Healthier Smash Cake
This Healthier Smash Cake is a small birthday cake made with healthier ingredients, perfect for a first birthday party! With less than 10 ingredients and made in 1 bowl, this 4-inch birthday cake is a great way to celebrate your little one!
Gluten Free, Nut Free, Egg Free Option
Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by a2 Milk, however, all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make the Chelsey Amer Nutrition blog possible.
My babe turned one last week! When “they” say time flies, they’re not joking! I honestly have no idea where the past year went. I blinked and my baby is now a toddler. (I’m not crying… you’re crying!)
I’ve thought about Lex’s first birthday for longer than I’d like to admit… probably since we hit the 6-month mark. There’s something about the first birthday milestone that’s so special. Although my babe won’t remember it, my husband and I were so excited to celebrate… and kinda felt relieved that we survived year one of parenting!!!
Celebrating my son’s 1st birthday with a Healthier Smash Cake was so much fun!
As a healthy food blogger, dietitian, and home baker, I knew I’d make Lex’s first birthday cake. Plus, I grew up with parents who made most of our birthday treats and hosted our birthday parties and I loved the “homey” feel to birthdays. They’re some of my best childhood memories! My brothers and I each have our “own” birthday cake that my mom still makes to this day on or near our birthdays! (Mine is a chocolate strawberry short cake of sorts, made with raspberries instead of strawberries!)
While Lex couldn’t choose his cake this year (but I’m sure he’ll have strong opinions soon!), I knew he’d like this one because he’s obsessed with my oat flour pancakes from my cookbook. I naturally sweetened this healthier smash cake with two of his favorites, bananas and applesauce, because he hasn’t had added sugar yet (more on that later…).
I was extremely purposeful with the ingredients I chose because my son had a milk protein intolerance when he was younger. I even had to eat dairy free for the 10 months I was nursing him! Since introducing dairy, I’ve been careful about the types of dairy he’s tried since dairy can be harsh on his stomach… and I don’t need more diapers to change (if ya know what I mean)!
Ingredients in this Healthier Smash Cake
This Healthier Smash Cake is made with 10 ingredients, plus a few for the frosting! Here’s what you need for the cake…
- a2 Whole Milk
- An egg
- Very ripe small banana
- Unsweetened applesauce
- Pure vanilla extract
- Oat flour or whole wheat flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Ground cinnamon
- Sprinkles
I chose a2 Whole Milk because it’s 100% real milk that’s easier on digestion.
There are two types of beta-casein protein in milk, A1 and A2. a2 Milk is made from cows that naturally produce only the A2 protein… no A1. That may help some with discomfort that can typically accompany other dairy milks. You can learn more about a2 Milk and how it can be easier on digestion here.
I also used a2 Whole Milk because 1) it’s creamier, and 2) the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends whole milk for children under 2 years old for brain development.
A very ripe small banana naturally sweetens this healthier smash cake.
After all, I consider this recipe “healthier” because it’s made with no added sugar (except for the frosting). It’s often recommended that babies under two eat no added sugar, with many parents “breaking this rule” on the first birthday. Lex hadn’t had added sugar until this cake and I’m trying to minimize his added sugar intake as much as possible… just as I do my own, to help us feel our best!
Unsweetened applesauce makes this cake oil free.
There’s nothing wrong with oil, but it’s just not needed in this cake, thanks to using whole milk (plenty of fat!) and unsweetened applesauce. Plus, the applesauce provides some natural sweetness too!
Oat flour or whole wheat flour add nutrients, like fiber and B vitamins to this healthier smash cake…
…and a bit of density! Yes, this cake isn’t as lighty and fluffy as some other cakes because it uses oat flour. But it’s still 100% smashable!
Baking powder and baking soda are both used to help the cake rise.
The cakes rise a decent amount thanks to these chemical leaveners. I think you need both. Don’t go swapping here and expecting the same results!
Ground cinnamon adds more natural sweetness & rainbow sprinkles are mixed in are for a pop of color and fun!
How to Make this Healthier Smash Cake
It takes just 10 minutes of prep time and 20 minutes of baking time to whip up this cake. Seriously, it’s so easy!
How to make oat flour
If you’re making your own oat flour, you need about one cup of rolled oats. Add the rolled oats to a high-powered blender or food processor and blend until you achieve flour-like consistency. Or you can use store-bought oat flour.
Once your oat flour is made, you will essentially dump all ingredients into one bowl to mix.
I prefer to start with the “wet” ingredients. Whisk the egg until it’s a bit fluffy. Then add the a2 Whole Milk and mix just those two ingredients together. THEN add in the banana, applesauce, and vanilla extract. Whisking your egg well helps bring some additional air and lift into the batter.
Then we’ll add our dry ingredients: oat or whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Mix just until the dry ingredients are incorporated into the wet ingredients.
I used tiny 4-inch springform pans to bake this cake. Divide the batter evenly between two 4-inch pans. Alternatively, you could make one larger cake, but then you won’t have the same height and smash-ability!
These small cakes bake super quick, so don’t go far! Once they’re completely cooled, it’s time to assemble!
You can use store-bought icing, thick vanilla yogurt, or make your own frosting. My lucky guy got two smash cakes the week of his birthday and one was made with store-bought icing and the other with yogurt. It’s just what you’re most comfortable with!
Either way, I’m pretty sure his favorite part were the sprinkles – he picked them up one-by-one!
This Healthier Smash Cake is…
- Easy to whip up
- Fun to make in less than 30 minutes
- Smashable
- Healthier than boxed cake mix, but just as easy to prepare
- Naturally sweetened with banana and applesauce
- Easy to digest
- Gluten free
Healthier Smash Cake
This Healthier Smash Cake is a small birthday cake made with healthier ingredients, perfect for a first birthday party! With less than 10 ingredients and made in 1 bowl, this 4-inch birthday cake is a great way to celebrate your little one!
Gluten Free, Nut Free, Egg Free Option
Ingredients
- 1 large egg*
- ¼ cup a2 Whole Milk
- 1 very ripe small banana, mashed (¼ cup + 1 tablespoon mashed banana)
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup oat flour or whole wheat flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon rainbow sprinkles
For the frosting and decorating:
- 1 ½ cups thick vanilla Greek yogurt or storebought frosting
- 2 tablespoons rainbow sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 2 4-inch springform baking pans with nonstick spray and place on a baking sheet.
- In a large bowl whisk egg until well scrambled. Add a2 whole milk, mashed banana, applesauce, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
- Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and ground cinnamon, mixing until well combined. Mix in rainbow sprinkles with just a few folds of the batter.
- Pour batter into prepared baking pans. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Let the cake cool completely before removing from the springform pans.
- While cakes cool, prepare the frosting. Pour heavy cream into a large bowl. Using a hand electric mixer, beat on medium speed until stiff peaks form.
- To frost the mini layer cake, first add a large spoonful of frosting on top of one cake. Spread over the top of the cake. Place the second cake on top. Frost the outside of the cake, covering both layers. Sprinkle with rainbow sprinkles for extra fun!
Notes
Recipes Notes: If your child has an egg allergy, you make swap in a flax egg, however, I preferred the texture with the regular egg.
Keywords: birthday cake, smash cake, healthy dessert, no added sugar
Don’t Forget to PIN IT…
So how did my little one do with the cake smashing?
Honestly, not that well. He was overwhelmed by the cake in front of him and didn’t know what to do with it! Once we fed him a few licks of sprinkles and icing he was very into it… but preferred small pieces to smashing the entire cake! Go figure because he is definitely a voracious eater!
Happy cake smashing!
XO