it. Is that how this cake was meant to be? Thanks!
Hi Tina, whipping cream definitely won’t be as stable as a traditional icing! Truthfully, we’ve never cut the cake as it’s always been meant for the baby to “smash”. 🙂
Hey Katherine! Will be doing the test baking in a day or two. I’m not sure I’ll be able to get strawberries during this Lockdown.. can we skip it or replace it with any of the two fruits mentioned?
This looks amazing and I can’t wait to make it for my little girl’s 1st birthday in a couple of days. I saw the stunning version you did with the rosettes and wondered if you could tell me how much cream cheese you combined with the cream? And did you whip the cream and cream cheese together from the start?
Hi Roxie, thank you! I just added 4 oz of softened cream cheese (1/2 a block) once the heavy cream had gotten quite thick already, then whipped it in with it 🙂
Hi Katherine,
Your cake looks so good and sounds so healthy as well! I’m planning to bake it for my boy’s 1st birthday on the 13 May. I just have a question here for the frosting, if i want to make it yellow (the theme is black and yellow), can I add a few drops of natural homemade food colouring? I made the yellow colour from tumeric but not sure if I can add it to the cream frosting, I’m just worried it will change its flavour.. Hope to hear from you soon. Thank you so much 🙂
Hmmm I honestly do not know if it would change the flavor. Why don’t you try a little bit of whipped cream, and add some of your coloring to see what happens? Good luck 🙂
Hi Katherine,
Can I substitute whole wheat flour with almond flour?
Hi Parvathi, I’ve never tried but I don’t know that the cake would hold together very well!
Thank you for this great healthy cake recipe! I made this on 5/23 for my daughter’s 1st bday, it was really good! I’m a beginner baker, and took a few notes that I thought I’d share –
1) Fruit mixture only yielded 1/2c, perhaps size of the fruit I used, but after I blended this, I saw that the recipe called for an exact amount of 1C so I doubled the amount
2) I added maple syrup to the cake batter for a slightly more sweet taste
3) For the two layers, the floss worked well but I did have to use a knife to cut the cake at first, only about 1 to 2 inch cut
4) I buttered and floured the cake tin, and used parchment paper to be safe (beginner!), not sure if both methods are necessary
5) Whipped Cream frosting, I added maple syrup to taste, didn’t use exact measurement, and some vanilla extract.
*The maple syrup I used was with agave so less sweet.
Thank you again!
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Hi all, does this cake taste good enough to serve to the adults?
Thank you for this lovely recipe! It made my one year old’s birthday and gave us lots of great photos! I love how great the cake looked but with minimal stress or effort from me : )
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I’m so happy to hear that, Helen! Thank you!
Hi, Thanks for the recipe. I was wondering if I can substitute the whole wheat flour with cake flour or all purpose flour. Thank you
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Yes, you can definitely use all-purpose.
Wow, super easy and healthy cake.
Hey Katherine, can I replace the strawberries with cherries.
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Hi Preeti, yes you could replace it with cherries!
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Hello! I was wondering how many times I should double this recipe if I’m trying to make the following:
-One 4×3 in round cake (smash cake)
-Two 9×2.63 in round cakes (double layer cake)
-Twelve cupcakes
Also, can I add fresh blueberries into the cake batter if I want to without anything weird happening? Or even freeze dried blueberries?
Thanks!
Hi Cames. You won’t need to double the recipe for the 4×3 cake, but double it for the two 9″ pans. I’m not 100% sure about the cupcakes, but I would think you’d need to double it for 12 cupcakes. You can definitely add fresh blueberries or freeze-dried blueberries to the batter, just stir them in gently right before baking.
Apologies if this has already been asked, but do you think it would turn out alright if I used oat flour instead? Thanks!
Hi there, I don’t think oat flour would work very well but if you give it a try, let me know!!
Hi there, hoping to make this for my daughters upcoming birthday. How should I make this with two round 6 in cake pans? I was planning to use two pans to make a small layered cake. I wasn’t sure about doubling recipe, cook time, etc. Thank you!
Hi Lindsey! Making the cake in just one 6″ pan and then splitting it in half yields a fairly tall little layer cake. If you double the recipe I think the cake will be too high and possibly unsteady. If you do go that route though, double the recipe and put the pans in at the same time; the bake time will be about the same. Just check with a toothpick!
Hi I want to make this in a large cupcake pan. I think the cupcake pan requires 2 cake mixes. Can you tell me how many times I would increase your recipe?
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Hi Violet. I’ve never done this before; you could look into the volume of a 6″ pan because that is what I use for this recipe. Compare that to the cupcake pan you want to use and increase the volume of the recipe accordingly. The bake time will also be longer, so be sure to use a toothpick to check.
My little guy turns 1 in a few weeks and we’re having a cake smash photoshoot to celebrate! I am trying to avoid buying the cake, as I’d like to know what the ingredients are – this looks amazing!! I loved the photo you had of the icing piped into rosettes, how did you get them dual colour? I know you mentioned using beet juice to colour, but do you spoon both icings into the piping bag??
Hi Gillian! To create the dual colors, just fill two small bags (one pink, one white) with icing and then place them both into a larger piping bag that is fitted with the piping tip. Good luck!
I have twins that will be 1 year old in November and I’m so glad I found this recipe! I love that it’s a healthier cake without all the added sugar. Can’t wait to see their faces when they realize they each get their own cake! 🙂
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Thank you so much Emeline, this is so sweet of you to say! Happy birthday to your babes!
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Just made a test cake with this recipe. While it turned out okay I find it to be very dense, almost bread like. I also found the salt taste to be prominent, mostly due to the lower sugar content.
I think I’ll try adding an extra banana and slightly more apple sauce to help with the moisture. Otherwise it’s a simple option for a smash cake!
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Hello! I love the idea of having a healthier smash cake. I’m thinking about baking it in the base part of a giant cupcake tin, since she doesn’t need much cake anyway.
Question: would sifting the dry goods twice make it slightly fluffier? And will freezing the cake make it denser? I’d prefer to make it BEFORE my in-laws get to town, but they arrive 2 days prior to her birthday. I don’t want it to be too dense for her to actually smash.
Thank you!
Hi Catherine! I think sifting twice would help, but I don’t want to set you up for disappointment as the cake is fairly dense. It’s more like a muffin texture, if that makes sense! But freezing it would not affect the density. Just make sure it’s totally thawed before she tries to smash it! 🙂
Thank you so much! And I succumbed to Pinterest/other moms’ pics and bought some 4″ springform pans. So, if I have 3 pans, would I need to double the recipe to fill all 3 pans? Or could I divide the recipe between 2 pans and just decrease the baking time? Thank you!
I would divide it between all 3! I use 6″ pans in the recipe so with 4″ pans you wouldn’t need to double the recipe, but do decrease the baking time!!
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Hi! This sounds delicious. What’s the consistency once baked? From experience with my first kiddo’s smash cake, a lot of healthy baby cakes end up pretty solid / stodgy / muffin like, not crumbly and smashable. Thanks for letting me know (so I can avoid a trial bake!)
Hi Nicole – it is pretty muffin-like. It won’t be soft and crumbly! Since we’re trying to keep things healthy it’s hard to achieve the light and fluffy “cake” texture from a typical cake 🙂 Hope that helps!
For the difference recipes like 1x, 2x, 3x I noticed the instructions didn’t change regarding the 1 cup of purée. I’m assuming if I make 2x recipe then I need to add 2cups of the purée?? Just making sure
Hi Cheryl! Yes the wording of the instructions wouldn’t change, but yes you do need to make 2 cups of the puree! 🙂
This looks awesome! Would substituting cassava flour work? Thanks!
This recipe is AMAZING! I made a few substitutions – almond flour, blueberries instead of strawberries, added a tiny bit more applesauce and a pinch of cinnamon – and it was a HIT!! My 1yo didn’t care too much about having a smash cake but the rest of the party crew wanted to try it and they LOVED IT!! Love that it was something that even adults enjoyed and it’s not loaded with sugar. Thank you so much for sharing such a great recipe!
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Jacklyn I’m so happy to hear it worked out so well for you!! I’m glad even the adults enjoyed it!
I’m so excited to make this for my 1-year-old’s birthday. I was thinking of making it the day before – should I put in the fridge and frost the next day or would it be OK at room temp for a day do you think? Thanks!
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I just made this cake for my sons first birthday and it was such a hit. I left out the salt (I know baked goods need salt but he didn’t complain) and maple syrup and added a little cream cheese to the whipped cream frosting, and topped with fresh berries. He loved it! Thank you for sharing this guilt free recipe. I tried a bit and it tasted like a big yummy muffin.
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