Made with fresh blueberries, this 1st Birthday Smash Cake recipe is easy, allergy-friendly, and made without added sugar. It has the most delish Blueberry Frosting, and you can bake the cakes a day ahead if needed. So yummy!
Smash Cake Recipe
When my kids were turning 1, I always wanted a cake that was filled with natural sweetness from fruits (or veggies), and that would work as a Smash Cake—or a cake we could slice and share. This blueberry cake, which is just perfect for a first birthday, has so much flavor from bananas and berries that you don’t need any other sweetener.
And the frosting is such a fun bright blue color from freeze-dried berries.
This egg-free birthday cake is a great option for kids with some allergies and it’s also just an easy smash cake to make if you have a kiddo who loves blueberries.
Ingredients You Need
This 1st birthday cake includes whole grain flours, bananas, blueberries, and cinnamon for a flavorful, yet really simple cake. Here’s a look at what you’ll need for the recipe.
- Bananas: You’ll want them to be very ripe with lots of brown spots, which indicate sweetness.
- Whole wheat flour: This flour has nutrition and fiber but also absorbs moisture well so it helps the cake bake through well.
- Oat flour
- Baking powder and baking soda
- Cinnamon
- Butter: I prefer to bake with unsalted butter so I can control the level of salt in the cake.
- Blueberries: Fresh or frozen blueberries are stirred into the batter so they’re evenly distributed throughout the cake.
TIP: This cake is a no-added-sugar so the natural sweetness from the fruit shines through. It’s a perfect first cake for a baby!
Step-by-Step Instructions
This smash cake is very easy to make, even if you aren’t a regular baker. Here’s a look at the steps involved. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full info.
- Start with very ripe bananas. The browner they are, the sweeter they will be! Add to a blender and blend into a puree.
- Add to a medium bowl with the rest of the ingredients.
- Prepare your 6-inch cake pans by coating with nonstick spray and adding a round of parchment paper. This will ensure that the cakes come out of the pans easily once they are baked.
- Divide the batter between the pans. Bake and let cool in the pans.
TIP: You may also like my Vanilla Oat Smash Cake.
How to Make Natural Frosting with Blueberries
Here’s a look at the general process for making the blueberry frosting.
- Place the freeze dried fruit into a blender or spice grinder. Blend to make a fine powder.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and the powder to a medium bowl. Beat.
- Spread some of the frosting onto one cake. Top with the second cake and add more frosting on top.
- Frost the sides to finish.
What’s the texture of this cake like?
This cake is moist and fairly sturdy for being made without eggs. It is a little denser than a standard birthday cake due to the banana and whole wheat flour.
How sweet is the cake?
This cake doesn’t have any added sugars, so the sweetness comes from the bananas and blueberries. It’s not very sweet like a traditional cake, but it has a pleasant flavor that both of my daughters enjoyed when they taste-tested it.
TIP: Do not expect this to taste as sweet as a store-bought birthday cake because it’s not!
Eggless Cake Recipe
I regularly get requests for egg-free recipes, so I wanted this cake to be made without eggs but taste as good for those kids who can have eggs, too. It holds together nicely and has a good texture without the inclusion of eggs.
Can I make the frosting a different color?
You can! You can use any kind of freeze-dried fruit. Strawberries to make a pretty pink color. Raspberries may be too tart, but you can certainly try and see what you think.
Make-Ahead Birthday Cake
You can bake the cakes a day ahead of when you plan to serve if that helps you to stay on top of your celebration to-do list. Simply let them cool completely in the pans, then store in the fridge in airtight containers or zip-top gallon bags. (I put the cakes still in the pans right into zip-top bags and stored them that way—so easy!)
1st Birthday Cake for Girls
This is a pretty cake for a birthday girl, especially one who loves fresh berries. You can change up the color by using different freeze-dried fruit if you’d like.
First Birthday Cake for Baby Boys
I love that this cake is so fresh and flavorful for a first birthday. For a girl or a boy!
How to Store
You can make the cakes a day ahead. Let cool and store in the fridge in airtight containers. Store any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container.
Plan to frost the cake on the same day as you want to serve it. It can hang out in the fridge for a few hours as needed. Let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow it to soften up a little, as it will firm up in the fridge.
Best Tips for Success
- Dairy-free: Use melted coconut oil instead of the butter in the cake and plain or vanilla nondairy Greek yogurt instead of cream cheese in the frosting. (If using vanilla nondairy yogurt, omit the vanilla extract.)
- Gluten-free: Use cup-for-cup gluten-free flour instead of whole wheat.
- To make this with homemade oat flour: Blend ¾ cup rolled oats in a blender or food processor for about 30 seconds until they resemble a flour. Measure out ½ cup of your oat flour and proceed with the recipe.
- You can also use freeze-dried strawberries instead of blueberries to make a pink-frosted cake.
- To make this as a larger two-layer 8-inch cake, follow the same steps but bake for 18-20 minutes.
- Sweeten frosting to taste, if desired, with 2-3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear your feedback on this recipe if you try it, so please rate and comment below!
Blueberry Smash Cake (First Birthday Cake)
Ingredients
Blueberry Cake
- 4 medium bananas (very ripe with lots of brown spots is best for flavor)
- 1¼ cup whole wheat flour
- ½ cup oat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly (or plain whole milk yogurt)
- 1 cup blueberries
Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup freeze-dried blueberries
- 12 ounces cream cheese (softened at room temperature; I prefer full fat)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extra
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 6-inch cake pans with nonstick spray and line with rounds of parchment paper. Grease again with nonstick spray.
- Add the bananas to a blender. Blend into a puree. Measure out 1 ½ cups.
- Add to a bowl with the remaining ingredients. Stir together gently.
- Divide in half and pour into prepared cake pans. (You’ll use about 1 ½ cup batter in each.)
- Bake for 22-24 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of a cake comes out cleanly.
- Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Let cool completely in the pan.
- Make the Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting. Add the freeze-dried blueberries to a blender or clean spice grinder. Grind into a powder. Measure out ¼ cup of the powder and add to a medium bowl. Add the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract. Beat until very smooth with a handheld electric mixer.
- When ready to frost, place one cake, parchment paper removed, on a cardboard cake round or plate. Top with ⅓ cup of the frosting. Remove the parchment paper from the second cake and place on top of the frosting. Add the rest of the frosting on top and spread over the top and around the sides.
- Sprinkle on additional freeze-dried or fresh blueberries if desired.
Equipment
Notes
- Dairy-free: Use melted coconut oil instead of the butter in the cake. For the frosting, use plain or vanilla nondairy Greek yogurt instead of cream cheese and omit the butter. (If using vanilla nondairy yogurt, omit the vanilla extract.)
- Gluten-free: Use cup-for-cup gluten-free flour instead of whole wheat.
- You can also use freeze-dried strawberries instead of blueberries to make a pink cake.
- To make this as a larger two-layer 8-inch cake, follow the same steps but bake for 18-20 minutes.
- Sweeten frosting to taste, if desired, with 2-3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey.
- You can make the cakes a day ahead. Let cool and store in the fridge in airtight containers.
Nutrition
This post was first published July 2019.
I made this for my daughter’s first birthday party yesterday and everyone loved it! – I made a 6 inch cake for her and a sheet pan cake for everyone else. I roughly doubled the recipe although I used 6 bananas instead of 8 (that’s what I had). I also added only 2 T butter (vs 4 T or 1/4 cup) and added 1/2 cup-ish homemade applesauce (because I thought I remembered the recipe calling for applesauce, so I made some). I loved telling everyone that there was no sugar added to this cake! I think people can be deterred by cakes sweetened with only fruit because they think it’s too challenging, but what an easy way to get more fruits in your diet and enjoy something so yummy! I am really looking forward to continuing to make this recipe for breakfast and snacks. My big one-year-old girl loved it too!
For the icing (which I made with no blueberries), I barely used any on either cake, so this is to say that the cake is also so good as a standalone!
I’m so glad to hear that!
I made this for my daughter’s first birthday this weekend and not only did she love it but so did the adults! I baked it in a 9 inch round pan and then cut out circles. It’s a dense cake but worked well. I ended up ,asking a cream cheese frosting with minimal powdered sugar added to it for a bit of sweetness.
Hi, what happens if I use fresh blueberries in the frosting instead of freeze dried blueberries? Perhaps I should freeze the fresh ones overnight before I start to prepare the frosting?
Using fresh berries blended into the frosting will make the frosting runny, so I would not suggest that. You can leave the frosting plain, then decorate with halved fresh berries though. Enjoy!
Thank you – I yes, I realise that now. I have found somewhere to buy the freeze dried so I will get that. May I ask another question, please: you say to add some only of the blended bananas to the caker mixture (I have increased the size so in my case, I had to take 6 bananas and it says to take just 1.5 cups of the blended bananas for the cake mixture). So when do I use the remaining blended bananas please?
You will want to blend your bananas and measure out the amount of puree I mention. Since bananas are many different sizes, that ensures that the right amount goes into the batter.
Is it possible to bake this in a 5 inch pan?
Yes, though if you use a smaller pan, the layers will be thicker and the baking time will increase.
Hi! Could this recipe be used for cupcakes instead of 6” cake pans? If so, could you advise on baking time and if any ingredients may not to be adjusted? Thanks so much in advance ☺️
Yes and baking time might be around 18-22 minutes.
Hi! Is the frosting in this picture made from freeze dried strawberries or blueberries because it looks almost purple..? I need the frosting to be all blue! 🙂 just asking , I don’t want to try using freeze dried blueberries and it turns out purple ! Need to make cake this Saturday for Godson:-) thank you!!!!!
It’s blueberries and it is purple.
Hi! If I wanted to make this as a single cake (no layers) in a 9 inch cake pan, could you advise on baking time? And would I use the same quantities as original recipe? Thank you
The recipe makes 3 cups of batter, so you can use it to make one 9 inch cake. It won’t be super thick. I would check the baking time starting at 18 minutes, then add 2 more minutes until the center is set and a cake tester comes out cleanly. I haven’t made this in this size pan, so this is my best guess based on the info I have. Enjoy!
What depth of cake tin would you recommend?
Thanks
The ones I use are 2 inches deep
Hi I only have two 7 inch pans, so that the cake isn’t too flat should increase the ingredient volumes, and by how much would you recommend? Thank you
Hi- I’m sorry, it’s hard to guess on that without retesting it again. You could try 1.5x the recipe.
Hi, can I swap the wholewheat flour for regular white plain flour? Will it impact the recipe. Thanks
Yes, it will impact the recipe. I have tested it the way it’s written and that’s how I know it works well. To make it with all purpose flour, you may need more flour to ensure that it’s not mushy. I hope that helps!
Hi – can’t wait to try this cake! I was thinking of adding fresh lemon juice and lemon zest to the cake. Thoughts on if the added liquid would make a difference
I imagine it would be a small amount so I don’t think it would make a difference.
Thank you! My son loved this cake for his 1st birthday and enjoyed getting super messy too 😆🙌 so it was a hit! I wondered if the leftovers can be frozen to keep for snacks? Thank you x
I don’t have a blender that make powder from freeze dried berries. If I buy powdered feeeze-dry berries, how much do I need to use?
About 1/3-1/2 cup!
Thank you Amy.
I have just iced a test cake so I’ll see how that turns out. Bub didn’t seem to like the cream cheese. So I was hoping to get your thought on making this cake without the blueberries and then whipping up coconut cream for the icing?
Kind regards
Melissa (from Sydney, Australia)
Hi Amy,
Just wondering, can I bake this cake and ice it the day before and store it in a air tight container in the fridge? If I have missed this information on your site already, I apologise in advance. As I’m reading it as just bake the cakes and pop them into separate airtight containers and place in fridge and ice the cakes on the day of the party.
Kind regards
Melissa
Hi- the color of the frosting is best if it’s in a very tightly sealed plastic bag, with as much air removed as possible, if you make it ahead. If you frost the whole thing and store it until the next day, there’s a slight chance it will fade in color a little.
Thank you Amy.
I have just iced a test cake so I’ll see how that turns out. Bub didn’t seem to like the cream cheese. So I was hoping to get your thought on making this cake without the blueberries and then whipping up coconut cream for the icing?
Kind regards
Melissa (from Sydney, Australia)
Could I substitute applesauce instead of banana? (Allergy) Or is there any other substitute for the banana? Thank you!
Usually in baked goods, thick applesauce or roasted mashed sweet potato work as a sub for banana.
Excited to try this recipe!! Would it be possible to use frozen blueberries in the cake instead of fresh? We bought some and ate almost all of them, whoops! But I have a bag of frozen in the freezer. If so, should I thaw them first before putting into dough/batter?
You can use frozen and you don’t need to thaw them first. Enjoy!
I haven’t tried it yet but I 5 starred it anyway! I was wondering if I could just use fresh blueberries in the frosting? Trying to avoid a last minute trip to the store. Bday is tomorrow
You can keep the frosting plain and add fresh berries to the top.
Hi, I just gave this a test run before my baby’s birthday next week. I was wondering how the batter should look before being baked. Mine was very dry and did not pour into the pan. The cakes looked the same as when I put them in after I baked them. Dry and rough looking. Did I do something wrong or should I add some liquid somewhere? I really like this recipe because of the no added sugar and because it is egg free. Thanks!
Hi- when you did the banana puree, did you measure out the 1 1/2 cups? Or did you make any other changes? It should be thick but not dry, so that is not an expected outcome. I’m sorry that happened though!
That’s probably my problem. I only measured the first cup of banana and eyed the rest. Maybe it wasn’t quite enough. Thanks! We are enjoying the cakes and I’ll be making this for her birthday!
Could I sub eggs or applesauce for 2 of the bananas?
I haven’t tried that so I can’t say for sure, but let me know if you do.
Can you use frozen blueberries for frosting rather than dried freeze blueberries?
It would change the texture considerably so I would use the frosting without the berries and maybe garish with some diced fruit?
Because of my work schedule I had to make this the day before my little ones birthday. Should I leave it out or keep it in fridge til tomorrow? Any advice is appreciated! It’s delicious 👏🏼
Couple questions. I see the suggestion of adding 2-3 TBSP of maple syrup or honey to sweeten the frosting, instead could I add a little sugar itself (of similar amount) to the frosting or would that mess up the consistency (or would confectioner’s sugar work better than regular sugar)? Also, can freeze dried berries be omitted and just use fresh on top? (that is mostly to ensure we’re not getting purple color cake). I’m excited to try this recipe! I first found your site when I was searching for a healthier smash cake for my daughter 4 1/2yrs ago…I personally loved the taste of the cake (vanilla oat) but thought I could do better with a little stiffer frosting, hence the cream cheese – wasn’t sure if cream cheese frosting would go as well with the vanilla oat cake
Hi- I would use confectioner’s sugar, which will blend in better than granulated. Yes, you can omit the freeze-dried berries from the cake. And you could totally use cream cheese frosting with the Vanilla Oat Cake, up to you!
Hello! This recipe seems great! I was wondering – how would you adjust the baking time to use 4-inch tart pans instead? Trying this for my daughter’s first birthday. She eats blueberries everyday.
Hi- I haven’t tested it in that size of pan, but since the layers will be thicker if you use two, it will take longer to bake through. Maybe 4 additional minutes? I’d keep an eye on the center. You may also be able to divide the batter into 3 4-inch pans depending on the depeth of the pan you have.
Hello,
Can you use all oat flour for this recipe? If so, do you recommend adjusting any other ingredients or the baking time?
Thank you!
I haven’t made it that way and I am not sure if it will hold together the same way. Let me know if you try it!
Couple questions:
Instead of using freeze dried blueberries can I use a blueberry beet fruit pouch to mix with the cream cheese? Trying to make it as blueberry and as possible since it’s her favorite and I have that on hand already!
Can I cook down the blueberries into a more syrupy state than using whole blueberries. Home girl doesn’t have teeth yet and is still learning to chew without the aid of teeth.
Hi- My concern with the pouch is that the frosting may wind up runny. So if you use it, start with a really small amount and add it slowly to keep the frosting thick. With the inside, the berries are soft when baked so no teeth isn’t really an issue. If you cook it down, again you’re adding more liquid which may make the cake have a harder time cooking through. I hope that helps! (Babies at this age chew mainly with their gums:)
Is whole wheat flour ..plain or self raising and is it the same as plain whole meal baking flour? (Uk)
It’s not self raising (it has no leavening in it) and it sounds like it would be that (as long as it’s not too coarse)
Hi,
I noticed in the picture you bought the 2 oz bag of freeze dried blueberries from Trader Joe’s, however your recipe calls for a cup (8 oz). Was one of those bags enough or did you have to buy 4 bags? They are a bit pricey so I just want to make sure before I buy! Thanks! Can’t wait to try
It’s a cup in volume, not in weight, so that one bag is enough. Enjoy
I’m assuming I can also make this without the blueberries and not add anything extra, correct? Can’t wait to make this for our son’s 1st birthday party! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Yes sure and enjoy the day!!
Thank you so much, Amy! Also, I meant to ask…do you think I could make it with all oat flour? Thanks again!
Hi, i just made the cake, a 4 in & a 6 in and the 6 inch cake didn’t bake in the middle. The only thing I did different was use all purpose flower instead of oat flower. My baby’s bday is tomorrow
I haven’t ever made this with all purpose flour and the density is different than the oat flour. Did you try covering it with foil and baking it a little longer?
Hello,
Can I make cupcakes using this recipe? If yes, any tips?
Thank you
This is my go to muffin recipe after my son loved his first bday. Sometimes I’ll even half the recipe if I only have two bananas, makes about six muffins.
Can I make the icing with fresh blueberries? It’s impossible to find freeze dried berries where I live.
It won’t have a great consistency if you blend fresh blueberries into the frosting, but I would make the plain cream cheese frosting and add halved fresh berries on top.
Can I made this cake with egg ？If yes, do I need to alter the recipe ? Thank you.
You could drop the amount of banana down to 1 cup and add 2 eggs. That overall volume would be the same. I haven’t tried that, but my guess is that it would work.
If I wanted to bake these as cupcakes, what bake temp and time would
You recommend?
I haven’t done them that way so I can’t say for sure, but I would guess 1/4 cup batter would be about 16-18 minutes. Use a cake tester to test the middles for doneness.
What can be substitute for freeze dries fruit?I can’t find in any groccery.
You can leave it out and top the cake with halved fresh blueberries.
Can you substitute all purpose flour for whole wheat flour?
I haven’t tried it that way and it’s possible you may need to add a little more flour or increase the baking time. I can’t say for sure, but let me know if you try it
Hi there! I am planning on making this for my son’s smash cake and wanted to know if it’s necessary to use two types of flour or can I use cake flour for both?
Hi- I don’t know that it will work the same with all cake flour. Whole wheat is much denser and absorbs liquids more readily, so I worry that subbing cake flour would make the cake too tender to hold well. That’s my best guess anyway!
Hi there! This looks amazing and I plan to make it for my daughter‘s birthday! Question, can I use three, four-inch pans instead?
Yes, though you’ll want to reduce the baking time since the cakes will be smaller. I would guess 16-18 minutes. Enjoy the birthday!
Hi! This looks delicious and would love to try for my daughter’s first birthday next week! She loves raspberries though- how would you recommend using raspberries instead of blueberries? Thanks!!
You could use raspberries instead, though be sure that your banana is super ripe as raspberries aren’t as sweet as blueberries.
Awesome!! I’ll try this – THANK YOU 🙂
Hi!
Great recipe, thank you for sharing! I would like to make it an eggless strawberry cake. Do you recommend adding diced strawberries or substituting some of the banana puree with strawberry puree? TIA
Hi- I would sub diced strawberries for the blueberries in the cake and use freeze-dried strawberries instead of blueberries in the frosting. Enjoy!
Hi! Thank you for the recipe!
Can I use spelt flour instead of whole wheat flour?
I haven’t tested that but I bet it would work similarly.
Hi can I use whole-wheat pastry flour instead of whole-wheat flour?
Yes, that will work fine
Could you use frozen blueberries instead of fresh in the cake batter?
Sure
I made this for my son’s birthday party. only had 8” pans and thought although it would be fine and just a little bit thinner, but when I poured the batter into them they looked way too thin (about 1cm thick). I ended up pouring the batter into one tin and making another whole batch to pour into the other tin. I used 2 x packs of Philadelphia and extra butter for the frosting (for the bigger cake). I topped up the banana with 1 added egg and an extra tsp vanilla to each cake, and 1tbs of maple syrup to the frosting. It tasted amazing, had lots of great comments from guests and turned out perfectly 🙌🏽😋😋 I’ll be making another small version for my son’s actual birthday for him to smash!
What should the batter be like? Mine was very sticky and thick
It did not really rise much. Anyone else have the same outcome? Flavor is ok but texture is off.
It is a very thick batter, but if the baking soda is fresh, it should help it rise and be normal cake consistency. Maybe make sure it wasn’t expired or older? That would be the most likely explanation.
This recipe looks wonderful. I am planning to make it for my son’s birthday. Can I bake this in 2 ceramic 5 inch pans per the same instructions?
You can use 5 inch pans, but since the batter in each will be thicker as the pans are slightly smaller than what I used, the baking time will be slightly longer. Maybe an extra 2-4 minutes? Keep an eye on the middle of the cakes as that will be the area that takes longest to cook and test with a cake tester. I’d love to hear how it goes!
Hi Amy! Any tips on what to do for a baby allergic to oats? Can I just sub whole wheat or AP flour instead of the oat flour?
Hi- I think I’d use all purpose flour. The baking time may be a few minutes in either direction, but I think it would turn out very similarly. I haven’t tried it that way, but since it’s mostly whole wheat flour as it is, it should be okay!
Hello, this looks divine! I will be trying them out as cupcakes first. But how long would the cake last in the fridge?
You could make the cakes ahead of time and store them in an airtight container (I’d do a storage bag with as much air removed as possible) in the fridge for up to 2 days I think. I would frost closer to when you plan to serve or the frosting with the blueberries may discolor a little.
I teste this recipe out and it was enjoyed by little ones and adults alike! If you made the cupcake variation how long did you cook them for?
Hello! Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes – especially this eggless one! My daughter is allergic so this will be perfect for her 1st birthday. I was wondering if you think substituting the fresh blueberries for fresh strawberries in the cake would work? I’m going to do a strawberry frosting and thought maybe strawberry in the cake would be nice too. Thank you again 🙂
Sure, I think you could use diced strawberries for sure! Enjoy it!
Hi! I plan on baking a cake for my son’s first birthday. I’ve recently made a similar blueberry frosting, but with cashews in order for it to be vegan.
The problem is that the colour of this frosting tends to get darker if you leave it in the fridge. Would a cake glass cover be sufficient to keep the colour purple? I wouldn’t want to go decorate the cake exactly before serving it as I would have guests in the house already… what would you recommend? Thanks!
Hi- In my experience with this, the color held nicely and only started to darken after about 24 hours. I think if you frost it before the guests arrive and cover it in the fridge, it should stay the same color since that likely wouldn’t more than a few hours? I hope you have a great time celebrating!
I’ll give it a go, I must have not covered it properly last time since it kept well for you for so many hours. I hope it will turn out as nice as yours 🙂 Thanks!
Hi! I am going to make this cake for my daughter’s 1st birthday, but I only have 9-inch pans. Do you have any recommendations for changing this recipe for a double layer 9-inch cake? Thanks!
To make as a two layer 9-inch cake, you can use this recipe and bake for 16-18 minutes. The cakes will be much thinner though. I would line the pans with parchment and let them cool completely in the pan and be gentle when transferring them to the cake plate. To have them as thick as the layers shown here, you’d need to double the recipe and then I would guess that the baking time would be closer to 28-30 (I haven’t done that so that’s my best guess). I’d love to hear how it goes if you try it!
For the frosting i found a non-dairy cream cheese i would like to use but i would like to use something instead of the butter. Cant find non-dairy greek yogurt in the grocery stores here. What do you suggest for butter sub ?
Vegan butter? Or I think you could use all cream cheese.
Could you freeze this cake?
I haven’t tested that but I think it would work if you let it cool fully and wrapped it well. Plan to make the frosting on the day you plan to serve it though.
Hi. Just baked this in an 8” pan and it seems very thin. I’m wondering if I doubled the ingredients if it would bake for the same amount of time? Hoping to bake thicker layers. Smells amazing.
Hi- I think you’d need to bake it longer if it was doubled. Maybe in the 28-30 minute range.
Hi, baking noob here, first time making cake for my girl first birthday. I have a few questions:
1. I only have fresh blueberries here, how can use them? Can I just put them in the freeze then use as the freeze dried ones?
2. Over here we use more metric system like grams for measuring. What is your conversion from cup to grams? I see online there’s all kinds of numbers.
Hi- for the frosting, I would make it plain, then decorate the top with fresh berries. It won’t work the same to use them like I did the freeze-dried ones here. I am in the process of adding a conversion to metric and will try to do it today or tomorrow. (I test all of my recipes in cups though.)
Had the metric conversion been published please?
Yes it’s there. In the recipe card, it’s on US Customary by default, so just click Metric right next to it and it will switch. It’s right by the word “ingredients”
Hi! Can I use fresh blueberries for the frosting ? I don’t have freeze dried and I really need to make the cake now
It won’t turn out the same if you use fresh so I would make the cream cheese frosting plain and decorate with fresh berries.
Can I use dried blueberries or do they have to be freeze dried? Not sure where to find freeze dried blueberries in Nova Scotia but I think I can get dried blueberries at bulk barn.
Made this for my twins first birthday and they loved it! Now I make it monthly for them to eat.
I love hearing that!
Hello~
Can I make it with almond flour? Thank you!
Camilla 🙂
Almond flour usually isn’t a good substitute for regular flour since it absorbs liquid very differently, so I wouldn’t recommend it.
We made this for my youngest daughter’s 1st birthday party! She is allergic to eggs, peanuts, and sesame, so I was happy to find something that was egg-free, not loaded with sugar, and also yummy! We used 2 TBSP of seedless strawberry jam instead of the freeze-dried berries to make the icing a slight pink hue. Thank you!
I’m so glad to hear it and happy birthday to your daughter!
Can I make this entirely with oat flour instead of whole wheat flour?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure!
Hi there,
I hope to try your recipe for my daughter’s birthday this week! I was just wondering if I could add eggs to make it lighter/fluffier?
Would I need to adjust the wet ingredients if I do add in 1-2eggs?
Thanks in advance!
I haven’t tested it that way but I bet you could reduce the mashed banana by 1/2 cup and add 2 eggs. Let me know if you try it and happy birthday to your daughter!
Hi Amy!
Love your blog and all the great nutritious baby safe recipes!
Great idea for using freeze dried berries for the frosting. Would you say the frosting is versatile enough that it can also be put into a piping bag so I can squeeze it out to make little flowers with it?
Hi- I think so. It’s primarily cream cheese, so that’s similar to the final texture. It’s not as stiff as buttercream since it doesn’t have powdered sugar, but it’s fairly sturdy!
What amount of time
would you give if you made them as cupcakes?
Probably in the 18-20 minute range (that’s my best guess since I haven’t tried them!)
Could you make the frosting a day in advance too and ice the cake the day you serve it?
You can, but if you do I recommend putting the frosting into a zip top bag and removing as much air as possible before you seal it to keep it the bright color.
How can we make this without oat flour? My LO is allergic to oats..
I believe it would work okay to use additional flour instead.
Hi! Thanks for this easy a nd beautiful smash cake. My concern is the blueberries you added as topping being whole. I currently crush them for my baby as they are a choking hazard. I was wondering if I could cook them or steam them and add them to the top of the cake once cooled. Do you think it would work? My baby LOVES blueberries so this would be perfect for her first birthday. Thanks!
Or maybe cut them in half and put the cut side down? That would be easy and pretty!
Good idea! Thank you!
Isn’t it that babies should not have honey
They shouldn’t. (There’s no honey in this recipe.)
Hi Amy!
I see Ge Poni’s concern: Honey is currently listed as a suggestion to help sweeten the frosting. Are you able to edit it to only suggest maple syrup?
I can clarify that, though if baby is 1, the honey concern shouldn’t be an issue since it’s under age 1 where we need to avoid it. I realize it’s on the line though:)
What would be the substitute amount for whole wheat flour if I used white flour?
I haven’t tested it with all purpose flour but I would guess 1 1/3 or 1 1/2 cups.
Hi Amy, thank you for your recipe. I was wondering if I could use strawberries in the cake instead of blueberries, and and same with the frosting. My daughter is a huge strawberry fan, thought she might like this better. Will this make the cake pink? Sweeter? Anything else you suggest?
Freeze-dried strawberries will be great in the frosting (and yes that would be pink). Diced fresh strawberries should work well in the cake—it might be a little moister. I don’t think that the inside of the cake will be pink though, but there will be spots of the berries for some color. Let me know how it goes if you try it!
I made this for my granddaughters first birthday and was a great hit! With covid the party was a zoom one but the adults that were present also really liked it! I changed up the frosting just using fresh whipped cream and fruit!
Hello! I’m planning on using whipped cream as well. Did you blend up with blueberries? Or just use the whipped cream plain?
Hopefully she’ll share, but you could do it plain or with the freeze-dried fruit like I did here!
Can I substitute the wheat flour for coconut flour? Thanks so much!!
No, you can’t substitute coconut flour for whole wheat flour as it absorbs moisture completely differently. If you want to make it gluten-free, I suggest a cup for cup style of gluten free flour like the one from King Arthur Flour.
Hi there! Would we still add the oat flour along with the gluten free flour?
Yes, the gf flour blend would replace the whole wheat flour, but the oat flour should stay the same.
Hi, this might be a silly question. I don’t bake much but can I replace the whole wheat flour with all purpose flour and still use the same amount of flour? It is my son’s first bday this weekend.
Thanks
Hi- You can just all purpose flour instead and it should work the same for you. Happy birthday to your boy!
How long do I bake the cakes if using 5 inch cake pans? Thank you.
I would guess 26-28 minutes. They will be thicker so it should take a few minutes longer. Let me know how it goes!
Hi we loved your cake 🙂 just wondering if it can be frozen and thawed to eat it later?
Sure, that should be fine. I’d wrap tightly in plastic wrap to keep it fresh.
The batter seemed really thick, that I was basically pressing the batter into the pans. Nonetheless, it came out tasting great! I’ve tried the cream cheese frosting, now I’d like to try a yogurt-based frosting. Would using a full fat Greek yogurt work in the frosting recipe?
Hi, I can’t wait to test this recipe! It’s hard to find freeze-dried blueberries overseas. Other suggestions? A simple cream cheese frosting without the blueberries? Or can I use fresh berries, maybe cooking them to release the juice and sweeten them up a bit? Also, if using white flour instead of wheat are the portions the same? Thank you!
I’d do the cream cheese frosting without the berries. It will still be yummy! And yes, you can just sub in white flour and it should work the same. Enjoy!
Hi! My baby’s birthday is coming up and I’m trying to figure out the amount I need for what I’m retiring to do!
I’ve got one 4×3 inch cake pan for his cake. And then for everybody else, I’m using two 9 inch round cake pans. Then I’m going to make twelve cupcakes. What are your thoughts on the amounts I need? Haha
[not sure if my first comment went through or not so disregard this if it did]
Hi! I will get back to you in the morning with some suggestions. I need to work out the math:)
Thank you so much!!!
Also, whenever you get to it, are baking times going to be different for each? I’m baking the two 9 inch at the same time, all the cupcakes at the same time, and then the last batch of just the smash cake by itself. Sorry, this is the first time I’m baking something from scratch so I’m not sure of the rules. Either way, thanks for your recipe! I can’t believe my baby is almost a year already and I’m doing this!!
Okay, this recipe makes 3 cups batter so if you use 1/4 cup per cupcake, you can make 12.
For each 9 inch pan, you need about 2.25 cups, so I would double the recipe (you will have about 6 cups batter) and measure that out, then use the rest to make the 4 inch one. I would use 1.25 cups for the 4 inch one (so you may have a little extra batter).
The 4 inch cake will need a little less baking time. The 9 inch ones will need longer—at least 30 minutes, if not 35. Look at the center of the cake. It should look done and a cake tester inserted into it should come out cleanly. I would line the 9 inch pans with parchment paper (cut out little rounds to fit into the pans) and then spray with nonstick spray to ensure they come out easily. Be gentle when turning them out from the pans. GOOD LUCK!
Oh wait, I just now saw your reply and the answer is already there! You beat me to it; you’re good at this ? thanks so much again!! I’ll probably tag you in my Instagram story when I finish!!!
Hi! My baby’s birthday is coming up and I’m trying to figure out the amount I need for what I’m retiring to do!
I’ve got one 4×3 inch cake pan for his cake. And then for everybody else, I’m using two 9 inch round cake pans. Then I’m going to make twelve cupcakes. What are your thoughts on the amounts I need? Haha
So do we use fresh blueberries in the cake part and freeze dried in the icing?? I am little confused with this.
Yes, you stir 1 cup fresh berries into the batter of the cake. Then you use 1 cup freeze-dried berries to make the frosting purple.
I’m not a big baker. Can you please explain what you mean by parchment paper rounds? How and where does parchment paper get used?
Place the pans onto parchment paper. Trace with a pencil or pen. Cut out, just inside the line and trim so they fit into the pans. Add each parchment round to the pan, then spray with nonstick spray. Add the batter and bake. I hope that helps.
Hi!
I was wondering if I can just use the recipe for the cake but turn it into cupcakes instead.
Thanks!!
P.S.: I tried your banana cupcakes and spinach and eggs muffins and everyone loved them! Your recipes are awesome
I’m so glad! You could do that, but I worry they would be fairly dense as cupcakes. Maybe try these Healthy Banana Cupcakes and add berries?
Hello! I’m wondering if I could dry out blueberries in the dehydrator instead of buying freeze-dried blueberries for the frosting. What are your thoughts?
I think that would work if the dehydrated berries are dry and will crumble up, versus being chewy.
My sons birthday is in a week. I tested this recipe and the blueberries ended up being really tart. Is there something I can do to change/prevent this?
Which blueberries, the ones in the cake or the frosting?
The ones in the cake
I think the only way to make sure those berries are sweet is to taste them when they are fresh and make sure they taste sweet to you. There’s a big range of how berries taste so that would be your best bet.
For the frosting, can I use frozen blueberries?
I haven’t tried it that way and it will not create the same flavor or color. I suspect it would wind up runny and potentially it might separate.
Thanks! I will try to look harder for the freeze-dried ones. Some food are harder to find overseas. But I’m really excited to try this. It will be the first cake I will ever bake.
Hello! Have you tried it with frozen blueberries? We just picked some beautiful ones at our family cottage but my daughter doesn’t turn 1 until mid-September so I was hoping to freeze them and use them. Thoughts?
I think that should work just fine! They may make the batter seize up a bit if you go directly from the freezer due to the coldness (which won’t matter when baking, but it would make it harder to spread the batter in the pans), so maybe let them sit out at room temp for a bit so they are just very slightly thawed. I love the sound of using ones that you picked yourself!
Thanks! I am going to try it once before to see how it turns out. We picked A LOT of blueberries!
Hi,
This looks amazing. I am having a hard time however finding oat flour…I don’t want to spend $35.00 on it. Can the oat flour be left out? Or is there something I can use to substitute instead? Also, how many freeze dried strawberries or blueberries do I need for the frosting? Is a 1 ounce bag enough? Thanks.
For the oat flour, add rolled oats to a blender or food processor and grind into a flour. And yes a 1 ounce bag should be enough to make the frosting. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Can we use oat flour insted of wheat flour
I haven’t tried it with all oat flour so I can’t say for sure, but let me know if you try it!
Hi!
You mention I cab do this ahead of time. We’re spending the little one’s first birthday on vacation and the kitchen doesn’t have many tools. Do you think it’ll last 2 days on the fridge before serving? Or Do you think it’s too long? Thank you!
If you want to do that, I recommend you want to frost it if possible and wrap the cakes in plastic wrap well and make the frosting and store it in a zip top bag. Remove as much air as possible because air may turn it a smidge gray after that amount of time in the fridge. Let the cakes come to room temp for a bit so they soften and frost soon before serving if you can. I worry that if you make and frost the whole thing that far ahead the frosting will dry out and discolor a bit over that length of time. Let me know if I can help more!
I have twins and I’m planning on making two 4 inch cakes (two layer, so 4 pans). Do you think I should see how it turns out with the same amount of ingredients listed above? And how long do you think I should bake them? I’m testing the recipe today for their birthday in two weeks. Thanks!!
I think you could try it with the amounts listed here. Aim to have each pan about half full. I haven’t tried it that way so I can’t say for sure. I would guess the baking time to be about 16-18 minutes but you’ll want to keep an eye on them after about 14 minutes and check for doneness with a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center. (If this recipe isn’t enough batter, let me know and I can help you scale it to 1.5) Let me know how it goes!
Thank you! Getting ready to try it out now!
Thanks for sharing! How far ahead of time can I make it?
You can make a day ahead. See the info in the Notes.
Hi- this cake is delicious but mine came out very dense. Do you have any suggestions? I followed the recipe closely but I am not an expert baker, thank you for sharing!
If you find it to be dense, you could add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda?
This looks so good! It would even be a tasty healthy cake for grownups!
Can i skip blueberries??
I haven’t tried it without but I would think it would work fine
Hi Amy, just wondering if I could use regular all purpose flour for this recipe? Thanks! xx
I haven’t tested it that way but I think it should work just fine!
Hi, I want to make this for my daughter first birthday. She’s allergic to egg and wheat, I’ll try to substitute with AP or almond flour. My question is, what size of cake pan do I need? (Sorry, can’t find the info in your instructions) Thanks!
Two 6 inch. The full info is in the recipe at the bottom of the post! Happy almost bday to your girl!
Is whole milk plain strained greek yogurt (Fage) or whole milk plain regular yogurt recommended? I’m guessing both will need to be strained.
Instead of the butter? Whole milk plain is what I tried it with. It does not need to be strained.
If using Greek yogurt for the frosting, is the quantity 12oz or more since there is no butter?
You could do greek yogurt instead of cream cheese. I’d do about 2 cups. You may want to strain the yogurt first to avoid it being too wet. Place it over a paper towel lined fine mesh sieve placed over to a and let sit for about an hour or up to 6 in the fridge to remove some of the liquid.
If using plain Greek yogurt for the frosting, do we need to beat it with a hand-held electric mixer? What does the oat flour do for the cake? Will replacing it with buckwheat or more whole wheat flour work too?
You can just stir it with a spoon. I would not recommend using buckwheat flour instead of oat flour. You could probably use all whole wheat, though the baking time might be a little less and I haven’t tried it that way so I can’t say for sure. Good luck!
Can I omit or reduce the amount of blueberries in the cake? Also, would frozen blueberries work in the cake?
Would it work well to use dates and bananas and leave out the blueberries? Or use strawberries instead of blueberries? I haven’t introduced berries to my daughter yet. I might have to modify based on preference / allergy. Figuring out my options in case I need to modify. Thank you.
Strawberries, if you dice them up, would be a pretty straight forward substitution.
Yes, you can omit or reduce or use frozen berries. If you omit them entirely, you may need to reduce the baking time a little.
Hi you do not have the measurement of this recipe in grams?
Hello, I’m really excited to try this for my daughter’s 1st birthday; she loves blueberries! Can I substitute AP flour for the whole wheat and oat flours? Thank you!
I haven’t tried that but I think it should work fine!
I made cupcakes out of this recipe (I halved it and got 6 muffins/cupcakes) and they turned out really well! My baby devoured not 1, but 2 of them (1 during smash photo shoot and 1 later on during a Zoom birthday “party”! So glad I didn’t offer her ones filled with sugar.
I’m so glad they worked out and I hope that it was a happy day!
I made these in muffin for my son’s first birthday and he loved them! He has an egg allergy so I loved that these are egg free and that you put directions on how to make many other recipes egg free. My question is if you have done much baking with baby cereals? I want to provide the added nutrition, especially iron. I substituted baby oatmeal for the oatflour in this recipe and it worked but I think it turns out a little dry since baby cereals absorb so much liquid. Any suggestions?
I’m glad they worked well as cupcakes! I haven’t baked much with baby oatmeal but if it was a little dry, I’d recommend either reducing it slightly—so maybe try 1/3 cup—or use the 1/2 cup and increase the butter to 1/3 or 1/2 cup. Let me know if you try either of those options! (I’d probably do the reduction first.)
Hi Amy! I am making Thai smash cake for a party Saturday and I noticed when I’ve made it before the frosting sort of oxidizes with the air. How do I keep that from happening if I make it Friday for Saturday? Thank you!
Regards,
Aprylle
Hi! You can try putting it into a zip top plastic storage bag, removing as much air as possible and sealing it. Without air, it should stay the original color (at least mostly!). Enjoy!
Yum! The cake came out great (I made a smaller smash cake with a couple extra cup cakes so I could taste in advance.) Here’s my question: can I make the frosting today (Tuesday) for a party on Saturday? Will it keep fine in the fridge? I’d frost the cake on Saturday but I’d like to give my son a cupcake today (his actual birthday!) Thanks!
So fun! Yes, you can totally make the frosting today. Put it into a plastic storage or freezer bag, remove all the air and seal. It will be good. (I just did this with a strawberry version and it was fine for 5 days!) You’ll need to let it sit at room temp so it softens a little before you want to frost the cake, so keep that in mind. Happy bday to your boy!!!
Can I make this cake 4 days ahead and freeze it until the day of?
Yes, I think that should be fine. Let the cakes cool completely and wrap in plastic wrap to freeze.
Hi Amy, I tried doing the frosting just as you wore it but instead use coconut oil and yougurt as alternatives for the cream cheese and butter. I did it twice and the first time I didn’t notice the yogurt had to be room temp and so the coconut oil solidified making clumps everywhere so I redid it making sure to follow it step by step. I finished it and it was liquid. It had the same consistency as the yogurt. I mixed it and mixed it so I tried to add another tablespoon of coconut oil and it never worked. Maybe the ratio of yogurt is not the same as that of the cream cheese? Maybe it’s supposed to be less yogurt. I was wondering what you thought. Sadly I have to find another recipe ASAP for my baby’s first birthday tomorrow. It did taste pretty good!
Oh I am sorry that my notes in this weren’t clear—the coconut oil was meant to be a sub for the butter in the cake, not the frosting as that would make it more liquid. For a yogurt frosting, just use the nondairy Greek yogurt and berries. That should be thick enough to spread on like frosting!
Hi Amy, thank you for the recipe . Was wondering if I could omit the freeze dried fruits and just beat cream cheese for the frosting?
Hi! Fresh blueberries and freeze dried blueberries are not available in the Philippines. Can I use canned blueberries or frozen blueberries instead for the cake? And can I also substitute canned/frozen to the freeze dries for the frosting? Thank you!
You can use frozen blueberries in the cake but I would probably make the frosting without any berries—if you added frozen or canned, you’d be adding a lot of moisture and would make the frosting much runnier than freeze-dried. I hope that helps!
Hi Amy! I’m so excited to make this cake!! Do you think I could add sweeteness by adding dates to the recipe? Do you know if the flavor of dates would go well with bluberries and bananas? Thank you so much!
Hi! Yes, I think the flavor would be great. I would suggest that you soak them (maybe 1/4-1/2 cup) for about 30 minutes, then drain them completely and blend them into the bananas. That should work well!
Hey there! I’d like to make this recipe as cupcakes. What would you recommend? Thanks.
I haven’t tried this as cupcakes, but I would think they’d take 18-22 minutes or so—look for the edges to be lightly golden brown and the top to be set and a cake tester to come out pretty cleanly when inserted into the center. Follow the rest of the instructions as directed. Let me know if you try it!
Hi! I know your comment is from last year, but I was curious if the cupcakes worked out for you. I’m thinking of doing the same.