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 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!