This Healthy Smash Cake recipe is perfect for your baby’s first birthday cake. Whether you’re planning a smash cake photoshoot or having a party, this recipe is great for serving to your little one. Made with oat flour, sweetened with bananas (no added sugar), and easy to make! Gluten free friendly and dairy free.
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I made this recipe for Finn’s first birthday, and now we are celebrating our baby girl’s first birthday too!
I made this healthy smash cake recipe for those that want something made with more wholesome ingredients, is easy to make and perfect for your little one’s first birthday cake.
If you’re planning cake smash photos, this recipe works for that too.
What is a Smash Cake?
A smash cake is a small cake meant to be smashed into by your little one – it’s not really a traditional cake for serving a crowd.
The point of a smash cake is for your little one to smash their hands into the cake themselves, and it makes for a great photo opp! Perfect for a birthday photo shoot or first birthday party where the baby can feed themselves.
Recipe Ingredients
All you need for this smash cake recipe is 10 ingredients, most of which you probably already have in your pantry. Here’s what we need:
- banana – the key is to use a ripe banana (yellow with black spots all over). Unripe bananas will not work here. If you’re shy by a tablespoon or so, just add a little more oil or even nut butter. Not a fan of bananas? Swap it out for 2/3 cup applesauce and omit the milk. Only make a 2-layer cake since the cakes are not as dense.
- egg – the egg helps gives the cake some structure. I am working on testing a flax eggs version to make this egg free.
- oil – any mild oil will work here. Avocado or light olive are my preference. If using coconut oil, make sure it is melted, cooled and the rest of your ingredients are room temperature.
- milk – just a touch to help thin out the batter. Use almond milk, coconut milk, or oat milk to keep it dairy-free, or whole milk if dairy is not an issue.
- vanilla extract – for some extra flavor.
- oat flour – I used homemade oat flour by blending some gluten free quick oats into flour, or pick up a bag of oat flour at grocery stores. A 1:1 gluten-free flour blend will also work. I have also seen recipes with almond flour, but I have not tried this myself.
- baking powder and baking soda* – using both will help get the right rise for the cake.
- salt– optional, since you’re just serving this for your little one.
- cinnamon – again optional but adds a nice little flavor your babe might enjoy!
*Original recipe re-tested 2023 for a better rise and lighter texture, using the addition of baking soda. Picture below does not reflect addition. Please scroll down to recipe card for the full recipe and correct amounts.
Baking Tools
- 4″ round cake pans, or 4″ springform pans for easy removal
Find the full detailed instructions with measurements in the recipe card below, at the end of this post.
How to Make a Smash Cake
This smash cake recipe is truly so simple. It comes together in one bowl using just a spoon or spatula. Here are the step-by-step instructions:
Prepare Cake Pans
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line 2, 4 inch pans with cut out parchment paper, grease edges with coconut oil or butter.
Mix Wet Ingredients
In a large bowl, combine mashed banana, egg, oil, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
Add Dry Ingredients
Add oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir until batter is smooth.
Bake
Evenly distribute the batter into two, 4″ round cake pans, filling halfway full for each pan.
Bake for about 20 minutes (bake time will vary between 18-22 minutes), OR until an inserted toothpick comes out clean (no wet batter).
Cool
Allow cakes to rest in pan for 10 minutes before flipping onto cooling rack. Make sure cakes are cooled completely before frosting. You can place in fridge to speed things up.
Note: The cakes will rise up and then fall just slightly upon cooling. Flip the cakes upside down (bottom side up) for frosting.
How to Make: Coconut Whipped Cream Frosting
Do not shake canned coconut milk before opening. Carefully scoop out cream and discard liquid.
Using a chilled metal bowl (if possible), place coconut cream in bowl and whip with an electric hand mixer until light and fluffy. Place in the fridge until you’re ready to frost.
Optional Add Ins: You can use food coloring here for some color, a hint of maple syrup for natural sweetness, or leave plain.
Frost Cake
Place one cake layer upside-down on a cake stand or plate. Add a couple of tablespoons of whipped cream on the first layer, top with second layer of cake (also upside-down), and frost the rest of cake.
TIP: Chill cake in between frosting layers.
Chill & Serve
Be sure to keep cake chilled right up until serving, since coconut cream will melt at room temperature.
Note: If making 4 layers, secure cake with wooden dowel (cut skewer to size of stacked cakes before frosting).
Healthy Frosting Options
If you want to keep it as a healthier cake, you can use a coconut cream frosting or a yogurt frosting, or add a touch of sugar with other frosting ideas:
- Coconut whipped cream – for a 2-tiered smash cake, you’ll need one (14 ounce) can of canned coconut milk, chilled for at least 6 hours. Make sure to not shake the can, to keep the cream separate from the water. If you’re making a 4-tiered smash cake, use two cans of coconut milk. Add a hint of maple syrup if you want some flavor for the coconut cream, or just leave as is.
- Yogurt frosting – use a thicker yogurt so you don’t have to strain it. Greek yogurt or Skyr works great here (use a non-dairy Skyr or thicker yogurt if you need to keep this cake dairy free).
- Store-bought frosting – store-bought frosting will add sugar, but it’s a quick and easy option! Simple Mills Vanilla Frosting is a great choice. Pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to loosen it a little bit.
- Other frosting ideas – feel free to try traditional buttercream, cream cheese frosting, homemade chocolate frosting, or peanut butter frosting.
Tips for Frosting Smash Cake
Chill the cake quickly between each layer of frosting so the cake is easier to frost – this is especially true if using coconut cream.
Here I added about 2 tablespoons of whipped coconut cream onto the first layer, added the second layer and then placed both the cake and the whipped cream in the fridge for 20 minutes. You can also place in the freezer for 10 minutes.
I repeated this step before completely frosting the entire cake.
Coconut cream frosting chills and holds well, just be sure to not let it sit out too long before letting your little one dive in (or you’ll have a melty mess before they even start).
Fun Topping Ideas for Baby’s Cake
Add some pizzazz to this healthy first birthday cake with any of the following toppings:
- Food Coloring – add a bit of color to the frosting with a few drops of natural food coloring.
- Jam Swirl – for more natural sweeteners, smash some fresh berries and swirl them into the frosting.
- Freeze Dried Fruit – blitz some freeze-dried fruit in a food processor and mix it with the frosting for natural color!
- Sprinkles – go crazy with your favorite sprinkles, preferably a brand with no refined sugars or artificial sweeteners. This brand works great!
- Fresh Fruit – finish it off with your baby’s favorite fruit, like strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or any fresh fruit you prefer.
- Cake Topper – here is the “one” cake topper I used (and as seen in photos). It’s the perfect size for this kind of cake!
What To Expect from this Smash Cake
This healthy smash cake is intended for little ones, meaning it’s not going to resemble a traditional birthday cake. The texture is much more pronounced, because of the oat flour, and it’s not sweet like normal cake.
It’s moist, soft and lightly sweet, with a natural banana bread flavor. If you’re looking for a more traditional banana cake to serve to party guests or family members, try my Banana Layer Cake or my Banana Sheet Cake.
How to Make Ahead & Store
Make Ahead: If you are making this cake for a first birthday party, bake the cake up to 1 day in advance. Cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap the cake layers individually in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container in the fridge. On the day you are going to serve, bring to room temperature before frosting. I recommend frosting the cake just before serving.
Fridge: Cover the entire tiered cake with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze the cake layers individually in freezer bags for up to 2 months. When ready to serve, thaw overnight in the fridge. Cakes can remain chilled prior to frosting.
More Kid Friendly Recipes You’ll Love:
If you make this Healthy Smash Cake recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating on the blog! I love hearing from you, and it helps others learn more about the recipe too. Xx Ashley
Healthy Smash Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- ¾ cup well mashed banana, 2 small bananas
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ tablespoons avocado oil, or light olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons milk of choice, coconut, cashew, almond, soy, cow's, etc.
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup oat flour, how to make oat flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Frosting
- 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk, chilled for 6-8 hours (2 cans if making a 4-tiered cake)
Instructions
- Recipe as written is for a 2-layer cake. If you’d like a 4 tiered cake, make 2 batches of cakes. Or double the recipe and use 4, 4″ round cake pans.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and line 2, 4 inch by 2 inch cake pans with cut out parchment paper, grease edges with coconut oil or butter; set aside.
- Make batter: In a medium bowl combine mashed banana, egg, oil, milk and vanilla extract. Add oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, pinch of salt and a dash of cinnamon. Stir until batter is smooth.
- Bake: Evenly distribute batter into prepared pans, filling about 1/2 way full. Bake cakes for 18-22 minutes, OR until inserted toothpick in center comes out clean.
- Cool: Allow cakes to rest in pan for 10 minutes before flipping onto cooling rack. Make sure cakes are cooled completely before frosting. You can place in fridge to speed things up.
- Make coconut whipped cream frosting: Do not shake canned coconut milk before opening. Carefully scoop out cream and discard liquid.Using a chilled metal bowl (if possible), place coconut cream in bowl and whip with electric mixer until light and fluffy. You can use food coloring here if you'd like, a hint of maple syrup, or leave plain. Place whipped coconut cream in fridge until you're ready to frost.
- Frost cake: Place cake on cake stand or plate, add a couple of tablespoons of whipped cream on first layer, top with second layer and frost rest of cake. Chill cake in between frosting layers if doing a 4 tier cake.
- Chill & Serve: Be sure to keep cake chilled right up until serving, since coconut cream will melt at room temperature. Note: If making 4 layers, secure cake with wooden dowel (cut skewer to size of stacked cakes before frosting).
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