Smash Cake

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This Smash Cake is perfect for your baby's first birthday cake. Full of sweet bananas It is a refined sugar free recipe and looks gorgeous finished with greek yoghurt frosting.

Throwing your baby's first birthday party is such a mile stone make it memorable with this easy cake and kids party food for your guests to enjoy.

Smash Cake served on a blush pink plate, topped with frosting and garnished with halved strawberries, raspberries and topped with "Happy birthday" sign, babies had grading a strawberry off the top of the cake.

Ingredients you will need

The ingredients for a banana based smash cake laid out on a counter top with text overlay.

Ingredient Notes, Substitutions, & Alternatives

CAKE

  • Flour: I use plain flour, but I have successfully tested this recipe with gluten-free flour.
  • Baking soda: This can be substituted for 2 teaspoons of baking powder.
  • ย cinnamon: This recipe can be made without cinnamon.
  • Bananas: The riper the better, soft sweet bananas with brown spots on the skin are perfect.
  • Greek yogurt: I use an unsweetened full fat strained yogurt.
  • Maple syrup: This can be substituted for honey, honey should not be used as a sweetener for children under one year of age.
  • Apple sauce: Store bought unsweetened apple sauce or homemade apple puree work well in this recipe.
  • Olive oil: This can be substituted for any oil including melted coconut oil or melted butter.

YOGURT FROSTING

  • Greek yogurt: I use an unsweetened full fat strained yogurt.
  • Cream cheese: This can be substituted of mascarpone or ricotta cheese if you prefer.
  • Maple syrup: This can be substituted for honey, honey should not be used as a sweetener for children under one year of age.
  • Soft fruits or berries: These are used to decorate the smash cake, Strawberries, raspberries, peach, mango, and kiwi fruit are al good options.

Healthy Smash Cake Recipe Step-by-Step Instructions

Below are illustrated step-by-step instructions to make my Smash Cake recipe, if you prefer just the written instructions then head straight to the printable recipe card below.

Step one: CAKE

Prepare the cake tins: I grease then line the tins with baking paper. You can either make this car in a 20 cm cake tin (8 inch) or divide the mixture into smaller 11 cm (mini 4.5 inch cakes) tins so that you can layer the cakes with frosting.ย 

In a mixing bowl combine the flour, baking soda and cinnamon. Use a fork or whisk to do this so that any lumps are broken and the ingredients are evenly distributed..

Dry Ingredients for Smash cake in a glass bowl on bench top being stirred with a whisk.

Step two: In a blender whizz up all the wet ingredients (yogurt, maple syrup, apple sauce, olive oil and vanilla extract) until smooth.

Wet ingredient mixed together in a blender on bench top.

Step three: Pour the blended wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until your cake batter is well combined.

Wet ingredients for Smash Cake poured on top of dry ingredients in a glass bowl on bench top.

Step four: Pour the cake batter into your prepared pans, bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the cakes centre.

Allow to cool completely before removing the cake from the cake tin. 

Smash Cake batter in three small cake tins and one large on benchtop.

While your cakes are in the oven you can prepare the frosting. 

YOGURT FROSTING

Step One: Place Cream Cheese in a bowl then whisk or beat using an electric hand beater or stand beater until smooth and creamy.

Cream cheese in a glass bowl on bench top being whisked with an electric beater.

Step two: Place the rest of the frosting ingredients in a bowl (yogurt, maple syrup, vanilla) then whisk or beat using an electric beater for 3-5 minutes until smooth and creamy.

Ingredients for Smash Cake added into whipped cream cheese in a glass bowl on bench top being whisked with an electric beater.
Frosting for Smash cake n a glass bowl on bench top whisked together with an electric beater.

Step seven: Refrigerate the frosting at least 30 minutes (longer will be better) so that it firms up and can easily be spread over the cakes.

Step eight: Frost your cake and top with fresh berries or soft fruit. If you have made small cakes that you plan on sandwiching together you can use the cream cheese frosting as the filling between the cake layers. .

Smash Cake served on a blush pink plate, topped with frosting and garnished with halved strawberries, raspberries and topped with "Happy birthday" sign.

Enjoy!


Tips & Tricks

Here is how you can make your baby's first birthday cake perfectly every time!

  • This cake will store in an airtight container for up to 3 days (un-frosted) or freeze for up to four months.
  • Prepare the batter as one large cake, or smaller cakes that you can stack.
  • After you have whipped the frosting be sure to chill it for a minimum of 30 minutes, I find making it the night before is perfect.
  • This cake batter can also be baked in a loaf tin to make a baby banana bread.
Slice of Smash Cake served on a blush pink plate, topped with frosting and garnished with halved strawberries, raspberries. Cake blurred in background topped with "Happy birthday" sign.

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How To Make This Recipe Suitable For Baby-Led-Weaning

  • This recipe has been designed with baby led weaning in mind, it is a refined sugar free recipe for banana cake.
  • Instead of sprinkles soft fruit and berries are used to decorate the garnish.
Three tier Smash cake layered with cream cheese, fresh strawberries and raspberries with frosting drizzling down the sides. A baby holding a spoon in one hand and the other taking fresh raspberries and strawberries off the top.

Three tier Smash cake layered with cream cheese, strawberries and raspberries with frosting drizzling down the sides topped with raspberries and strawberries.

If you tried this Smash Cake Recipe please leave a star rating and let me know how you go in the comments below. I love hearing from you!

Smash Cake served on a blush pink plate, topped with frosting and garnished with halved strawberries, raspberries and topped with "Happy birthday" sign.

Smash Cake

A healthy smash cake recipe perfect for a first birthday.
Print Pin Rate
Course: Baking
Cuisine: New Zealand
Keyword: Smash Cake, Smash Cake Recipe, Healthy Smash Cake
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 207kcal
Author: Stacey

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Save This Recipe!

I'll email this post to you, so you can easily come back to it later!

Ingredients

Cake

  • 2 cups flour
  • ยฝ teaspoon baking soda
  • ยฝ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3 bananas 260 grams peeled, heaped cup mashed
  • ยฝ cup greek yogurt
  • ยผ cup maple syrup
  • ยผ cup apple sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Yogurt Frosting

  • 1 cup Greek yogurt
  • ยฝ cup cream cheese softened
  • 3 Tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Cake

  • Prepare the cake tins: I grease then line the tins with baking paper. You can either make this car in a 20 cm cake tin (8 inch) or divide the mixture into smaller 11 cm (4.5 inch) tins so that you can layer the cakes with frosting.
  • In a mixing bowl combine the flour, baking soda and cinnamon. Use a fork or whisk to do this so that any lumps are broken and the ingredients are evenly distributed.
  • In a blender whizz up all the wet ingredients (yogurt, maple syrup, apple sauce, olive oil and vanilla extract) until smooth.
  • Pour the blended wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until your cake batter is well combined.
  • Pour the cake batter into your prepared pans, bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the cakes centre.
  • While your cakes are in the oven you can prepare the frosting.
  • Allow to cool completely before removing the cake from the cake tin.

Yogurt Frosting

  • Place all of the frosting ingredients in a bowl (yogurt, cream cheese, maple syrup, vanilla) then whisk or beat using an electric beater for 3-5 minutes until smooth and creamy.
  • Refrigerate the frosting at least 30 minutes (longer can be better) so that it firms up and can easily be spread over the cakes.
  • Frost your cake and top with fresh berries or soft fruit. If you have made small cakes that you plan on sandwiching together you can use the cream cheese frosting as the filling.
  • Enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • This cake will store in an airtight container for up to 3 days (un-frosted) or freeze for up to four months.ย 
  • Prepare the batter as one large cake, or smaller cakes that you can stack.ย 
  • After you have whipped the frosting be sure to chill it for a minimum of 30 minutes, I find making it the night before is perfect.ย 
  • This cake batter can also be baked in a loaf tin to make a baby banana bread.ย 
  • Flour: I use plain flour, but I have successfully tested this recipe with gluten-free flour.ย 
  • Baking soda: This can be substituted for 2 teaspoons of baking powder.ย 
  • ย cinnamon: This recipe can be made without cinnamon.ย 
  • Bananas: The riper the better, soft sweet bananas with brown spots on the skin are perfect.ย 
  • Greek yogurt: I use an unsweetened full fat strained yogurt.ย  Strained yogurts are thicker as they have a lower water content.ย 
  • Maple syrup: This can be substituted for honey, honey should not be used as a sweetener for children under one year of age.ย 
  • Apple sauce: Store bought unsweetened apple sauce or homemade apple puree work well in this recipe.
  • Olive oil: This can be substituted for any oil including melted coconut oil or melted butter.ย 
YOGURT FROSTING
  • Greek yogurt: I use an unsweetened full fat strained yogurt.ย 
  • Cream cheese: This can be substituted of mascarpone or ricotta cheese if you prefer.ย 
  • Maple syrup: This can be substituted for honey, honey should not be used as a sweetener for children under one year of age.ย 
  • Soft fruits or berries: These are used to decorate the smash cake, Strawberries, raspberries, peach, mango, and kiwi fruit are al good options.ย 

Nutrition

Calories: 207kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 86mg | Potassium: 207mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 149IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 1mg
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Quick Start Guide To BLW

Baby led weaning doesnโ€™t need to be complicated, grab my quick start guide to begin your little ones food journey.

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5 Comments

  1. I completely agree. There is a time and a place for ensuring that our kids get the good and healthy foods. A birthday cake is not necessarily that time. Hope she loved her mouse cake. X

    1. It was a hit for everyone, particularly her brother who quickly got over his disappointment that we weren't having the train cake!

  2. Wow Stacey, i have spent the better part of an hour and a half reading your site. I've found it informative and supportive. The right mix of advice and support without making me feel bad about any food choices (especially this blog and the one about processed meat). As a whole, my family is pretty sugar concious without being obsessed or over the top so I really resonate with your philosophy. You are my cup of tea and can't wait to get started on some of your recipes.