Healthy Smash Cake Recipe for baby's first birthday!

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I'm so happy to share my easy recipe for this healthy Sugar Free Smash Cake that is made from simple, nutritious and wholesome ingredients. I made this cake for both of my babies on their first birthdays and it was such a hit. Watching your baby dig in to their first cake is such a special moment and this healthy smash cake makes you feel good doing it because you know it is made with nourishing ingredients that baby will love. It is so fun to watch them enjoy the process. This cake is delicious and moist with no added sugar at all - not maple syrup, nor honey - and filled then covered with a creamy sugar free whipped cream cheese frosting.

It is the perfect dessert for a 1 year birthday party, and you can use this recipe as a base for other mix-ins such as fruit and chocolate chips for when they turn 2. I even made this same cake for my first born's second birthday as I choose not to introduce sugar until after they turn 2 years old. It's not just for babies, though - recipe is based on my popular Sugar Free Banana Muffins recipe.

baby smash cake after baby smashed it with toddler holding a candle

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Moist and tender cake- this recipe makes cake that is moist and soft even though it contains ZERO sugar.
NO sugar added - this cake is made with absolutely no sugar. The sweetness in the cake is coming solely from very ripe bananas and the frosting has a subtle sweetness from fresh cream.
Easy to make - all you need is a whisk, a bowl and a spatula to make this recipe. It is so super simple.
Healthy smash cake - this recipe is a great healthy first birthday cake for baby! It is made with oat flour, almond flour, flax, whole eggs, olive oil and no sugar at all. It is full of protein, fiber and healthy fats. It makes a nutritious snack for kids and adults too.

baby smash cake with sugar free frosting, peanut butter drip and a candle

WHAT IS A SMASH CAKE?

A smash cake is a small birthday cake meant for a baby turning 1 year old. It is typically a baby's first experience with a dessert like this and the idea is that they will have free rein to explore with their hands and get messy as they eat it. I placed mine in front of my babies on a piece of parchment paper while they were seated in their high chair. Other people have also placed it on the floor in front of baby on a towel or sheet to contain the mess.

sugar free smash cake layer stacked on baking sheet

INGREDIENTS

This smash cake recipe uses wholesome nutritious ingredients that are readily available. See the FAQ section below for possible substitutions.

Olive Oil - I love using olive oil for its fruity flavor and healthy fat fractions. It adds extra flavor since these bananas have no sugar. You can certainly use any other cooking oil, such as sunflower or canola oil.
Eggs - two large eggs will add nice structure and help with the moist spongy texture.
Pure vanilla extract - vanilla is definitely necessary to make this cake tasty. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
Milk - I use whole milk to make this recipe, but 2% or 1% milk will also work. You can also use any non-dairy milk.
Vinegar - yes, vinegar! I like to use apple cider vinegar, but white vinegar will do. It is important to elevate the natural sweetness since there is no sugar in this recipe. It will also react with the baking soda so the cake rises nicely.
Ripe banana - bananas that you should use for baking should be really spotty and very ripe. That means they are at their sweetest and will make moist cake. I know that many people like to bake with frozen bananas, but I do not recommend it. Frozen bananas lose a lot of moisture and their cell structure breaks down during the freezing process so that they can't lend as much structure to the batter. This can lead to a gummy layer forming in the cake. I also find that the flavor changes during freezing.

Spice - cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg add some comforting aroma and extra flavor in combination with the banana! The aroma will make your house smell incredible as the cake is baking.
All purpose flour - regular unbleached all-purpose flour works great for this cake.
Almond flour - use blanched ground almonds or fine almond flour.
Oat flour - I often do not have oat flour handy, so I just grind oats in my food processor until they are very fine. This works perfectly for me!
Flax seed - I like to add a bit of ground flax seed or flaxmeal for added nutrition, but it is optional. I have tested this recipe without it and it still turns out great.
Cream cheese - I pair this cake with a simple light whipped cream cheese frosting that my kids love.
Whipping cream - there's more cream than cream cheese so this frosting tastes naturally sweet just from the fresh cream. You will need 35% whipping cream for it to whip up and become stable. You can also add a bit of vanilla and a teaspoon of maple syrup if you wish.

sugar free smash cake layers stacked with sugar free cream cheese frosting

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1). Combine wet ingredients. In a large bowl, mash the banana with a fork until very smooth. Whisk in olive oil and eggs. Add milk, vinegar and vanilla and whisk until blended.
STEP 2). Add non-wheat dry ingredients. Add oat flour or ground oats, almond flour and ground flax seed and whisk it in until evenly combined. Don't worry about over-mixing at this point. Let batter stand for 5-10 minutes to allow the oat flour to hydrate.
STEP 3). Combine flour and leaveners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, nutmeg and salt until evenly blended.
STEP 4). Add dry ingredients. Add flour mixture to the bowl with the rest of the ingredients and fold it in evenly. '
STEP 5). Rest the batter. Cover the bowl and let the batter rest for 20-30 minutes. This allows the oats to hydrate for softer, fluffier cake.
STEP 6). Bake. Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 12-15 minutes until lightly golden around the edges and firm to the touch. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cake cool for 5 minutes before inverting onto the rack to finish cooling.

baby smash cake with sugar free frosting, peanut butter drip

EXPERT BAKING TIPS FOR SMASH CAKE

Use VERY ripe bananas. They should be full of black spots, but not bruised. These bananas will have the most sweetness as the carbohydrates have converted into simple sugars. This is the only source of sweetness in the recipe so it is important that they are soft and ripe.
Mash the banana well. This will ensure that the natural sugars from the banana get evenly incorporated into the batter.
Sift the flour. Sifting the flour will eliminate any lumps and separate all of the flour particles which means it will incorporated into the wet ingredients more easily and more quickly. This will minimize the amount of mixing required so that you ensure the cake is soft.
Add berries. You can use fresh or frozen in this recipe, but beware that frozen berries tend to bleed too much into the batter so be sure not to thaw them. Also, you will need to add a few minutes to the baking time since the frozen berries will cool down the batter. I like to use blueberries and I often make these with frozen cranberries. I just slice them in half before folding them into the batter.
Do not over-mix the batter. Fold the dry ingredients in gently and stop mixing as soon as there are no streaks.
Let the batter rest. Some resting time allows the oats and the flour to hydrate which makes softer, fluffier and more moist cake. Too much time will affect how they bake as the leavening gases release through the batter, but 30 minutes is just enough.
Do not over-bake. Over-baking will definitely lead to dry cake. Make sure you check with a skewer for doneness or press the top - it should spring back.

HOW TO DECORATE BABY'S FIRST SMASH CAKE

Peanut butter drip - you can use any nut butter or alternative nut butter here like Sunbutter or almond butter. Just make sure it is the unsweetened and unsalted kind that you need to stir because it will be runny enough to drip. If you don't mind regular no-stir peanut butter, you will need to melt it first so that it drips.
Natural sprinkles with no artificial colors - if you don't mind the extra sweetness, you can decorate with sprinkles.
Grated chocolate - a little grating of dark chocolate shaved on a fine grater would also look beautiful.
Fresh fruit and berries - I have also served this with fresh raspberries on top and then used fresh blueberries in the batter. It is delicious, especially if your little one loves berries like mine do!
Fruit puree - use some fruit puree from a pouch to fill between the layers or on top. My kids love mango and any combination of carrot, banana, sweet potato and apple or pear.

RECIPE FAQ

What type of oil is best for sugar free smash cake?

Firstly - use a fresh oil! Do not use anything that's been opened for a long time and when you store oil, it should be in a cool dark place. Light and heat accelerate oxidation reactions that can make the flavor turn rancid. My oil of choice for baking is sunflower oil for its clean and neutral taste, but any other oil such as canola or safflower will do. You can even use olive oil, but keep in mind that it will add the taste of olive oil to the cake.

Can I make this cake with butter instead of oil?

You could use melted butter, but then the cake will have a more dense and firmer texture. I really prefer oil for this recipe.

Why is my cake dense?

If your cake comes out dense, it may be that your raising agents are no longer active, so be sure to use fresh baking soda and fresh baking powder. If your oven is running cool, then the cake will not get that initial jump to puff up as soon as it gets in the oven before the batter starts to expand. Also, be careful not to over-mix the batter which can most certainly result in a dense cake especially when there is no sugar.

What if I can't have dairy? Is there a substitute for milk?

You can replace the cow's milk with any type of non-dairy milk for this cake recipe, such as almond milk or oat milk.

Can I use frozen berries for this recipe?

You can use either fresh or frozen berries! Fresh blueberries are ideal because their cell walls are still intact and the juices are kept inside until they are penetrated by heat. They also won't bleed into your batter like frozen blueberries would.
Frozen blueberries still work. Just make sure that you do not defrost them because all of the juice will leach out. You may need to add a couple more minutes to the baking time since your batter will obviously be very cold. In these photos, I used frozen blueberries.

Can I use other types of fruit in this recipe?

You certainly can. I often make this with frozen cranberries. I just slice them in half before folding them into the batter. Fresh or frozen raspberries would be great too!

Can I make this smash cake in advance?

It is definitely possible to make this cake ahead of your baby's birthday. The best way to do this is to freeze it soon after you bake it as refrigeration can actually accelerate staling. Make the cake up to 3 months in advance, let it cool completely and freeze it as per the directions below. You can also assemble the cake with the frosting and place it in a tall airtight container in the fridge. If you don't have a container tall enough, gently cover it with plastic wrap using candles or skewers (that you will remove later) to tent up the plastic.

Can I make this recipe without flaxseed?

Flax seed is optional in this recipe and it still works without it.

Can I make smash cake with vegetable oil?

I like the taste of olive oil in this recipe, but you can also use sunflower oil, canola oil or blended vegetable oil.

Can I add sugar to the frosting for smash cake?

If you don't mind a little bit of sugar for your 1 year old baby, you can add 1-2 teaspoons of maple syrup to the frosting. Baby generally isn't going to eat a lot of the cake, so a little bit of sweetness might help them enjoy it more although my children didn't mind at all.

How to store smash cake?

Store the frosted cake covered in the fridge to prevent it from drying out. Let it come to room temperature for about 1 hour before serving so that it is soft.

Can I freeze this cake?

Absolutely! I do this all the time. Just wrap each cooled cake layer well in plastic, then place them in a resealable freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

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Sugar Free Smash Cake

Christina Marsigliese, Food Scientist MSc.

This easy recipe for Sugar Free Smash Cake is made from simple, nutritious and wholesome ingredients. I made this cake for both of my babies on their first birthdays, and it was such a hit! This cake is so delicious and moist with no added sugar at all - not maple syrup, nor honey - and filled then covered with a creamy sugar free whipped cream cheese frosting.

5 from 5 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 15

Servings 1 baby cake

Ingredients

Sugar Free Cake Batter:

1 cup (237ml) mashed ripe bananas (from about 2 large bananas)
¼ cup (60ml) olive oil
2 large eggs at room temperature
½ cup (120ml) whole milk
1 teaspoon (5ml) distilled white or apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
¾ cup (90g) oat flour or ground oats
¾ cup (75g) almond flour
2 teaspoon ground flaxseed optional
¾ cup (105g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of ground nutmeg
pinch of salt
¾ cup (90g) frozen blueberries or raspberries (optional)

Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting:

3 oz (85g) brick cream cheese, very soft
¾ cup (180ml) 35% heavy whipping cream
⅓ cup (80ml) natural runny smooth peanut butter or almond butter for the drip (optional)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a 13x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mash the banana with a fork until very smooth. Whisk in olive oil and eggs. Add milk, vinegar and vanilla and whisk until blended. Add oat flour or ground oats, almond flour and ground flax seed and whisk it in until evenly combined. Don't worry about over-mixing at this point. Let batter stand for 5-10 minutes to allow the oat flour to hydrate.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, nutmeg and salt until evenly blended.
Add the flour mixture and fold it in gently until mostly combined but a few streaks remain. Fold in berries if you choose to use them. Do not over-mix.
Scrape the batter out into the prepared baking pan and spread it out in an even layer. Bake for 12-15 minutes until lightly golden around the edges and firm to the touch. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool completely.
Once cool, slice the cake into 6 even squares 4 ¼ inches by 4 ¼ inches. I made a 5 layer cake and saved the last square for a snack for my kids.
Make the frosting. Place very soft cream cheese in a small mixing bowl and blend well using an electric hand mixer until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon of cream and mix until it is smooth again. Add another tablespoon of cream and repeat. Gradually pour in remaining cream while mixing utnil it is incorporated and then whip until it forms soft peaks. Do not over-whip or it can turn grainy. Immediately use the frosting to spread between the cake layers and then cover it with a thin layer. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up. Stir up about ⅓ cup of runny peanut butter and spoon it gently over the edge, allowing it to drip down. You can also use regular peanut butter if you don't mind the sugar and salt, and in this case melt it gently in the microwave to make it runny, let it cool slightly so it doesn't melt the frosting before applying to the cake.