This Vanilla Oat Smash Cake with Yogurt Frosting is an easy and super special first birthday cake. It’s moist, flavorful, and so yummy—and has the creamiest yogurt frosting. Find everything you need to make this smash cake, plus allergy-friendly and make-ahead options.
Smash Cake
I first learned to make this healthy first birthday cake from a friend when she made it for her daughter Ruby, and I’ve now made this cake about a dozen times in various forms over the years. I love both how easy it is to make—no special skills required!—and how good the final result tastes.
The tender crumb of the cake is paired with a yogurt-based frosting for results that are as delicious as they are fun for the kids to smash.
This is a perfect first birthday cake option since it’s sweetened with maple syrup and has plenty of flavor and healthy fats. It can also be made ahead of time too, which is helpful when planning a party for a little one.
1st Birthday Smash Cake Recipe
This healthy first birthday cake is made with whole grains and natural sweeteners and is a fun way to celebrate the big day! The cake tastes like maple and vanilla, with a slightly tangy yogurt frosting.
We like to top it with fresh fruit for a simple and bright finish.
Remind me, what’s a smash cake?
A smash cake is a cake meant for a baby turning 1. The idea is that they will eat, smash, and generally make a mess of it as they explore this new food by using their hands and sometimes their bodies! (It’s usually placed in front of baby on a highchair or on the floor on a sheet or drop cloth.) It’s a fun tradition to mark a big milestone, and this version of a smash cake is an easy one to make at home.
TIP: You can place the cake onto the highchair tray, or onto the floor with baby set on top of a sheet to contain the mess a bit.
Ingredients You Need
Here’s a look at what you need to make this smash cake:
- Oat flour: You can use store-bought oat flour or make your own by grinding rolled oats into a fine flour in the blender.
- Eggs
- Butter: I use unsalted butter in baking so it’s easy to control the level of salt in the recipe.
- Maple syrup: This natural sweetener adds flavor, sweetness, and moisture.
- Vanilla extract: You can use regular vanilla extract or an alcohol-free option.
- Baking powder: This helps the cake rise and also ensures the batter bakes through.
- Salt
TIP: If you need to make this gluten-free, you can use certified gluten-free oats or oat flour.
Step-by-Step Instructions
The process for making this first birthday cake is simple. Here’s a preview of the process so you know what to expect. Scroll down to the end of this post for the full recipe and all the variations.
- You’ll need three 5-inch cake pans for this recipe. Grease and line them with parchment paper.
- Lightly beat the eggs. Add the rest of the wet ingredients and stir.
- Gently stir together the dry ingredients and add to the wet.
- Divide the batter between greased cake pans. Bake until lightly golden brown around the edges and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out cleanly.
- Let the cakes cool on a wire rack while still in the pan.
- Carefully remove cakes from the pans and cool fully on the wire racks.
TIP: There are additional size options at the end of the recipe if you prefer to use 6-inch cake pans, 8-inch cake pans, or cupcakes.
How to Make Yogurt Frosting
The frosting for this smash cake is made with whole milk plain Greek yogurt, a little maple syrup, and a touch of vanilla extract. It’s slightly tangy from the yogurt and super simple to make. (And there’s no need for cups and cups of powdered sugar to make it thick and spreadable!)
Here’s a look at the simple frosting and assembly method.
- Strain the yogurt in a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheese cloth or paper towels over a bowl. This makes it thicker, as it helps to remove some of the liquid in the yogurt.
- Stir yogurt together with maple syrup and vanilla in a bowl.
- Add some frosting on top of the first layer. Spread.
- Add another cake and more frosting.
- Add the third cake and top with the rest of the frosting.
- Add berries if you’d like.
TIP: You can leave it plain, top the layers with berries, add sprinkles, or add a candle.
Gluten-Free First Birthday Cake
The oat flour in the smash cake recipe is made from finely grinding rolled oats in a food processor or blender. You can buy oat flour if you’d like to skip a step. And if you need the cake to be gluten-free, simply buy certified gluten-free oats.
Dairy-Free 1st Birthday Cake
You can make this recipe without dairy by using coconut oil and a dairy-free yogurt. See the Notes section at the bottom of the recipe card for the details.
Egg-Free 1st Birthday Cake
To make this without eggs, there are a few adjustments you’ll want to make to the batter, including adding ripe banana and a small amount of regular flour to help bind the batter together. The banana flavor is subtle and the cake is moist and sweet. See the Notes section at the bottom of the recipe for the details.
(This Blueberry Smash Cake is also egg-free.)
Does this first birthday cake contain sugar?
It does contain natural sugars from maple syrup. Your little one’s first birthday is a big celebration, so it’s only fitting that they have a really special cake to mark the day! (Though this is so good you might hope they don’t smash it so you can have a piece for yourself. I usually use just two layers of the cake for the smash cake and save the third one so the rest of us can have a slice!)
TIP: If you want to use less maple syrup, a few people have replaced half of it with very smooth mashed ripe banana.
What’s the texture of this cake like?
This cake, due to the oat flour, is a little denser than a traditional yellow cake. It will smash just fine, though, and has a wonderful flavor from the maple syrup and vanilla extract.
What’s the difference between a cake and a smash cake?
A smash cake is a cake meant to be placed in front of a baby on their first birthday and smashed, eaten, or explored in any way the child chooses. A cake is usually just sliced and enjoyed.
How to Store
This is a great 1st birthday cake to make in advance, especially if you’ll be busy celebrating your new toddler on their big day. Simply bake the cakes and make the frosting the day before. Store the cakes, once fully cooled after baking, in airtight containers (in one layer) at room temperature.
Store the frosting in an airtight container in the fridge.
TIP: I recommend frosting just before serving, but you can frost up to an hour ahead and leave it at room temperature.
Best Tips for Success
- Grease each cake pan and line with a parchment paper round. Then grease again. This will help the cakes stay together well when you turn them out from the pan. (To make the parchment paper rounds, trace the pan onto parchment paper and cut out three times. Trim slightly to fit inside the bottom of the pan.)
- Let the cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes before turning them out onto the rack for the best texture.
- To Make the Cakes Ahead: You can bake the cakes up to a day ahead. Let cool fully on wire racks and store at room temperature in an airtight container. Frost just before serving.
- To Make the Frosting Ahead: Prepare the frosting as directed and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
- To Use Three 4-Inch Pans: Divide the recipe in half. The baking time will be 16-18 minutes and the layers will be slightly thinner than shown here.
- To Use Three 6-Inch Pans: The baking time will be 20-22 minutes, and the layers will be slightly thinner than shown here.
- To Use Two 8-Inch Pans: Bake in two 8-inch round cake pans, using about 2 cups of batter in each pan and baking for 18-20 minutes. The layers will be thinner than shown here.
- To Make as Cupcakes: Use about 3 tablespoons of the batter in each paper cupcake liner to make about 16 cupcakes. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean (I did 20 minutes). The rest of the recipe is the same.
- To Make Oat Flour: Place rolled oats into a blender. Cover and grind until resembles a fairly fine flour. Measure the amount of flour needed for the cake after grinding.
- Dairy-free: Use melted and cooled coconut oil in place of the butter and nondairy Greek-style yogurt for the frosting.
- Egg-Free: Use the ingredient list below in the Notes section.
- You can try making this with whole wheat flour if you prefer—though check for doneness closer to 18-22 minutes and stir very gently to avoid overworking the batter.
- You may also like Healthy Banana Cake, Blueberry Smash Cake, Healthy Apple Cake, Sweet Potato Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, and my best birthday cakes.
I’d love to hear your feedback if you try this cake, so please rate and comment below to share!
This post was first published May 2017.
Vanilla Oat Smash Cake with Yogurt Frosting
Ingredients
Greek Yogurt Frosting
- 1½ cups whole milk yogurt
- 2-3 tablespoons maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Vanilla Oat Cake
- 3 cups oat flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted and slightly cooled)
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 4 eggs (lightly beaten)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh berries to garnish
Instructions
To make the Frosting:
- Place 1½ cups whole milk yogurt in a sieve or fine-mesh strainer lined with a paper towel with a bowl underneath. Let sit for 30 minutes or up to overnight, covered in the fridge.
- Transfer the yogurt to a bowl and stir in 2-3 tablespoons maple syrup and ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract. Refrigerate until ready to use.
To make the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Trace one 5-inch cake pans onto parchment paper and cut out three times to make the rounds. Trim slightly to fit inside the bottom of each pan.
- Grease three 5-inch cake pans with nonstick spray and place a round of parchment inside of each. Grease again.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Add the flour mixture and stir until just combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between prepared cake pans, using about 1⅓ cups batter in each pan.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 22-26 minutes. Remove from oven and place pans onto a wire rack. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pans, then carefully invert to cool fully. Discard parchment paper rounds.
- To assemble, place one cake on your serving plate. Top with about ⅓-½ cup of frosting, spreading it in an even layer just past the edges. Add the second, repeat with frosting, and then repeat with the third cake . Use an offset spatula or knife to scrape off the frosting overhang for a "naked" cake look, or use additional frosting to coat the entire cake.
- Top with berries and serve…as in, let the birthday kiddo dig in!
Hi! I’m looking forward to making this next week for my daughter’s first birthday. For the fresh berries as garnish, is there any concern for choking when using whole berries rather than slicing into smaller pieces? And do you have any other suggestions for toppings? I’m not a baker and appreciate any guidance you can share. Thank you!
With large berries, there is not a choking concern as they would be too big to fit into their mouth whole. Raspberries are soft and are generally not considered a choking hazard. If you prefer to slice berries, that works too. Enjoy!
I made this for My sons first bday and turned out great. I am now Trying to make for my daughters first and it just FELL APART. It seems moist?!?
Followed the recipe with any substitutions. Any suggestions before I try it again? 😬😬
Was it completely cooled? I haven’t changed the recipe so I am not sure why that would happen! I hope I can help troubleshoot!
I don’t think I let it cool down the full 10 minutes. I will do that this time for sure.
Thank you.
Can i ask are the tins you used are 5×2 inch tins or are they 3 or 4inch deep? Or does it matter? Thanks
I believe mine are 3 inches deep but 2 should be fine too.
This was simple to make (not a baker), came out beautiful, and tasted pretty good! Baby liked it and loved to smash it. Should have saved one of the layers for ourselves. Next time!
I’m so glad to hear that and happiest day!
Hi! Wondering if I make these cakes on Wednesday night for Saturday morning birthday for my twins but store them in the fridge and frost the day of.. what your thoughts are.
That should be fine. I would wrap tightly and let them sit for a bit at room temperature before serving. Enjoy!
Hello! It says I can select x1 x2 x3 – does that mean how many layers the cake has? So one layer would be x1 and 2 layers would be x2?
No, that button is if you want to double the entire recipe (which would result in 6 small layers). The recipe is written to make a three layer cake as shown.
Hi i’m looking to make this cake for my son soon. Can i ask what the actual measurements are for the amount of butter? It says 12 tablespoons but do you know the measurements in grams?
Thanks
170 grams
I just googled it and it says 12 tablespoons of butter is equivalent to 170.1 grams or 3/4 cups of butter.
Can I replace the butter with applesauce? Thank you 😊
I think that would make the batter too wet, so I wouldn’t recommend doing that.
Ok thank you very much
Can I use organic all purpose flour in this?
I haven’t tested it that way so I can’t say for sure, but it may be similar. It may bake through faster, so check it sooner than my timing.
Do you think the cake will keep well in the fridge if I made it the night before? Thanks!
Yes, just let it sit a bit at room temperature before serving so it softens a little. Enjoy
This was perfect! My son smashed it up and at it and loved it! Such a fun cake! Thank you so much.
Total hit! The pictures are incredible!
Hi can I omit the maple syrup?
I haven’t tested it without it and you would need to make up the lost volume. It’s possible milk may work. Let me know if you try it another way.
Hi, there is so much to do the day prior to my baby’s party, I was wondering what would happen if I made it 2 days in advance, kept in fridge and then took it out the day prior?
Hi- It should be fine. It is best if it’s served at room temperature as it firms slightly when chilled, but otherwise it should be great. Enjoy!
Hi. I am making your cake for a friends grandbaby. I haven’t ever made a yogurt frosting before. I will make the cake then transport it to there house. Will the frosting be stable enough that I can transport the decorated cake?
Thank you so much. Rachel
Yes, that should be fine as long as it’s not super hot outside. enjoy!
Hello- I’ve been making a lot of your recipes lately! So thanks for that. I made the cake today & it tastes amazing. So perfectly sweet for the kiddo & family but it’s crumbling. Not sure what I did wrong. I followed the recipe to a T. Why would it be doing that? Thank you.
Hi- I am not sure but maybe let it sit or stick it in the fridge for a bit? That may help. Enjoy!
Is there a reason why store-bought Greek yogurt wouldn’t work for the frosting?
It works fine, it’s just better to strain it to ensure that it’s thick enough to work as frosting.
Could you use baby oatmeal to substitute oat flour?
No, the consistency is much different and the cake would likely be mushy.
Do you think I could frost the sides as well or will this type of frosting on stick?
Yes if you strain the frosting, it should be thick enough.
Hi Amy!
I love all of your recipes and I’m looking forward to making this one.
I’d love to add fresh blueberries to this cake mix – think it’d be okay? Any thoughts as to how much? (I would rather make this cake then your blueberry smash cake since I don’t have whole wheat flour)…
And I’m assuming this cake will work with the freeze dried strawberries/cream cream cheese frosting? Thanks so much!
Hi- I think you could stir in 1 cup of fresh berries to the mix and stir in gently, then bake as directed. Enjoy!
Hi Amy – one more question…think it’d work if I added freeze-dried strawberries to the greek yogurt frosting to give it a pink color? I’m guessing I may not even need the maple syrup since the strawberries would give it enough sweetness…?
Thank you!
Hi- I would grind them up and mix the powder in. Taste it and see, sometimes they are tart so you might want a little to balance it out, but the flavor is SO GOOD. Enjoy!
I was thinking of making this with 3-4inch pans. Thoughts?
I think if you used that smaller size of pan, I wouldn’t use all of the batter since the layers would be very thick. Otherwise it should work similarly.
Can I freeze ahead and decorate (naked layer of buttercream) from frozen? Or is it best to make one day in advance and keep at room temp?
It should be fine to freeze it first.
Made for my three 1 year old Grandsons. Easy recipe and was delicious. Made into cupcakes and halved the recipe. Made 9. Baked about 14 minutes. Were moist and delicious. Surprisingly good for both the kids and adults. Highly recommend this recipe.
Is this cake safe for babies without teeth? Mine doesn’t have teeth yet 🙁
Yes, babies chew and mash with their gums.
I did it! It taste really good. No doubt! Thank you for sharing to us. I have one question though. If i put all mixture in one 8in baking pan. How long is the baking time. I just want more thickness for an 8in cake. Thankyou kindly.
Hi. I’m getting ready to try this recipe out. How is the consistency of the frosting. I wanted to do a full frosting coat and just wondering if it is stable enough for that.
Thanks!
If it is strained, it’s very thick. It is not as solid as a firm buttercream so it may not work the exact same way, but it’s fairly thick. Enjoy
Can the sponge cake be frozen and defrosted to use on the day.
I look forward to your reply
Yes, that should work fine. Enjoy
So I made this cake two days ahead for my kids 1st bday. The flavour came out quite delicious, very much like an oatmeal muffin/loaf with maple sweetness. My cake was very crumbly though and I think I didn’t grind my oats fine enough so my kid had a bit of an issue with the rougher texture. Or perhaps that extra day before serving made it more crumbly. Regardless, it was very tasty especially when I added smashed strawberries like a jam and a whipped cream icing. I’d make it again, just grind the oats even more and serve it sooner. It would be a great coffee cake too just for adults.
Hello, my baby will be one in 2 weeks, I can’t wait to make this cake for him. I will give a feedback on how it went afterwards
Great and enjoy the celebration!
Hi! I’m going to make this cake this weekend for my baby! Do you think j can make the batter beforehand and bake it a day later? I’m limited on time the day before, so I am trying to see if I can make the batter two days before and bake a day later. Thank you in advance!
Hi- I think the batter would thicken considerably and not bake the same. I would recommend baking the cake ahead, letting it cool fully, and wrapping it well and storing in the fridge. Then on the day you plan to serve it, let it sit at room temp for at least an hour before serving so it softens and comes back to room temp. Enjoy!
I only used half of the allotted maple syrup and the cake still turned out fantastic! Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe. My baby had a wonderful time “smashing” it and her older siblings thought it was very very tasty.
Hooray!
Delicious thanks Amy! My one year old certainly smashed this cake, he loved it. A lot of maple syrup though, I wasn’t quite prepared for how much I had to use, and not sure that’s that healthy for a one year old? Anyway we all loved it so thanks again!
I’m so glad he enjoyed it! And with any ingredient, remember the context and the portion—and that in this case it was a special occasion and not a daily food!
I’m making my German nephew his smash cake this weekend. It’s not a usual thing over here so I’m extra excited.
My question is, how long in advance can I frost it? They live an hour away and there will be a little party time before he gets to smash the cake. I’m hoping 4 hours would be okay?
Looking forward to your response
That should be fine as long as it stays relatively cool. Enjoy!
Can you send me the recipe to only a single layer 5” cake?
Hello, I wanna know if it’s okay to substitute maple syrup with fruit puree instead?
I haven’t done this cake that way so I can’t say for sure. It will likely have more moisture so it may change the consistency of the cake.
How long should i bake the cake if i just use a standard 9 inch round tray please?
I haven’t done it in an 9 inch pan, but here’s the info for 8 inch which is close: To Bake in Two 8-Inch Pans: Bake in two 8-inch round cake pans, using about 2 cups of batter in each pan and baking for 18-20 minutes. The layers will be thinner than shown here.
Great cake, loved it for our daughters first birthday, made a second one a few weeks later cuz mom and dad liked it so much.
With the layout of the actual recipe was better, but other then that 10/10
Do you need to strain the yogurt if using Greek whole milk yogurt?
I usually do to make sure there isn’t any liquid.
Hello- are these us cups? I’m in the UK so will convert to grams
Yes, enjoy
Hi! I will make the egg substitute option as my baby is allergic to eggs. Can I put the cake in the freezer a couple of hours before the party so that it will stay put on the table without falling apart? The party will be outdoors and last 2 hours, in sunny and HOT South Florida weather.
Hi- I haven’t tried that so I can’t say for sure, but I think it might work. I may also suggest putting it into a cooler if you can while you’re outside.
Can I use coconut flour instead and how much?
Coconut flour is not a good direct sub for other flours since it absorbs liquids completely differently. If you use it here, the cake will likely fall apart.
Maybe I’m confused – why do you have to strain the yogurt? Can I just use full fat greek yogurt to begin with and not do the straining part??
You can if you want to, but straining it ensures that it’s very thick like frosting and not watery, which would not be good against the cake.
Delicious and so easy to make. Huge success for my very picky baby boy. Just follow the instructions and trust the bake time. I overdid it little bit. Will use the recipe now for muffins!
So glad to hear that!
I made it for my baby who is turning one in May 1, 2023. I love how easy was to make, I’m not a good cooker or at baking but I did my best because I dint want her to eat so much sugar.
The taste was really good even for me ( I don’t like oat) she loves it and the photoshoot was amazing!
Thank you for making easy recipes and healthier.
You’re welcome and happiest birthday to all of you!
This was so easy to make! I followed the recipe exactly, and really appreciated the notes for using different sized pans as I used two 8 inch pans for this. I used silicone pans and greased them as directed and the cakes came out PERFECTLY, I was so happy! And the frosting was delicious. I was a little afraid it would be runny but it sat on top of the cake perfectly and didn’t melt or anything. So happy!
Hi,
I’ve just made this cake for my sons first birthday, but I’ve made 3 days ahead, can I freeze it? And defrost and ice the day before?
Thank you
Sure, enjoy!
I am planning on making this cake for my grandson’s first birthday party. Will the batter fill a 9×13 sheet cake pan or should the recipe be doubled? Thank you!
Hi Kim, the batter will fill a 9×13 sheet pan, however the layers will be thinner than shown in the pictures. Happy Birthday to your Grandson!
Loved this cake so much! Used it yesterday for my sons first birthday and had left overs for my birthday today. I let the yogurt drain overnight and was surprised how much liquid came out. Cake itself was a bit dense but so delicious. My son loved it!
Hi! Would you use spooned, sifted oat flour to measure 3c manually? It doesn’t seem like much if you use a weight conversion. 270g is three cups of oat flour, is that correct? It seems like that’s not enough, but I’ve never worked with oat flour. I just wanted to clarify before I attempted it for my sons smash cake. Thank you for your help!
I spoon the oat flour out to measure, but I don’t sift it. That might be the difference in how you’re thinking about this?
Is there any chance you have the gram conversion of the oat flour? I’ve been finding my baking to be a lot more accurate since I’ve stopped measuring my flours in cups!
You can switch the recipe to metric to see those options.
Hi! I’m planning on making this for my son’s first birthday and have never used oat flour before but use whole wheat flour all the time. I saw where you said whole wheat flour could be used instead, but do you think that would make the cake not as good? Thanks!
I prefer the texture and flavor of this cake when made with oat flour.
Made this for my 1 year olds birthday. He LOVED it! I had contemplated just buying a cake but liked that this one is relatively healthy in the sugar department especially. Also love the frosting, so easy! Thanks!!!
What do you do if you don’t have the 5 inch pans? Can you do two regular sized circle cake pans?
What’s regular size? 8 or 9 inch? How many layers would you be wanting to do?
Made it the same, just used reg flour instead. The middle was super soupy and didn’t come out good. Had to scoop out the middle, sacrifice the worst looking cake out of the 3 and rip up pieces to fill the middle holes I made from scooping the soupy parts out. Her birthday is tomorrow, hope it works lol
Regular four doesn’t absorb the same way as oat flour so I’m not surprised that it didn’t work the same BUT I hope you have a great time celebrating!!
What is the depth of the 5inch pan?
The one I have is 3 inches but you don’t fill it up the entire way
I am trying this right now, my batter seems to be a little more thick. I used exactly the measurements you suggested but while I was making my test batch I left the rest setting in the counter. When I came back it was basically like cookie dough consistency! It wasn’t like that before I left. What could be happening?
It’s possible the oat flour absorbed the liquid?
Hi! I only have two 5” pans. Will the batter keep in the fridge if I make the two and then the third once the first two are done? Or shall I just make a few cupcakes with the third? Many thanks!
It may thicken as it sits which doesn’t mean it will be bad, just may be a different texture when you go to bake it. But cupcakes would work!
Hiya I commented a few days ago but it doesn’t appear to be here so hopefully this works! I attempted this recipes (without the eggs one) and it turned out okay however the mixture was quite sticky and the amount wasn’t much, one thin layers worth. I’d have to do 3X the amount to make the full cake so I’m not sure if I did it wrong as I followed the instructions but I am based in the UK so I got a bit confused but apart from that it was good and my son liked it! I’d really like to get this right for his birthday in a couple of weeks 🙂
Hi- did you use the metric conversion or the US measurements? A different size pan? I wonder if something got lost in translation?
Hiya I did the metric measurements however I did the egg free version which didn’t have this option so I kept referring back to the original one and got slightly confused:)
I’m not sure what would have made it so sticky…
If you use greek yogurt in the frosting can you skip the straining step?
I would still strain it to make sure it’s very thick and not too wet.
This sounds delicious and I plan to make it for my daughter’s 1st birthday. I’m getting ready to do a trial run, and wanted to double check..am I reading correctly that the recipe calls for 12 tablespoons of butter?
Yes, it makes a lot of cake:)
i’m confused about the yogurt straining. so i put a paper towel on the sieve, then pour on the yogurt?
Yes, that will just allow the water to come out to thicken the yogurt into a nice consistency for frosting.
Hi Amy, I’m excited to try this recipe for my son’s first birthday next month—it looks delicious! I’ve only got on hand 4.5″ cake pans though, would the baking time change for this size? Also, what maple syrup alternatives would you recommend?
Thank you so much!
Hi- since that size is really similar, I think the bake time range is likely the same. Some people have done half mashed ripe banana and half maple syrup. Some have done date syrup. I haven’t tried it, so I am not sure whether using a full cup of banana would change the texture drastically. I hope your son and you have a very happy time celebrating your year!
Hello, I want to try this recipe and make only one of the three cakes. Then for the actual birthday, I was going to make only 2 of the 3 cakes. So do I use your recipe and cut by 1/3 and then 2/3 accordingly? I just wanted to double check 🙂 ! Thank you!
the sweetness level tastes appropriate for the audience.
Hi
36 tablespoons sounds like a huge amount 😳 is that correct?
What are you looking at? There isn’t anything in that amount in the ingredient list.
Likely to be the butter 12tbsp but in *3 servings version
Hi there – I’m sorry but I can’t see anywhere how many eggs you suggest for this recipe. Can you advise?
In the recipe at the end of the post, you’ll see it calls for 4 eggs.
Hi! I made this cake ahead of time to freeze for my son’s 1st bday party this weekend 🙂
I followed everything except I subbed half flax eggs, and half banana/half maple syrup. The result was really tasty – but very firm/tough and it’s not a very smashable cake. I want to try making it again.. will using all eggs and all maple syrup help make it a bit lighter/softer?
Thank you!
Hi- I haven’t done that exact mix you did, so it’s possible that was firmer than the original recipe. It should work just fine to smash. Be sure it’s at room temperature if you make it ahead and freeze it since it’s firmer when it’s cold. Hope that helps and enjoy the celebration!
Do you think I could make in advance and freeze cake? Then decorate the day before with frosting.
You can make it ahead and freeze it for sure. Let it sit at room temperature for a few hours once it’s thawed so it softens and if possible, frost on the day you plan to serve it.
Accidentally grabbed regular yogurt instead of Greek yogurt for the frosting 🤦♀️ Can I use regular or will it not be thick enough?
yes, just give it a little more time to strain
Hi I would like to make this for my Nephew’s first bday. His mum would like the cake to be dairy/gluten/refined sugar free. I have a few questions regarding the frosting 1. Which type of dairy free yogurt would be best (coconut, cashew, almond) 2. Do you strain the dairy free yogurt as you would full fat, I know it tends to be runnier but would try a cheese cloth and 3. How much coconut oil should I use?
Hi- I would look for a Greek style of df yogurt, such as the one from Siggis. That one is nice and thick. Or any other brand with that same attribute. Base doesn’t really matter. I would strain it over a cheese cloth, yes. For the coconut oil, I would use the same amount as is listed. Enjoy!
As long as the cakes are Un-iced, would they be ok to make 2.5 days prior and keep in airtight container and refrigerated??
Yes, should be fine. I may cover them with plastic wrap in the container to help them stay freshest.
Does it need to be refrigerated if it’s made the day before?? I dint want ut to be Rick gard
One day covered or in a container will be fine.
Let me warn you. I refrigerated the layers and they were rock hard! I only did it a day in advance and it was barely refrigerated 24 hours prior to baby’s party. I was so upset. There was no way baby would be able to “smash” it and I didn’t want to microwave it to (maybe) soften it up. It’s a super easy cake to make so I wouldn’t make it more than a day in advance unless you don’t have any time. I ended up throwing it away. I’m going to make it again tomorrow.
If you pull it out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature before serving it will soften up. I am sorry you were frustrated by this.
The cake has butter in it, butter hardens in the fridge
This cake is delicious!!! Made this cake today as a trial run So I halved the amount of recipe ingredients and also substituted half of the maple syrup with applesauce. I made this cake in 6 inch pan and it took about 24 minutes.
I think it out perfect!! It’s a Keeper… smash cake or not. 😊
I’m so glad to hear that and happy day!
Can I bake this a week ahead and freeze it instead of baking it the day before?
Absolutely, just be very gentle when wrapping and unwrapping it.
Also! How much banana would be used to substitute the maple syrup?
I haven’t tested it fully subbing the maple, but you can do half a cup of each which works nicely.
What depth of pan did you use? 2in or 3in?
Thanks!
My pans are 3 inches deep (the cake doesn’t fill them up though)
Would it be OK to use white or whole wheat flour rather than oat? Nothing against oat, just don’t have any on hand.
I haven’t tested it that way but of those two options I would go with whole-wheat. The baking time may be a little less. Let me know how it goes!
Cake and frosting tasted really good! Definitely don’t put the frosting on until right before you serve it.
Everyone in my family loved this cake. I made a minor tweak by subbing half of the melted butter with heavy cream. It was fluffy and held together well. Thank you for sharing!
I made this today for my sons birthday tomorrow. I didn’t see where you say not to frost ahead of time until just now and im worried it will be ruined for tomorrow because I did it already. Oops. I hope it’s okay!
Also wanted to mention that I had to bake much longer than the suggested time because it was very liquidy inside otherwise.
Lastly- the bits I tasted of both the cake and the frosting were delicious!
It should be okay, enjoy the celebration!
For the yogurt frost – Can I replace the ripped bananas to strawberries instead? My little one doesn’t like ripped and smashed up bananas.
Sure
This was TASTY! And the instructions were thorough. Cake was a little denser than preferred which made it a little hard for him to dig in but I think that’s because I baked it too long. Not confident on what happened there. I did the half maple half banana option and the sweetness was perfect. Highly recommend!
I was so excited to make this for my little girl’s first birthday and was not disappointed! It was easy to make and yet so delicious! Especially loved the frosting, which I made the day before.
I made a two-layer cake (6 inch pan – and two cupcakes with the excess batter)
21 minutes for the cupcakes.
Let the rest go for 3 more min for 24 min total.
Thanks for helping me give my daughter a wonderful first birthday!
I’m so glad to hear it and I hope you had a wonderful day celebrating!
Would this recipe work for 4″ round pans? Not sure if I need to alter ingredients or baking times in any way?
Here you go: To Bake in Three 4-Inch Pans: Cut the recipe in half. The baking time will be 16-18 minutes and the layers will be slightly thinner than shown here.
Thanks so much for the recipe! Turned out great and little guy thoroughly smashed it to bits 🙂 I made one 6” and 12 cupcakes! I did have to bake the 6” a little longer than the recipe stated.
I was a little hesitant with the 1 cup of maple syrup but they only turn one once right?? I wanted to try to sub a banana in there but mine weren’t ripe yet. Maybe next time 🙂
Thank you again!
I’m so glad to hear it! That amount of maple syrup makes a lot of cake—I’m glad he enjoyed smashing it and happiest birthday!
Nice info!” I read this post your post so nice and very informative post thanks for sharing this post
Can you dye the icing and pipe it like you would a buttercream?
Yes, you should be able to if you strain it to make sure it’s thick. It may not be quite as firm as buttercream, but once strained it’s pretty firm
Do you have to use oat flour or can you use all purpose flour? Is the amount the same or different?
I haven’t made this with all all-purpose flour but it’s possible it would work similarly. The baking time may be a little different, so you’d need to check it starting a little sooner to make sure it doesn’t overbake.
My daughter is allergic to eggs and flour. To make egg free, it says to use 1 cup whole purpose flour – would it still work if I used 3 cups of oat flour?
I worry it would be a little crumbly. If there’s a gf cup for cup flour mix you could use for at least 1 cup, I think that would likely be the best option
Could I prep this beforehand and freeze it?
Sure, just let the cakes cool fully before wrapping well and freezing.
Hi I followed the recepie but the cake is wet inside. I baked it for more and more time but it’s still wet. It is supposed to be dry, right?
Yes. That’s surprising given the way that oat flour bakes, but I hope it was okay in the end.
This cake was so delicious, easy to make and my son definitely approved ! I wanted to add a tip that I think everyone who could get their hands on it would appreciate! For the frosting – google your nearest middle eastern store and pick up Labneh (it is basically strained yogurt or yogurt cream cheese) it takes the work out of straining the yogurt and is the perfect creamy thick consistency and all u mix in is the maple syrup! I made the mistake of buying regular whole milk yogurt and not Greek and even after straining it wasn’t as thick as i hoped and not sure why I never thought of Labneh as it’s common is my husbands Arab roots but hopefully this helps out someone else lol I’ll definitely be making it again with it but thought id share!
My daughter is allergic to oats. Could this be made with all purpose flour?
I haven’t tried it that way and I am not sure if it would turn out a lot drier with flour or not. You could look at my Sweet Potato Cake which would be an option with flour.https://www.yummytoddlerfood.com/sweet-potato-cake-with-cream-cheese-frosting/
I am just making this cake now. I don’t have maple syrup. Can I use golden syrup? Or white sugar or brown sugar. If yes how much. Thank you.
I haven’t made it any other way so I can’t say for sure, but of those options I think I’d choose the syrup.
Ok here goes.
I tried this as a test before my 1 year old’s birthday party. It tastes delicious, but is really crumbly. I am afraid it won’t make for a great smash cake if it crumbles and he can’t grab it. Is there any advice for what I need to adjust to make it less crumbly?
Hmmm, you could bake it for a few minutes less and chill it before serving it? It should be tender, but hold together well. I hope you have a wonderful time celebrating him!
Are you supposed to use greek yogurt or regular yogurt for the frosting? If using Greek do you still strain it?
I recommend using Greek yogurt and straining it for the thickest final frosting.
Fantastic cake! I’m not the one to write reviews, I tend to forget and move on with life, but this I wanted to share my experience with this cake.
I’ve tried doing it 3 times already, and all 3 times came out wonderful. First attempt I used orange extract instead and baked as muffins, it came out pretty good. Sem one try I followed the recipe but uses half of the suggested amount for maple syrup, it was also pretty good. Third time I made the egg & dairy free version, absolutely delicious.
Thank you so much Amy!
I’m so glad and the orange sounds yummy!
Hi Amy! (: If I prefer to omit the maple syrup, do I have to add some liquid like milk to maintain the texture? If so, what amount would you recommend?
I think if you omit the maple syrup, I’d add 1/2 cup milk in its place. I haven’t tried that but it’s my best guess!
Could I do this in a 6pt muffin pan?
Hi- I’m not sure which size muffin pan that would be (are they jumbo ones or just regular size?). Here’s the info on how to make them in a standard size muffin pan: To Make as Cupcakes: Use 3 tablespoons of the batter in each paper cupcake liner to make about 16 cupcakes. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean (I did 20 minutes). The rest of the recipe is the same.
i’m so glad i tried this recipe and will certainly be making it again! both babies and adults enjoyed – i also tried with a cream cheese frosting (also from this site) and it was delicious
I’m so glad!
Why does the frosting have to be used within 24 hours? I have a timing issue because of Thanksgiving being in between when I want to make the frosting and when we want to eat it.
I have it specified that way to make sure it doesn’t dry out or harden around the edges, but if you store it in a zip top bag and remove as much air as possible before you seal it, it would be okay for longer! I hope that helps!
Thank you that definitely helps with my timing issue!
Hi, I plan to make this in two 6″ round pans. How many minutes should I bake them for? And at what temperature? You have a note for three 6″ pans, but if I only use two pans, there will be more batter in each pan, so just wondering if they’ll need more time in the oven.
Another question is: how do you measure 12 tablespoons of butter (that’s not melted yet)?? Or can I melt it first then measure 12 tablespoons?
Thank you!
Hi- One stick of butter is 8 tablespoons, so use a stick and a half. I have never divided all of the batter into just two pans and I worry a little about how hard it might be to get them to bake through since they would be quite thick. I think I would make two using the timing I give for the 6 inch pans and then maybe bake a few muffins with the remaining batter. I hope that helps!
Looking to make this recipe for my son’s birthday, but wondering if I could make the layers 2 days before serving (and frost the morning of party). Could I put in fridge for a day and then leave out so it’s not too dense to smash? Thank you!
Yes, that should work! Just put into an airtight container or cover tightly when storing it. Enjoy it and happy birthday to your whole family!
Hi there,
Trying this out for my sons birthday on Saturday… making sure this recipe is “elevation” worthy! Meaning, we live in CO and I wondered if I needed to shift anything!
Thanks 🙂
Hi- I haven’t tested this at elevation so I unfortunately can’t say for sure. If you’re worried or typically have problems, you could add 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon baking soda to the mix to help. I’d love to hear how it goes!
Delicious!
I would like to make this for my grandson’s first birthday. Can I just use 2 5″ or 6″ cake pans? Thanks for your feedback
You could fill as many pans as you need about half way and bake. You’d need to cut the recipe down, though, if you didn’t want to have extra batter. I hope he has a great birthday!!
Thanks
I made cupcakes with this recipe, but I used only half of the maple syrup it called for. It was delicious, but turned out crumbly. I know others said the same thing. Maybe I should have added a banana since I took out the maple syrup? I’ll definitely try it again!
If you cut down on the liquid, I am not surprised that it was crumbly. I would add a puree or milk to make up for the loss of liquid.
Made this for my baby’s 1st birthday and she LOVES it! Both cake and yogurt frosting are yummy! I felt much better with this healthier alternative to a traditional cake. I definitely recommend this recipe! Thank you very much for sharing!
My baby LOVES her cake. The cake and yogurt frosting are so yummy and I felt better about giving these ingredients to my baby instead of all the traditional sugar! I definitely recommend this recipe!
Thank you for sharing!
I’m so glad to hear that!
Hi! Doing cake smash Sunday evening and made cakes today. Should I out them in a sealed container in fridge or would counter be ok? Or freeze them? They turned out great!
Thanks!
Hi- In an airtight container at room temperature or the fridge are both fine. If it’s very hot where you are and it’s warmer in the house, I would put them into the fridge. They do firm up in the fridge a bit, so take them out of it about 2 hours before you plan to frost and serve. Enjoy the celebration!
Wonderful recipe, thank you! I made it for a photoshoot that was going to happen weeks before the birthday so I left out the maple syrup altogether and substituted it for a cup of very ripe mashed banana.
It came out light, moist and very tasty. I will bake it again in a 9×13 in pan and cut it in squares for breakfast!
I made this for my daughter’s first birthday this weekend. It was delicious! My sister in law said it tasted like an oatmeal cookie, but in cake form. Maybe next time I’ll add a little cinnamon to the mix 🙂
I wish I could share the photo – we added just a teeny bit of food coloring to the frosting and painted the cake like a watercolor style, then added some decorative sprinkles. I had no idea I could use Greek yogurt to make easy cake frosting 🙂
Thank you!
I’m so glad! I would love to see the photo if you ever want to send it to me amy @ yummytoddlerfood.com or tag me in an IG post!
Hello, I want to make this cake for my little one’s first birthday and I’ve got one question, sorry if it is a silly one. do you add 12 tbls of already melted butter or 12 tbls of solid butter which you melt afterwards . I hope my question makes sense.
Measure out the butter. Melt it and let it cool slightly. Then add it to the batter. enjoy!
Hi there! I made this cake for my daughter’s first birthday last Friday and it was a massive hit! Our standard cake tins were fractionally smaller than the ones you list, but it was totally fine. My daughter loved it, as did my husband and I. I operate in metric and it was kind of difficult to figure out all of the different measurements for things, but I succeeded – would you like me to share the measurements for you to add to the post? Thank you so much for giving me a recipe that I could use to successfully celebrate my baby’s first birthday!
I’m so glad to hear that! And sure, I’d love to know the measurements you used. (It is on my list to retest it with metric, I just haven’t gotten to it yet.)
Excited to try this for my two year Olds birthday. Do you know if this will be dense enough to hold fondant? I wanted to decorate the top of the cake.
Yes, I think so!
Hi there,
I plan to make two cakes – a 4-inch round for baby and an 8 inch for us. Just wondering how long (or if leftovers would keep in the fridge?
Hi- If covered or wrapped, 3-5 days!
Hi. New to baking. Can I substitute flaxseed with either chia or hemp seeds? Thank you.
You only need flaxseed if making the egg-free version. I haven’t tested it with chia or hemp seeds. Of those two, chia would likely work similarly though they are a dark color and you may see them in the finished cake.
I baked this cake as per instructions but it came out extremely dry and crumbly. The flavor was awesome though. I did the exact same recipe but divided between two seven inch pans. It baked for about 22 minutes. Any tips on fixing this? Also can this recipe be followed with regular wheat flour? I’m curious because I’ve never baked with oat flour before and I wasn’t too fond of the result. The frosting recipe is delicious though!
Perhaps it was simply baked too long in the pan size you used? I haven’t tried it with wheat flour but let me know if you do.
Hello! Is there anything that I can use in stead of maple syrup? Just cant find it where we live ?
I think honey would work (it’s safe for babies 12+months so it should be fine if it’s on the first birthday) or some people have used date syrup.
Hello! Is it truly 12 tablespoons of butter in the cake? or is that a typo? Thank you!
It’s not a typo, it’s a lot of cake.
Made mini cupcakes for my baby first birthday celebration at her Montessori day care. Topped with Greek yogurt frosting and berries. They turned out really good. Not only little kids loved them but the teachers too. So much that they asked for the recipe. I will definitely be making them again. I don’t like baking at all but these are super easy and quick to make.
I’m so glad to hear this and happy birthday to your baby!
Super bummed. As someone else commented my result was very dry and crumbly. I used two 6 inch pans and followed your baking instructions. The flavor was great though, like maple & brown sugar oatmeal, very sweet! Perhaps too much oat flour? Some ratio is off. Or maybe you need to be more specific as to how we measure the oat flour (spoon and level vs. scooping it).
Hi, the recipe looks wonderful. Planning to try out for my 1 year old. Wondering if this recipe comes in metric measurements? How much of Greek Yogurt is necessary for a successful frosting?
I don’t have this in metric (I’m sorry!) but an online converter should be able to help. For the frosting, it’s 1 1/2 cups. All of the info is in the Notes.
This looks great! Can I frost this the day before?
That should be fine. I would still try to store it in an airtight container if you have one that’s big enough to keep everything fresh!
Can you do this recipe without the maple syrup? I don’t want to introduce that to my LO as yet.
I haven’t made this any other way but I know some have used date syrup with good success.
Is it okay to just use whole wheat flour?
A successful cake smash with my 1 year old! Thanks for this recipe. I was so happy to find a cake that even my husband thought was yummy and didnt contain a bunch of added sugars! My boy daintily picked off the blueberries before going all in on the cake- which crumbled and smashed well! Thank you!
I’m so glad to hear that and I hope you had a great time celebrating your boy!
Hi,
Love the frosting recipe. Is it pipeable?
I haven’t tried to pipe it, but it is pretty thick. I would plan to strain it a little longer if you want to pipe it!
Tried this recipe as written for my daughters first birthday, it was a hit and the adults loved it too. Now my older daughter wants this for her birthday but with chocolate. Has anyone tried adding chocolate powder to this recipe? Any ideas?
Thanks!
Hi! I haven’t tried it with chocolate, but I think if you reduce the oat flour by a little and add cocoa powder, I bet it would work. Maybe reduce it by 2-4 tbsp and add 1/4 cup cocoa powder? I worry it would be dry if you keep the same amount of flour and just add cocoa powder…but again I haven’t tested it so this is my best guess! Let me know if you try it and I’m glad everyone enjoyed it!
Hi Amy,
Thanks for the recipe! But quick question on the frosting, can u just use whole milk yogurt instead of Greek? Also will. The yogurt frosting be consistent like buttercream frosting? Trying to frost a naked cake fit the smash cake. I see you didn’t crumb coat do want to see if it’s stiff enough to hold up on the cake? Thank you!
You can use regular yogurt, but you’ll want to strain it for at least double the time to make sure it gets as stiff as possible. It won’t be as firm as buttercream, but it will work to frost the sides too if you want!
Hi I am thinking of making this for my daughters 1st birthday but would like to bake a few muffins to see if I like the taste first. Could you possibly send me the meariasurements of the cake recipe to make a small batch of muffins? Thanks in advance!
Hi- Maybe you could divide the recipe in half? I hope that works for you!
I have 6 4” diameter silicone pans, do you think I would I still need a parchment round? Or could I just spray with oil? Thanks!
I always do cakes with parchment just to be safe, but if you’ve had good success baking with those pans without sticking, you’re likely okay just to spray them!
Hi, can you substitute cake flour into this instead of oat flour?
I haven’t tried it that way so I can’t say for sure!
Hi I want to try this for my sons birthday it looks great. I am wondering if this is a cake that can be made for adults birthdays as well? I am looking for a go to birthday cake tradition recipe that I can make for everyone in our family.
Thanks!
Kristine
It can be eaten and enjoyed by any age. It’s just not as sweet as a traditional cake, so that would be something to consider.
I’ve divided the recipe by a third as I wanted to do a test run in advance. I found the batter quite course and thick, like a bread dough (I blended oats). What am I doing wrong? I ended up using 2 medium eggs just to try soften it up. Any advice?
I am not sure why that would have happened. It’s usually not a super thick batter. What do you mean by you blended oats? Do you mean you made your own oat flour?
Hi there!
I love this recipe and planning to make this for my baby girl’s 1st birthday cake smash.
1 question: In the eggless version, can I use applesauce instead of bananas, or do you think that might spoil the taste? Thing is, she doesn’t like bananas at all !
Thanks in advance!
Hi- I haven’t tested it that way so I can’t say for sure. If you try it, the only thing I would try for is an applesauce that is thick and not runny (since mashed bananas are thicker than some applesauces can be.) Let me know how it goes!
I ran out of oat flour and substituted coconut flour. I didn’t end up with batter at all. It was like biscuit dough. I tried adding an extra egg and water to make it more liquid, but it never got there. Obviously, if it doesn’t work out that won’t be the recipe’s fault. I just thought I would send a word of caution on flour substitution. Frosting is great.
Right, coconut flour absorbs liquid really differently than any other flour (it needs a LOT of liquid) so it’s not a good substitution as you found out. Glad the frosting is okay!
Hi Amy,thinking of making this cake for my daughter’s first B’day. Could I use plain flour or self-raising flour instead of oat flour? Would that work?
Thanks,
Anna
Hi- I haven’t tried it that way so I can’t say for sure, but it might work okay! Let me know if you try it out and I’m sorry that I don’t have a more definitive answer for you!
Hi Amy,
Your recipe looks so simple and yummie. I am thinking to make this for my son’s 1st birthday ???
I want to ask one question. As I only have one pan. Can I make it in one pan and cut it in half after it has been cooked?
Thank you
Maria
Hi Maria- Which size pan do you have that you’d like to use?
Hi Amy,
I have a 17cm pan around 6,5-7 inches.
Thanks
If you have the option to bake one layer at a time, that would be a better way to ensure the middle is properly baked through.
could i use quick oats instead of rolled oats? would that name it more crumbly?
You can use quick oats and grind them into the flour the same as you would with rolled oats. Should be fine!
Do you think I could freeze the cake minus frosting ahead of time?
Yes, I think that would work. Let them cool completely and then I’d probably place each cake onto a paper plate and wrap with plastic wrap. Place each into a zip top freezer bag and seal, removing as much air as you can. This will keep them fresh after being frozen. I’d thaw at room temperature for a few hours (4-6 I’m guessing) or overnight in the fridge. Enjoy!
I made this cake today for my grandson’s first birthday. Delicious! He loved it & the adults tasted it & loved it, too!!!
I will make this again! Yogurt frosting is delicious as well!
Thank you!!!!
Hi Amy,
I want to make a unicorn cake for my niece’s first birthday but her mom doesn’t want her to have a bunch of refined sugar. She sent me some recipes but I can tell from the recipes that there’s no way I will be able to decorate them the way I want to. Plus the recipes are a lot of work! This cake looks like a good compromise. My question for you is whether the yogurt frosting is thick enough to pipe with?
Thanks!
Hi- If you let the yogurt drain for a few more hours than I say in the recipe and you make sure to start with thick Greek yogurt, it is likely going to be very thick. I haven’t tried piping with it, but I think it could totally work!
Loved this recipe! I made it in a 13×9 cake pan (cook time about 18 minutes) and just cut out 2 small round sections (using a bowl as a guide for shape) to stack since I didn’t have tiny cake pans. It was moist and my son loved it! Made the frosting and cake the day before and it was easy to put together the next day. The vanilla frosting was great too. Would definitely make again!
I’m so glad to hear that and happy birthday!
Hello dear I did make this cake but it was so crumbly almost like sand and the layers wouldn’t hold together can u tell me why
Hi- Did you make any changes to the recipe?
Heya, just made this cake. Firstly, the uncooked batter tastes amazing. Raw eggs be damned, I could have devoured the entire bowl.
It’s very crumbly, which you can assume is just the oat flour. The cake itself tastes great for what sweetener you put in it. I haven’t yet made the icing as I was doing a test run of the cake. Great find on this recipe. Thank you 🙂
My cake also came out very crumbly as well. I halved the ingredients because I did not want to make that much cake. I made my oat flour from scratch. Not sure if that was the issue or not. I just took some regular organic oats and pureed them until they were like fine powder. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong here. The cake itself really does taste amazing. It’s just….crumbly! lol
I’m honestly not sure why this is happening when you cut the recipe in half other than if everything isn’t exactly in half? Not sure!
Would adding freeze dried fruit to this frosting work to give it color?
Sure! Strawberry turns it a nice bright pink and blueberry is sort of purple. I’d crush it up finely in a food processor or blender and stir it in.
I have baby oatmeal left that I’ve been meaning to use up, do you think I could use this as my oatmeal flour? Looking forward to making this!
I haven’t tried that so I can’t say for sure. Sometimes baby oatmeal has a different flavor though
We used the recipe and made it into cupcakes- it was delicious and our little boy thought so too! I almost skipped the yoghurt frosting but so glad I didn’t. I was surprised how easy it was to turn Greek yoghurt into the right texture for frosting.
I am so glad to hear that and happy birthday to your boy!
Oh my goodness, this recipe came out BEAUTIFULLY! I used 1/2 cup maple syrup and one ripe banana to cut down a bit on the sugar, it worked great. I was super surprised at how much the adults/older kids liked this cake just as much as baby!!
Yay! I’m so glad to hear that and I’m happy to know that your adjustments worked so well! Happy birthday to your little!
Can I just add vanilla and skip maple syrup? My baby is obsessed with plain yoghurt and gets annoyed when I try to mix it with anything else! Will it still work?
In the frosting? Yes, sure though it would of course not be as sweet
I did this with almond flour, for those asking! I used 3 cups still & baked it for about 27 minutes (might have been a bit longer but I checked with a toothpick every few minutes until it was done) & it came out just perfect! Moist & delicious & it was dense but crumbled perfectly. I used it for my 6 months old 1/2 birthday smash cake.
Oh, I also poured 2 cups of batter into my cake pan as well! Not sure if that matters but just wanted to add
Thanks for sharing that!!
Really want to make this for my boy who turns 1 next week. What are the measurements in grams?
I tested it with US measurements (sorry!) but you can try using an online converter to help get it to grams.
Can you make this cake without the maple syrup so it is sugar free?
I haven’t omitted the maple syrup entirely and you would need to replace it with something to make up the liquid and also give it flavor
Hi, my baby is allergic to wheat, eggs and banana. Do you have a suitable version, or can let me know what I can use as substitutes as I can’t find a version which doesn’t have all three ingredients. Would love to make this for my baby’s first birthday. Thank you!
I would love to figure this out for you but I haven’t tested it with that specific combo of leaving things out and I am not sure that it would hold together if you used oat flour and also made it egg free. Mashed sweet potato puree is usually a good substitute for mashed banana. I think you could make my Sweet Potato Cake using gluten-free flour blend and the egg-free option if you want to look at that?
HI
COULD YOU TELL ME THE NAME OF THE SONG THAT YOU HAVE USED IN THE VIDEO ?
Happy Birthday to Me by Jaymie Gerard
Can’t wait to make this for my son’s first birthday! How much yogurt for the frosting? A small container? Or large one? Thank you!!
You’d need 2 6 or 8 ounce containers or a large quart (and you’d have some leftover).
Such a simple, moist and delicious cake for any occasion! Love Yummytoddlerfood!
I’m so glad to hear it!
Can I add ripped banana to the cake to make it It’s slightly sweet?
The cake is plenty sweet from the maple syrup!
Hi there, I was wondering how to make this recipe dairy and egg free? Also can I add fruit flavors to the frosting? Like pureed strawberries etc? Will this cake hold up with other types of flour and when substituting the coconut oil for butter is it still q2 tablespoons of coconut oil?
The egg-free and dairy-free info is in the Notes section (scroll down). What other types of flour are you considering? The coconut oil and butter amounts are the same.
Can you freeze this cake? I want to make it for my son’s birthday, and cut up to make a train. I’ve got quite a bit on so would like to make it ahead of time if I can! Thanks
Yes, I think it would be fine to freeze if it’s wrapped well. I would wait to frost it though. I haven’t tried cutting it to make a shape, but I think I would do it before freezing if possible. Let me know how it turns out!
Hi! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I have a question. Can the frosting be used for piping? If yes, how long will it last in the room temperature?
I haven’t tried to pipe this frosting so I can’t say for sure. I suspect it will work but it won’t be as firm as a frosting that has powdered sugar in it and I would try not to have it sitting out at room temperature for too long. Let me know if you try it!
Made this for my son’s first birthday. I went ahead and used Greek Yogurt because it’s what we had on hand. I used your modifications to bake it in a 4-inch cake pan. It all worked great and tasted yummy! Thank you!!
I’m so glad and happy bday to your boy!
Can I use all purpose flour instead of oat ?
I haven’t tried it that way but let me know if you do!
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe for my sons first birthday this week! Quick question, I read the notes for the egg free version. My son is allergic to egg and I’d like to only use oat flour instead of adding in regular flour. Do you think it’s ok to sub flax egg 1:1 for this recipe?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure, but I don’t think that the texture would be the same at all since that would be a lot of flax eggs. Maybe try using the egg-free option, using all oat flour, and doing 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon baking soda. Adding baking soda to that might, I think, would help it to not be crumbly.
How much avocado oil instead of butter? Thank you in advance! ?
I haven’t tested it with avocado oil, but with coconut oil it’s the same amount as the butter.
I am going to try making this for my daughter’s first birthday. I have the yogurt in a paper towel lined strainer. I put it in there last night and now over 12 hours later, the bowl underneath is still empty/dry. The paper towel is damp. Is this how it is supposed to work? The yogurt looks exactly like it did when I put it in the strainer. Please advise. This recipe sounds really good and I really want to try it.
If no liquid is coming out, it’s possible your yogurt started off thicker than some other brands. Which is fine! You should be good to go.
Just to confirm that’s meant to be 12 tablespoons of unsalted butter?
Yes, 1.5 sticks or 12 tablespoons
Is the yogurt frosting thick enough to be used as piped frosting and keep form?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure. It’s thick but it might not be thick enough to do that without straining it longer or adding some powdered sugar to stiffen it. Let me know if you try it!
I made this cake for my niece’s first birthday – LOVE how it turned out! I cut my 2 square cakes to form a number 1. I made the frosting and divided it into 6 bowls and added natural food colouring, and then piped the different colours onto the top of the cake. It doesn’t pipe as well as buttercream but it still looked nice. Fantastic outcome.
I’m so glad!
Made this cake today and it fell apart when I took it out of the pans. So maybe this will become a deconstructed cake????
Oh no! Did you change anything in the recipe? Were the cakes cooled?
I baked them in 8in pans, maybe I should have let them bake a little longer or cooled a little more before I took them out of the pan. This was a trial run so hopefully next time will turn out better.
This cake is delicious. Made it for my 2 year old grandson’s birthday. All who tasted the third layer loved it. Honestly it was much more flavorful than the homemade vanilla cupcakes I made for everyone else Thanks for the recipe
Looking to make this for my daughter’s first birthday. Maybe I’m being silly but what is the amount of butter I’m supposed to add?
It’s in the recipe at the bottom of the post!
Hello. Can I use buttermilk in this recipe
I haven’t tried it so can I can’t say for sure how it might impact flavor but let me know if you try it!
I love the music to your video… how might i find it?!
It’s called Happy Birthday to Me by Jaymie Gerard
Can I use buttermilk in this recipe
Hi Amy – I’m looking forward to making this for my baby’s 1st birthday! We have almond flour readily available at home – have you tried or heard of anyone using it with good results? Thanks.
Hi! I haven’t had any comments from folks who’ve tried almond flour. It’s similar to oat flour in that it doesn’t have gluten (so I think it would work the same), though it may absorb moisture differently so I can’t say for sure if everything would work the same. Sorry to not have a more helpful answer!
Did you try the almond flour? Just wondering if that worked. I have almond flour as well as oats so I’m wondering if I can just mix them to make up the amount I need.
Hi! I used almond flour. I used the same amount that it calls for oat flour (3 cups). I poured 2 cups of batter into the pan instead of 1 1/3. Cooked it to 25 minutes and then just checked on it every few minutes with a toothpick until I was happy with it. It was delicious!
Hi there, just wondering if quick oats are ok to grind into the oat flour?
Thanks
Yes, that should be fine!
We tried this recipe for my daughters 1st birthday and it was perfect! Very crumbly which is perfect for a smash cake. We left the yogurt overnight in a container with a paper towel to absorb the liquid. Frosting was nice and thick and I think we added a little extra maple syrup and vanilla
Made this in cupcake form and it was quite tasty and easy to make! I even cut the maple syrup in the batter to about 3/4 of a cup. When I lost some of my butter in the microwave, I replaced the missing amounts with some coconut oil. I also used some baby oatmeal when I didn’t make enough Oat flour. The yogurt frosting is great and is similar to a cream cheese frosting without being super sweet – I’d consider using this frosting for more recipes! Our 1 year old enjoyed this cupcake!
I’m so glad to hear that they worked well for you and happy birthday to your little one!
Best healthy smash cake for my 1 year old , My husband didn’t want to give our son cake at all until I told him I found a healthy recipe.
I’m so glad and happy bday to your little one!
Hi, is it possible to use Greek yoghurt instead of straining the regular yoghurt?
Yes, though brands vary so if you see any water at all in the container, I would still recommend straining it briefly.
Thank you. I’ll do that.
I’m so glad I found this recipe, I can’t wait to give it a try. A couple of questions please – do you think I can use just 1 cake pan and cut in half for a 2 layer cake? With the frosting, doesn’t the paper towel fall to pieces and stick to the yoghurt? Thanks in advance.
I think if you wanted to use one pan, I would bake half of the batter at once to make two thin cakes rather than cutting it in half. Just to limit the chances of it breaking while cutting it. Let the pan cool between baking if possible. The paper towel does not fall apart in my experience.
Can I make this with cake flour?
I haven’t tried it that way so I can’t say how it would turn out but let me know if you try it.
Hi! Did it work with the cake flour?
Turned out PERFECT! I used a bit of powdered sugar for the yogurt frosting because I ran out of maple syrup and I could not believe how well the yogurt frosting turn out! Delicious AND looked great in the photos!
I’m so glad and happy birthday to your little!
I’ve just made this today and it tastes so good! I swapped the butter for coconut oil and eggs for flaxseed and bananas. I also used regular plain flour instead of oats as it’s what I had, but it was quite dense and as it’s for a cake smash, I need it to be lighter. If I try vegan butter instead of coconut oil, would that maybe help? I’m not sure if I just did one substitution too many! I need it vegan and low sugar. thank you so much!
Have you tried giving your kiddo a slice to see what happens? It’s possible it will smash just fine:) I’m not sure of a way to make it lighter (if you used eggs, you could whip them to add more air). You could try sifting the flour first?
Can’t wait to try out this recipe!
Can I use ripe bananas instead of maple syrup? Or is there another substitute?
I haven’t tested that but I believe some commenters did that and had great success!
I made this for my son’s first birthday today and I couldng believe how delicious it is! I did 4 inch pans and it turned out great, following your directions for that size pan. I was worried to frost it too soon in the Florida summer heat, even with leaving it indoors, but decided for logistical reasons to frost it a few hours prior and leave it in the refrigerator, which worked just fine. Just wanted to mention in case someone else needs to put it together a bit earlier also. The cake layers were baked the night before and kept nicely in a tightly sealed ziplock bag overnight. I’m just sad it took me three kids to find such a great smash cake recipe! I can’t wait to eat the extra layer haha – my husband said it tastes like an oatmeal pie. Thanks again!!
Do you think Gerber first food oatmeal is close enough to oat flour? I don’t have much faith in my blender to cut oats any finer than the Gerber baby oatmeal…
Also, nice Hyvee stuff, Iowa mama here.
Hi neighbor! The texture of the first food oatmeal is pretty close to oat flour and I know that people have made this recipe with baby oatmeal and it’s turned out. I haven’t tested it that way so I can’t say for sure but please let me know if you try it!
Can I use regular flour instead of Oat Flour?
I haven’t made it with all purpose flour, but here’s the info for whole wheat as I imagine it would be similar: “You can try making this with whole wheat flour if you prefer—though check for doneness closer to 18-22 minutes and stir very gently to avoid overworking the batter.’
This is delicious! I made a different recipe for a low sugar “healthy” smash cake for my first child–it was SO much work and tasted awful. Its my 2nd child’s first birthday tomorrow and I decided to try this Vanilla Oat and it is SO much better and far easier! I made 2 cakes. One for our little photoshoot and it turned out a tad dense and harder for my little guy to grab and eat! So the 2nd cake is for his birthday party and this time I separated out the egg whites, (mixed in yolks as directed) whipped up the whites and folded them in as the last step. 2nd cake turned out lighter and fluffier! Either way its yummy! Thank you!
Oh my goodness. I did a trial run before my daughter’s birthday next month and wow. I think I found my own favorite cake AND I HATE CAKE. I think it was the oat flour and mild sweetness with the syrup and banana that sold me. Normally cakes taste too fine and rich and sweet for me, but this was perfect. Forget just smash cakes, heck I’ll make this just for me.
That makes me so happy to hear! I love this cake too. I have a stash of pieces in the freezer I pull out regularly for myself!
Can I use instant oats to make the oat flour?
Yes that should work fine
Loved the end result…had a beautiful texture, was light…perfect. We also enjoyed the Greek yogurt icing…. it was a perfect smash cake for a 1st birthday celebration. I would definitely make this again & again.
I am so glad to hear that and I hope it was a very happy day!
Hi anyone tried and the cake crumbled? Wonder what went wrong? My butter n eggs mixture also seemed to have split!
Did you change anything in the recipe? And what exactly do you mean by the eggs mixture splitting? Happy to help if I can!
The song in the video is amazing, but I cant find it anywhere. Who sings it and what is it called? This cake also looks perfect for my son’s first birthday on June 1st 🙂
It’s called Happy Birthday to You by Jaymie Gerard. It’s so lovely!
Hi! I am looking to try this recipe out.
If i wanted to do adapt the base and use whole wheat flour and oats together..would you recommend? If yes, what ratio?
I haven’t tried that but you could try half and half.
Can i do the cake before the day before to keep in fridge ?
You can bake the cakes up to a day ahead. Let cool fully on wire racks and store in an airtight container at room temp. Frost soon before serving.
Can i do this day before to keep in fridge ?
I did a practice run today and the cakes were somewhat crumbly. This may have been operator error, but do you have any tips for me to ensure it is moist for the big day?
I would check for doneness maybe two minutes earlier. I hope that helps!
Hello, is it possible to use plain flour or self-raising flour instead of oat flour? thanks!
All purpose should be okay I think. I’d follow this same advice for ww flour: “You can try making this with whole wheat flour if you prefer—though check for doneness closer to 12-14 minutes and stir very gently to avoid overworking the batter—though it’s very moist and delicious with the oat flour!”
Hi, tomorrow is my son’s first birthday. I just baked a layer of this cake. Taste is delicious but it didn’t rise up and not that soft like regular cake. Is this how it supposed to be? I was only going to do 1 layer but now I am thinking to make more layers as it turned out to be little dense. Please let me know . Thanks!
I emailed you to make sure you’d see my answer, but it’s not like a regular cake since it doesn’t contain flour. It’s a little denser than a normal yellow cake would be. Have a happy day!
Hi! This cake looks great!!! Do you bake it in the oven with fan or grill? xx
I used a regular oven, not convection. I hope that answers your question!
Is it possible to do this in a large pan and cut the circles or am I just looking for trouble? Lol
It’s fairly delicate so I’m not sure I’d recommend that. If you want to try it, put the cake into the fridge for a bit to firm it up before you cut it. Let me know!
i made this cake yesterday but it turned out crumbly!
the taste is delicious but when i started to cut it, the pieces started crumbling. is there a reason? i used the exact same measures. i would like to know what went wrong!
thank you
Did you let it cool fully before cutting it?
yes of course, i left to cool completely
Such a great recipe! I made this for my sons first birthday and everyone (including him) LOVED it!!
I had 3 6” pans so I had to double the recipe and it just about fit right to make thick enough layers (~1”). I also doubled the frosting and so glad I did.
I am so glad to hear that and happy bday to your boy!
This looks great! Can you use ground steel cut oats instead of rolled oats?
I haven’t tried it with ground steel cut oats—if you can get them ground finely to look like oat flour, then it should work the same I think!
This recipe turned out DELICIOUS! I wanted to make my daughter a healthier version of a smash cake and this certainly delivered on that, as well as taste, texture, and simplicity. My 1 year old devoured this cake, along with my 9 year old and husband! I used two 6″ cake pans and I didn’t feel like there was enough batter. I’m not sure how this recipe would fill three 5″ pans. My two layers were only about an inch or so thick, but it was still plenty of cake for my babe. Also, I doubled the frosting recipe and was very happy I did. Thank you so much for this great recipe! I’ve already shared it with a friend for her baby’s 1st birthday!
I’m glad it all went well and happy bday to your little one!
Hi!planning to try this recipe out to use for my daughters first birthday! Do you know if any good substitute for the maple syrup (in effort to try and avoid sugar)
Some people have had good success with mashed ripe banana instead!
Hi! Made a trial run baking this cake today for my daughter’s birthday coming up this week. It turned out delicious! Wanted to ask if I wait to frost the cake until the next day, should the cake layers be left on countertop in air tight containers or should they be refrigerated? Once frosted should leftovers be refrigerated? Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Yay! I would put the cakes into containers and leave at room temperature overnight. Then yes, store any leftovers in the fridge in a container. Happy bday to your girl!
Hello, is it 358mg of sodium per serve or the whole cake? As I read 1yr olds are only supposed to have 400mg a day… would you know how I could lower the sodium?
You can omit the salt to lower it slightly.
It’s the frosting thick enough to use on the sides and to write”happy birthday” with on the top?
It’s thick enough to do the sides (though you may want to double the recipe) though probably not for writing.
can you make this cake egg free without adding wheat? Thanks.
I haven’t found a good way to do that yet, sorry!
Hi- if using oil instead of butter do you still you 6tbsp or is it a different amount? Also, could olive or canola oil be used instead of coconut oil?
Yes, it’s the same amount. I haven’t tried it with olive or canola so I can’t say for sure. Butter the coconut oil firm up at room temp and colder, which helps with the texture of the cooled cake.
Hi Amy, I’d like to make this cake but was wondering if you could share the ingredients in grams and ml? Many thanks!
Hi Karen! I’m sorry I haven’t had a chance to weigh everything with sick kids this week, but I’ll try to do it in the next few days! You can also try using an online converter.
Have you tried adding Cacao powder to make a chocolate cake version? What would you suggest? Hubby is insisting a 1 year old’s cake should be chocolate and unhealthy so we are trying to reach a compromise!
I haven’t tried adding it, but I bet it would work just fine. OR you could add cocoa powder (2 tbsp to start and then more if needed to taste) or melted chocolate to the frosting which would make it taste more like chocolate?
Hi, I was wondering for the cupcakes, do you stack/layer them as well or just top each with frosting and berries? Thanks!
Just top them with the frosting and berries like normal cupcakes!
What did you sprinkle on top of the berries? Sugar? Powdered sugar? So beautiful! My son’s 1st birthday party is Sunday…can’t wait to make this cake!
A little sugar but powdered sugar would work too. Happiest birthday to your boy!!
Do you happen to know substitutes for egg-free, banana-free, oat-free (all allergies for the little one) and also using mashed dates instead of maple syrup? I have a lot of dates I could use up on this recipe. Thank you so much!
Hi! You’d need to make a date syrup to substitute it directly for maple syrup, but eliminating all of the rest of those ingredients would make this a really different recipe and I haven’t tried them all at once so I can’t recommend it. You could try this recipe with flax eggs to make cupcakes if that’s an option.
Do you have any tips on substituting some of the maple syrup for bananas for sweetness? Thanks!
A few people have used mashed banana instead of the maple syrup with good results!
I made this for my son the other day and he enjoyed this cake though I’m not sure how much he put in his mouth. Anyway we had a fun too! I added a half cup of bannana instead of maple syrup for the cake bases. My hubby said yummy though. Thanks for sharing us a great recipe x
I’m so glad that it went well and I love the banana idea, thank you for sharing! (And happy birthday to your boy!)
Hi, just realised my oven only allows preheating to 250degrees. Do you think I can still go ahead to bake the cake? Thanks
You’d want the oven temp to be at the one listed in the recipe when you put the cakes in. Can you turn it on to bake at the right temp and then add the cakes?
Can this cake be frozen unfrosted?
I would think that would work!
Hi there,
While the yogurt is straining, do I leave it out on the counter or in the fridge?
If it’s 30 minutes, room temp is okay, anything more I’d put it in the fridge!
Hi there- I only have 2% Greek yogurt or whole milk regular yogurt. Which would be better? Thank you!
I’d use the Greek yogurt since it will be thicker!
Would you suggest any alternative for the Maple Syrup? My baby hasn’t try ot yet.
A few readers have used applesauce with good success.
Is it possible to use all-purpose flour instead of oat flour?
I haven’t tried it but here are some tips if you do. Be very gentle with mixing and be sure not to overbake it so it doesn’t get too firm. Start testing for doneness 2 minutes earlier than the baking time and transfer to a wire rack to cool after about 5 minutes after you take the pans out of the oven—don’t let the cake cool fully in the pan or it may overbake.
Can I use all purpose flour instead of oat flour (my blender is sadly broken)?
I haven’t tried it but you certainly can give it a shot or use purchased oat flour!
Hi. Is this frosting thick or liquify? Can it withstand hot weather for outdoor party at park?
Also if I used siggi yogurt can it be flavored or does it have to be plain? If I use Siggi do I use the maple syrup and vanilla extract?
You could use vanilla Siggis and leave out the maple and vanilla. Or use plain and add them in.
It’s thick but I wouldn’t have it sit out in the heat for too long. Could you put it into a cooler with some ice packs on the bottom?
i made this recipe over the weekend for my 1 year old’s birthday and it was a hit. he loved it, as did my guests who sampled what he didn’t eat. i wished i had made a larger version for our guests. next time! the icing is especially delicious. my favorite part was how easy this recipe was. i’m not a baker, and i couldn’t believe i was able to make a beautiful cake so quickly without any stress. glad i found this recipe, i am passing it along to all my friends and i will definitely be making it again.
Yay! I am so glad to hear that it went so well and I hope your kiddo had a very happy first birthday!
Is there a butter substitute i can use?
You can use melted coconut oil instead.
Can you make this cake with coconut flour instead?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure, but it usually absorbs moisture very differently than other flours so I wouldn’t recommend trying to substitute it.
Hi, is it possible to make the frosting thick enough to pipe rosette ? And can you frost it the day before ?
You could try starting with vanilla Siggi’s 4% Icelandic yogurt. Strain it and it should be super duper thick since it’s very thick to start with. I would use that without any additional ingredients. You could frost the day before if you stick the whole thing into the fridge.
How could you make the Greek yogurt frosting a colour without compromising taste and still keeping it healthy? Aiming for pink in colour and was thinking beet juice or puréed berries but then I worry the frosting will luiquify. Maybe add them in then strain the yogurt?
Also has anyone added bananas to the recipe for extra sweetness in the cake?
You could use natural food coloring like this one: https://www.mccormick.com/spices-and-flavors/extracts-and-food-colors/food-colors/color-from-nature-assorted-food-color or try stirring in finely crushed freeze-dried fruit like raspberries or blueberries.
If you look at the egg-free version, that uses banana and it’s delicious. I will say that the regular cake is plenty sweet so I wouldn’t worry about that though!
This hasn’t worked for me at all. I doubled up as using 2x 8” tins. It’ crumbled when turning it over to put on cooling tray and all I can taste is baking powder and salt. Should I have not of doubled this? Also it didn’t raise at all. I have a fan oven.
I’m glad to see lots of people did have success.
If it didn’t rise and you can taste the baking powder, is it possible your powder is off? I’m not sure what else might cause that. It’s best to let the cakes cool before turning them over and I updated the recipe to add lining the bottom of the pan with parchment paper to help make this step more foolproof. I do apologize for the challenges!
I usually give my daughter goat yogurt. Would it be possible to use it in the frosting? If not I get the normal one no problem.
I think it would work fine to use goat milk yogurt if you strain it over a cheesecloth overnight to make sure to get out the excess liquid!
Im going to make this for my sons second! Do you think I could use cupcake pan?
Yes! Here’s the info to make as cupcakes: Use 3 tablespoons of the batter in each paper cupcake liner to make 8 cupcakes. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean (I did 20 minutes). The rest of the recipe is the same.
What bake time. Would you recommend for 2 6″ cakes or 2 8″ cakes?
The baking time should be similar. Test with a cake tester (you want it to come out cleanly) to be sure. Two smaller cakes in circumference with more batter in each may take a few extra minutes.
Thank you. I made it and it tasted great but was very dense. I’m nervous that my son wont be able to smash it. Is there a key to getting it fluffier?
I think it should still smash okay! It’s possible it baked for a minute or two too long. It’s not super fluffy in texture but it should smash okay!
AWESOME smash cake!! My one year old loved it and tried to put the whole thing in her mouth at once hahaha
I bet that was adorable!
I made this cake for my son for his 1st birthday and it turned out great. I replaced the maple syrup with apple sauce and it turned out fine. I also left it out of the yogurt frosting since my son gobbles down regular yogurt anyways. Baked it on a cookie sheet (formed a rectangle it does not fill the sheet) and then cut out 2 x #1 shapes after it was baked. Iced the #1s and stacked them with some blueberries and raspberries as decoration. He gobbled it up! I make just the cake and cut it up and freeze it and it makes a great easy snack. Thanks for the great recipe.
I’m so glad to hear that it went well and thank you for sharing how you baked it! Happiest birthday to your son!
Love that you replaced maple syrup with apple sauce! Will definitely give that a try!
I’m so excited to try this recipe for my daughters first birthday this weekend! I’m curious is I can add fruit for a naturally sweet fruit flavor. I’ve read a lot of recipes with banana or even freeze dried strawberries. Is that something I could add to this recipe?
Hi Melissa! I haven’t tried it, but I think that adding a small handful of blueberries to the batter would work. The berries on top do add nice flavor of course. (If you want to look at other options, here’s a Banana Cake that’s delish and a Sweet Potato Apple Cake.)
Did anyone try this with removing the egg? Did it turn out?
I can test it for you this week if that works!
Hi Jen- I tried this two ways today without egg and have a good way to do this. For the ingredients, use:
1 cup oat flour
1/2 all purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 very ripe banana, mashed (about 1 cup sliced banana)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Then proceed with the recipe. They may need another 2-4 minutes to bake, but test it with a cake tester inserted into the center to be sure. It should come out clean. Let it cool completely in the pan. Store it in the fridge if you need to make it ahead. I hope that helps!
Hi ,
Can you suggest something to substitute eggs in this recipe? My baby can’t have eggs.
Thanks !
Susan
I don’t have an egg alternative for this recipe, I’m sorry!
Hi!
I’m currently looking into healthy smash cakes (as I’m not much of a baker) and your recipe looks like the one! But I was wondering if I can add a mashed banana or coconut oil to make the cake more dense/moist? Just thinking of incorporating foods my boy currently enjoys.
The cake is very moist and dense as it is and I can’t say about those additions since I haven’t tried them. You could decorate the top of it with sliced bananas though!
My cake turned out really crumbly and broke into pieces! Where did I go wrong? It tastes delicious though!
Did you make any changes to the recipe? It may have been baked a little too long?
The same thing happened to my cake. It was too crumbly and broke. I used vegan butter instead of regular one. Do you think that could be the reason?
I haven’t made this with vegan butter so I can’t say but it’s possible. I’m sorry you had an issue though!
Food photography is a separate art form, so far I’m not doing very well, but I read a lot about it and your blog helps me improve my food photo skills!
Hi! Can I bake this cake in 5in glass pyrex bowls? If so, how might I have to adjust baking temp and time? Look forward to making this for my little one’s first birthday!
I haven’t tried that so I can’t say for sure, but this might give you some clues on what to watch for with the timing!
https://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2018/03/29/glass-or-metal-or-stoneware/
Hi, can i make this with honey instead of maple syrup that is used in the recipe?
You can!
Hi there I cannot seem to find the recipe for the yoghurt frosting? Am I blind?! 🙂 Can you please tell me where to find it? I am hoping to make this for my girls first birthday tomorrow!
It’s at the bottom of the recipe in the Notes section!
When the yogurt is sitting for 30 minutes or overnight do you keep it in the refrigerator at this time or after this time is finished?
Yes, keep it in the fridge.
This sounds fantastic. Could I use cream cheese instead of the yoghurt for the icing? If so, I assume it wouldn’t be necessary to strain it first. My little girl’s first birthday party tomorrow and really keen for her to get to eat some cake.
Absolutely! This is typically what I do for a cream cheese frosting:
Beat together 1 8-ounce package cream cheese (softened at room temperature), 2 tablespoons butter (softened at room temperature), 2-3 tablespoons honey, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla with a hand-held mixer. Pipe or spread onto cooled cakes.
Looved the icing recipe! I didn’t use the cake recipe. I had planned to make banana bread as the cake. So I just slather this icing over it and done! Super easy to make. Everyone loved it including picky dad. Will make it again for sure. Thank you for the recipe.
Hooray and I love the idea of using the icing with banana bread!
Thanks for replying so fast! If I redo it I am going to double the recipe so I can fill the pans a bit more. I used whole milk greek yogurt from trader joes. It also seemed like 1 cup was not going to be enough. I had to use coffee filters because I didn’t have a cheese cloth…maybe it wasn’t strained enough
That sounds like a good idea given the pan size. You will need to bake them a little longer but use a cake tester or a toothpick in the center and stop baking when it comes out cleanly. (You should also be able to tell when the center gets firmed up.) You could add 1/4 teaspoon baking soda to the batter to help it rise more but I think the main issue was likely that there simply wasn’t enough batter. If you don’t have cheesecloth, a thin kitchen towel might help strain it a little better. (I’m surprised that it was runny though, but I’m crossing my fingers that the second go turns out better!!)
I used 6 in pans and my cake didn’t rise. There was barley enough batter to fill two cake pans. And then my frosting was extremely runny. This was a major fail for me. The taste of the cake was great and I’m considering trying it again ? is the cake in the picture from a single recipe or was it doubled?? Wondering how mine could have been so off
Hi! Making this in 6 inch pans would make the cakes thinner since they are wider than 5 inch pans and would need more batter. Did you make any other adjustments? If you used Greek yogurt and strained it, it should be thick. I’d love to help if you have any other info you can share!
Would this work as a 2 tier cake or do you think it is too delicate for that? I plan on making this in a few weeks for my son’s first birthday, just the cake not the frosting. I’m going to make his smash cake look like a bear head so I’m going to use chocolate frosting for that. But for the adult cake I was planning to use this recipe also and make a 2 tier naked cake with either a maple buttercream or whipped buttercream and fresh berries. If you think it’s too delicate to hold all the weight of 2 tiers I can change my plans. I don’t want a disaster on my hands though!! Thanks in advance for your reply!
By tiers, do you mean two cakes sitting on top of each other with frosting in between? Or something else? If you just want to make a two layer naked cake with the larger size cakes, yes, that should work well!
No I mean like 2 tiers not layers. Like a 2 layer 6″ on top of a 2 layer 9″. Do you think that would work?
I can’t say for sure because I haven’t tried it but the cake is fairly sturdy so I would think so!
Would the frosting be able to go through a piping bag to make “roses” shapes from it?
Yes, that should work! If you need it to be stiffer, put it into the piping bag and pop it into the fridge for a few minutes!
Hi! Wondering if you can frost this cake the night before. I was thinking of making it for my daughter’s smash cake photo session but I don’t want to be rushing around the morning of, frosting and decorating. Thank you!
Hi! You can totally do it ahead but both the cake and the frosting will firm up some. I’d recommend that you let it sit at room temp for a bit before the session—though if it’s primarily for smashing and fun, it should be totally fine! I hope she enjoys it!
How many grams is the 1 Portion Greek Yoghurt Frosting?
Im wanting to try this for my son’s 2nd birthday (Dec 1st). Any idea how it would hold up in a mold? I have a train mold for his theme. Thanks!
I haven’t baked this in a mold so I can’t say for sure. It does firm up a lot when it’s refrigerated so you might want to let it cool completely in the pan, then stick it into the fridge before you unmold it. And grease it well. Sorry that I can’t say for sure one way or the other but please let me know if you try it!!
Can you use 6 inch cake pans? Would you have to change the amount of ingredients or just the baking time? Thanks!
Hi! I haven’t tried it in that size of a pan so I can’t say for sure, but the layers would be slightly thinner and may be ready 1-2 minutes earlier. You can check for doneness with a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake. It should come out cleanly.
Hi! I just made this awesome cake for the little one’s first bday using the 8″ pan recipe for a double cake. When I went to place the second layer on top of the first it started to fall off the cake and just fell apart. So I just left it as one 8″ layer topped with berries and it came out wonderful. I noticed that when I put the finished cake in my fridge, the frosting hardened so I’m wondering if I should have done this before placing the second layer onto the first layer after initially icing the first layer. I actually prepared the frosting portion of this recipe the day before and left it in the fridge covered by saran wrap in a bowl – this did not harden it, but it hardened on top of the cake when I left it in the fridge on a cake plate uncovered. I’m not a baker so I’m assuming my second layer completely fell apart because I did not let the frosting harden on the first layer first and just placed it on top. Any thoughts on this? I’d love to remake it again the future!
Hi! If you try it again with the larger size, I’d let them cool at least an hour—they will be more tender when warm so aim for them to be totally cooled down. You can also invert the cake onto a cooling rack, then gently slide it over onto the top of the other cake. Since these don’t have gluten, they do tend to be more delicate for sure. You could also try refrigerating the cakes for 30 minutes before assembling to help them firm up a bit. I’m glad that the one layer was a success though!
Can you make the Greek yoghurt frosting chocolate?
I haven’t tried it but you could stir in 2 tablespoons cocoa powder and adjust the sweetener if needed (you may need a little more to balance the flavors)!
Hi I used all purpose flour because I couldn’t find oat flour. Is that the reason why my cake
Came out sort of hard? I used 5 inch pans, and I baked it for 15 minutes. I preheated to 350 and then bakes it for 15 mins. Should I go look for oat flour or can I do something differently with all purpose flour? This was a trial bake. Thank you
Hi! I haven’t tried this with all purpose flour so I can’t say for sure, but I would mix it very gently to avoid overworking the gluten and check for doneness around 12-14 minutes. I know it has a softer texture with oat flour (you can grind oats in the food processor or blender if you can’t find packaged oat flour—see the step by step info for details!)
Hi Im looking to try this recipe for my baby boys first birthday. I wanted to decorate it ombre style (and I know that Ombre works well with buttercream) 1. Do you know whether buttercream would compliment this recipe. 2. Do you know whether ombre style work with your frosting recipe above? – would much rather go with the healthy alternative! 🙂
3. As a third option If I go ahead with frosting for sandwich and use buttercream for decorating would that also work?
Sorry for so many questions I hardly bake and want to make sure it turns out well. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Hi! I see no reason that buttercream wouldn’t work for this if you want to go that route. I do think you could do the ombre effect with this frosting, though I haven’t tried it. And yes, you could use this frosting in the middle and buttercream on the outside. One note on buttercream: I used it for a cake for my older kiddo in the spring and it was humid and the frosting started to slide down the cake since it sat at room temperature for a bit. So keep that in mind (and stick it into the fridge!) if you make it much ahead of when you plan to serve it. I’d love to hear and see how it goes and happy almost birthday to your boy!
Thank you so much for your reply. Will let you know how it turns out 🙂
Hi Amy
I would like to say a big thank you for sharing this recipe. Our baby boy had his cake smash yesterday and it turned out well.
I tried the ombre style and was pretty impressed with it! Thanks
I’m so happy to hear that and I hope it was a happy day!
We made this today and both our birthday boy and the adults loved this cake! Thank you!
Hooray and happiest birthday to your boy!
Can I use Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour instead of Oat Flour?
Also my baby is allergic to egg whites, can I use egg replacer (the powdered ones)?
Hi! I haven’t tried using the gf flour but I’ve had great success baking with that type of flour so I’d love to hear how it goes if you do try it. I also haven’t tried using an egg replacer—does it typically work well in baked goods? I mostly use flax eggs (ground flaxseed and water) as egg replacers but I haven’t tried that variation on this recipe.
I tried this with coconut sugar and found it needed a lot longer to bake for some reason. Any ideas why?
I’m not sure—it honestly could just have been a difference in ovens or the pan. I hope it turned out okay otherwise!
Could this cake be made a week in advance and frozen?
I think that would work well! Be sure to let it cool fully and wrap it well first. Thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature.
I don’t suppose anyone has tried this with blueberries in the batter? Just curious as I think my girl would be a huge fan of that. Thank you!
I haven’t tried that but I suspect it would be delicious. I wouldn’t add more than 1/2-1 cup to make sure the batter holds together still (and I’d use fresh so they don’t bleed into the batter too much)—please let me know if you try it out!
Do you know if anyone has tried the blueberry idea? My daughter would love it. I am concerned about it holding together, as you mentioned.
I haven’t heard, though I think it will work just fine as long as you don’t add too many. I’d try sprinkling a few over the top of the batter when you fill the pans and press just slightly on them. Please let me know if you try it!
Can these be made as cupcakes? Any difference in the recipe? I’m a non-baker looking for something super easy for my upcoming 1 year olds bday. Thanks!
Hi! I haven’t tried these as cupcakes, though there is a single cake option at the bottom of the recipe card. I can certainly test them as cupcakes if you have a little time!
I’ll wing it and see how it goes. I’m going to make it on Wednesday 5/23.
I tested them this morning to make sure you don’t have to wing it! I did 3 tablespoons of the batter in each paper cupcake liner and the recipe made 8 cupcakes. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean (I did 20 minutes). The rest of the recipe is the same. Enjoy!
Thank you so much for the help! I’m making them in the morning and will report back!
What can you substitute for the honey since babies shouldn’t have honey?
Kids over the age of 1 can have honey, so we’re assuming that they will have just turned 1. If you’d like to substitute it, you can try brown rice syrup.
You’re not supposed to cook honey…
For what reason? I haven’t heard that and bake with honey all the time.