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If your little one’s first birthday is coming up, you’re likely feeling all the things…
…excited (because it’s such a big milestone!)
…sad (because who told them they could grow up so fast?!)
…happy (because they’re just the most amazing baby and you’ve had a whole year with them)
…and maybe even a little stressed (because first birthday parties come with a lot of big decisions!).
Like what theme are you going to do, where will you have it, who do you invite, and of course, what kind of cake should you give them?! While we can’t help you out with the other party details (we’ve pinned some of our favorite themes to Pinterest though) – we can definitely help you with the cake.
One of the biggest debates online for a baby’s first birthday is about whether or not to let them have a traditional, sugar-filled cake. And people have opinions!
We’re not here to tell you what you should do – only you know that – rather, we want to give you all the info, share our experiences with first birthdays, and give you the confidence to make your decision (and feel good about what you decide). We’ll support you either way – no judgment at all!
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Plus, if you do choose to opt for an added sugar-free cake, we’ve got a recipe that is dietitian-approved and actually tastes good!
Before we get to the recipe, let’s chat all about sugar-free vs. sugar-filled smash cakes for your little one-year-old. And if you’d rather listen to our thoughts on this, download the podcast episode below!
What is a smash cake?
If you don’t know, a smash cake is basically that little, cutesy, small cake that’s offered to babies when they’re turning one. It’s sort of a personalized cake because the idea is that they’re going to smash into it!
The hope is that they’re going to dig into it with their hands…they’re going to try to eat it…and they’re going to make a mess all over.
That’s the fun of it – watching the reaction to your baby’s first birthday cake! And hence the typical photo shoot that usually goes with it, it’s the cutest thing in the world.
Do babies have to have sugar-free smash cakes?
There’s sort of two groups of people out there.
We’ve got the people who are offering a real, good ol’ traditional birthday cake…full of sugar and deliciousness! And you’ve got people who are really concerned about offering their babies something that’s so full of sugar and them eating lots of it…so they’d rather find a healthier alternative for their little one.
And to be clear – we have no judgment to either group – these are just the different perspectives we’ve noticed.
You might be wondering how a smash cake can even have a healthier alternative…cake is cake, right?
A lot of times, a healthy smash cake recipe will be made out of fresh fruit or have sugar substitutes (like maple syrup, honey, or coconut sugar) to boost the nutrition by providing other micronutrients that refined white sugar just doesn’t offer. We’ll explain this in more detail in a bit.
So which one should you choose? It’s really up to you and what you think is best for your baby.
Let’s go through the benefits of each option.
Benefits of sugar-free cakes
More and more parents are skipping added sugar for their baby’s birthday cakes, but is it really worth the hassle?
So many recipes we’ve seen online are complicated and contain things that we wouldn’t have readily available for baking…or that require you to carve fruits into random shapes to create a cake tetris-style, like the one below. (That’s not happening for us, but if it’s your thing – go for it!)
All in all, it seems like a lot of work to make your own smash cake with no added sugar, and it might be hard to find a bakery that offers them ready-to-buy.
That said, there are definite benefits to opting out of added sugar for your baby’s smash cake. And since we’ve got a great recipe for you to try, you don’t have to worry about using something too complicated!
Now, let’s talk about this from a nutritional perspective, okay?
Technically, it’s recommended by pretty much every organization out there, and definitely by us, to avoid added sugars before age two, if at all possible, when at all possible.
If you’d like to learn more about the reasoning behind those recommendations, check out our blog on avoiding added sugar for babies.
The basics of it are that we know that sugar isn’t adding any nutritional value to your baby’s diet and that it can be harmful (especially in large quantities and in the long term) to be giving them a diet that’s high in sugar.
And to be honest… it’s also just easy to avoid it when they’re babies. Especially if they’re your only child (but even if you have another sibling at home)…until they approach maybe 18 months or two years of age, they’re not even really noticing the other foods out there – unless you offer them.
If you don’t offer it, they won’t be eating it!
And if there is something they notice someone eating that’s full of sugar, here’s what we recommend – treat the food like any other food they aren’t allowed to have. Think of things like choking hazards (ie. gum, tortilla chips, hard candy, uncut grapes, etc.).
Say: “No, you can’t have that.”
Take it away. Done and done. No need to comment on it anymore or explain why.
Eventually, we’ll want them to have a good relationship with sugar, it can’t be avoided forever. But the recommendation is to wait until after 2 years old to get there if you can.
It’s also important to note that consuming unnecessary added sugar is going to shape their preferences, and their taste buds, to like and enjoy more sweet things.
That doesn’t mean that if you wait to introduce those sweet things until 2 or 3 years of age, rather than 1 year of age, their ability to love sweet things will suddenly vanish. It’s likely to happen anyway because we’re all human and humans have this innate love for sweet things.
However, the earlier you introduce it, the more tricky it gets because that’s when babies are shaping their taste buds or taste preferences. We want them to have a solid foundation where they’re exposed to and are frequently eating tons of variety in flavored and textured foods that aren’t super sweet things (see our Baby Led Feeding course for all the help on that!).
By doing this, we help to ensure that by the time they get to that almost inevitable picky phase, they have a really good foundation of non-sweet foods that they still love. We can work with that foundation as they move through, and get past that picky stage (using tactics from our Feeding Toddlers course of course!).
The last point we want to make is about something funny people will inevitably say when you tell them you’re making a sugar-free first birthday smash cake. And that is something along the lines of…
- “They’re going to be missing out on the fun!”
- “Oh, what a sin! You’re not offering them a real first birthday cake?
- “It’s their birthday, come on, they’re going to want to enjoy themselves!”
This is what we want you to keep in mind to feel confident in your decision and not second-guess yourself because of these comments. Whether you choose to explain it to them or not is totally up to you!
Your baby has no idea what a birthday cake is supposed to taste like – it’s their first one!
Therefore, they can’t know what they’re missing out on – they probably don’t even know that birthday cakes are a thing! Please don’t worry about making your baby sad to miss out on a traditional cake – if a sugar-free cake is right for you and your family, go for it!
Benefits of traditional cakes
Now let’s switch gears! We said we’d support you either way and we mean it. Traditional, sugar-filled cakes do have some benefits. Let’s take care of your concerns first though!
Here’s what our perspective on this boils down to…it’s one day. Even more specifically, it’s one “meal”.
We’ve heard it all before! From concerns about it leading to obesity to creating a preference for only sweet foods. There’s no shortage of opinion or fear-mongering available on Google.
So let’s go through the actual facts – from a pediatric dietitian’s perspective!
To appreciate our perspective on this side of things, you really need to think about this from a broader view. We’re looking at the long-term effects of this one meal – are there long-term effects of this ONE meal?
Yes, it’s full of sugar. And yeah, maybe it has some artificial dyes in it.
But is this going to ruin them for life?
No.
Is this going to affect their long-term preferences after just one time?
No, not really.
So as long as you’re not offering them added sugars without much thought on a regular basis, or you’re kind of getting careless with things and you’re letting things slip here and there, seriously…this cake is not going to make a difference.
They will not be obese.
They will not have diabetes.
They will not have any serious sugar addiction because they had cake once when they were one.
That sums up our perspective – and we think it’s a really valid perspective to consider.
We said we’d talk about benefits, and that really comes down to more personal factors. Here’s a quick list, but this doesn’t encompass every factor, like we said, you know what’s best for your family – be confident in that choice because only you can make it.
- Store bought cakes are often cheaper compared to purchasing the very specific, and sometimes rare, ingredients needed for an added-sugar free cake.
- Your time is valuable, not everyone has the time to make a cake from scratch (and that’s ok!).
- Family traditions are important too, maybe a specific recipe is used for all family birthdays and that can be important to consider.
- Finally, maybe you hate baking – there’s nothing wrong with that! Or you just aren’t good at it – stressing about a homemade cake can take away the joy of this amazing milestone – do what works for you.
Official My Little Eater recommendation on smash cakes
Officially, we recommend an added sugar-free cake to avoid added sugar until age 2. Unofficially, we recommend doing what feels right for you and your family.
Both sides of this argument make sense to us.
And to be completely honest – we’ve been on both sides!
Let’s get into what our community chose and why.
What the MLE community did
I (Edwena) gave my boys real sugar cakes. We went to our local grocery store and I just picked up a first birthday cake from there.
It was simple. It was easy.
And my kids actually didn’t like it!
Especially my youngest son, who funny enough, never liked cake for years and years after that. I’m telling you, until he was about eight or nine years old, you couldn’t get him to have any kind of cake with buttercream or any kind of sugary frosting in general.
So there you go. I gave him a real cake and then look, he still hated it years later!
Now that all being said, if I were to go back in time and think of what I know now, especially with the recipes that I know of (that are actually quite easy to make), I would probably find a way to make a cake that’s a little bit more balanced. And that’s exactly what I did recently for my niece, Aila’s, first birthday!
For another example – our Marketing Manager went for sugar-filled cakes for all 3 of her girls! Only one of her daughters even ate some of it, the other two mostly just played and made a mess.
She made this choice because she had a specific design in mind (that she couldn’t make), she didn’t have the time to bake something and party prep, and she wasn’t overly concerned about offering this one time out of the year. She’d avoided giving cake to her babies at other family members’ birthdays, so she felt ok about letting them have cake at their own party.
We also polled the My Little Eater community on Instagram to see what you all were deciding to do – and here are the results!
A good number of parents on either side of the argument. So, whichever you decide you’re definitely not alone!
Now that we’ve put the debate to rest, let’s learn more about the differences in sugar, shall we?
Choosing the type of sugar for your baby’s smash cake
You’ll find cakes made out of regular white sugar, some with brown sugar, some with molasses, and some with honey (which they can have at one year of age).
But at the end of the day, no matter what the original source is, it all breaks down to the same thing in the bloodstream – sugar! And when eaten in excess, it’s going to cause the same long-term effects, no matter what type of sugar you’re offering.
That being said, we suggest using whole fruit as the best sweetener for your baby’s first smash cake.
This is because the sugar molecules found in whole fruit are bound to tons of fiber and other micronutrients. The fiber helps to slow down the digestion of sugar, therefore reducing the sugar spike in our bloodstream.
Again, this is one meal, one time. It’s not gonna make a huge difference in the long run, but it’s nice to choose an option with added benefits if you can.
Plus, the whole fruits are still going to produce the end result you’re looking for – a cake that’s sweet and tastes good enough that others will enjoy it too. It’s just a bit less processed and what we’d call a healthier smash cake option.
How to create balance with the sugar content
Anytime you’re offering a high-sugar meal or snack (whether it’s from whole fruit or a more processed sugar source), it’s really important to balance sugar with lots of fiber, protein, and fat.
This is what will help to lower blood sugar spikes even more, and in turn, won’t cause nearly the same sugar crash as you would see when a high sugar or high carbohydrate food is eaten on its own.
This also means, you won’t need to be as worried that your baby is going to be irritable, cranky or be up all night not sleeping because of a sugar crash from a smash cake.
Our advice is to try to choose cake ingredients that are high in protein and fat to achieve this balance. Since the fruit or sugar is going to serve as your carbohydrate source anyway, instead of finding a recipe that uses more carbohydrates like regular cake flour, find one that uses almond flour (if your baby can eat nuts) because of the protein in it, or coconut flour because of the fat in it. This is always going to balance things out more against the sugar content of the cake.
The one downside to using an almond or coconut flour base for your cake is that it’s expensive. That’s something to take into consideration, especially if it’s just for a baby to smash into it and chuck all over the floor!
However, from a health perspective, that’s what we would recommend and what we would choose to do if given the chance again.
My Little Eater’s smash cake ingredients
We’ve tested TONS of recipes out there and so many are really bad (like really bad). They’re dense (because of the low sugar content), they’re dry, and can be really hard.
Honestly, outside of the fact that they don’t taste as good, they’re so dense and hard that your baby can’t “smash” into it anyway – so you won’t get good photos.
We were really picky about the recipe we wanted to give you and made sure it tasted good, was soft enough to smash, but could also hold its shape for some pretty “before” photos.
It’s truly the perfect baby led weaning smash cake recipe (TBH it’s the only recipe I’ll make now so even though my boys are teenagers, this is what they get for their birthday)!
It’s also added sugar-free, gluten and grain-free, and dairy-free – in case you need that for your baby.
Let’s break down the ingredients!
Why dates?
Remember how we said that sugar from whole fruit was our preference because they’d be bound to fiber? Well – one of the highest fiber fruits out there are whole dates!
They’re full of both insoluble and soluble fiber that help with bowel movements, preventing constipation, keeping you full, preventing heart issues and once again – reducing that blood sugar spike! Only 100 grams of dates contain a whopping 8.5 g of fiber!
Furthermore, they contain so many amazing nutrients like selenium, magnesium, phosphorous, vitamin B6 and 50% more potassium than a banana!
Medjool dates in particular (which we use in our cake smash recipe) are very soft, easy to blend, and when used in baked goods, they create a sweet, caramel-like taste – so naturally – these are the perfect choice for your baby’s healthy smash cake!
Is the vanilla extract safe?
Yes! Given the amount we’re adding, plus the fact that the alcohol will be cooked off, it’s totally baby-safe.
Learn more about the safety of vanilla extract and the different types out there so you can choose what’s best for you (there are alcohol-free versions if you prefer!).
Can this be made egg-free?
This specific recipe we wouldn’t recommend doing egg-free – the texture is just too off and it’s actually too moist.
BUT – don’t worry because we came up with a new one for you! We recently tested a few egg-free options because my niece, Aila, has an egg allergy and we still wanted to offer her a healthy smash cake with no added sugar. So we got baking!
We came up with a delicious recipe that’s egg-free, peanut-free, and sugar-free! It’s truly perfect if you have a little one that has food allergies and you still want to offer something added-sugar free but that isn’t too complicated to make.
And we want you to have it! Download our egg-free smash cake recipe so you’re ready for your little one’s birthday party!
Why peanut butter?
We’ve included peanut butter for a couple of reasons (other than flavor!). First, it’s a high-fat food that helps to round out the nutrients and balance blood sugars.
And second, the texture and thickness of it help to support the structure of the cake – keeping all of the ingredients together.
If you’re not a peanut butter fan, you can swap this for almond butter for the same nutritional benefits. Either way, we suggest opting for an all-natural option instead of processed to avoid added sugar, high salt content, and other ingredients we prefer to avoid for babies.
Can this be made nut-free?
It sure can! Simply swap the almond or peanut butter for a seed butter. We think sunflower seed butter or pumpkin seed butter would be delicious!
Don’t panic if your cake turns green when you do this! This is a common reaction when using sunflower seed butter, so if that isn’t something you want, you may want to try a soy butter instead. We think it makes for a fun twist and is an easy way to naturally color the cake!
How to make it a chocolate cake
We’ve actually had a few parents test this out for us, but we haven’t yet – so if you do, send us some photos!
We don’t know how much cocoa powder they used, but we would likely try swapping the vanilla extract for 1 tbsp. of cocoa powder instead.
How to naturally color the frosting
Artificial food coloring – another popular concern for another day! We recommend going for a natural food coloring option whenever possible.
There are lots of ways to do this, but one of our new favorites is to use freeze-dried fruit. Simply blend the fruit down and mix the powder into the frosting until the desired color is reached.
Try strawberries for pink icing and a strawberry smash cake flavor too!
How to store baby’s first birthday cake
We know your time is valuable and birthday parties come with a lot of details so anything you can prep ahead of time is a huge bonus.
This cake can definitely be made in advance!
Bake the cake layers and remove them from the cake pans to cool on the counter. Once they’re cool, place parchment paper between the cake layers so they don’t stick and cover in plastic, or wrap them individually in plastic wrap. The cake layers can then be stored in the fridge for up to 7 days, if necessary.
We don’t recommend making the frosting ahead of time because the coconut cream can separate, so save that for the day of. If you need to make it earlier than the party, place it in the fridge and ice the cake up to an hour or two before serving (storing it in the fridge once it has been iced).
Top Tip!
Top Tip!
If you’re making the smash cake on the same day as the party, make sure you finish it with enough time to put the cake in the fridge for a few hours before icing it.
You want the cake to be completely cooled before decorating because the coconut cream can melt easily.
Smash Cake FAQs
What is the texture of the smash cake?
The texture of the My Little Eater cake is perfect!
It’s moist. It falls apart easily. It actually makes it easy for your baby to smash into.
We’d consider it a phase 3 on our signature Texture Timeline™.
And the coconut cream frosting has a light and fluffy phase 1 texture – all in all – a great texture experience!
What size of cake pan is best for smash cakes?
We recommend making smash cakes an individual size – perfect for little hands to smash into and not too overwhelming for them either. We use cake pans that are 6 inches in diameter in order to get just the right size to place in front of them.
How many layers should you make for a smash cake?
As many as you’d like! However, we don’t recommend making it too tall or it will block your baby’s face in photos.
When we use the 6 inch cake pans, we can get 3 layers out of our recipe below.
Can you put something between layers to keep it moist?
You definitely can! Our two favorites are extra coconut frosting or smashed berries.
You could also make the chia seed jam from our 60 Day Baby Led Feeding Meal Plan and put that between the layers – delicious and another nutrition boost!
Can this recipe be made into cupcakes instead?
Absolutely! For cupcakes, you’re going to want to change the cook time because they will cook faster.
We recommend checking them after 10 minutes and if they need more time, checking frequently after that to make sure they don’t overcook. It should yield a dozen cupcakes.
Is it safe for babies to have sprinkles on their smash cake?
This completely depends on the sprinkles! Very tiny round or straight ones are probably fine, as long as they’re used very minimally and mixed well into either the cake batter or the frosting, allowing them to soften. Be careful not to use too much or have too many in one bite to lower the choking risk for your baby.
However, you will want to completely avoid the use of draguees or sugar pearls, as these are much harder, are round and larger – all of which would make them a top choking hazard.
There is of course the matter of them being a source of added sugar and food coloring as well. If you’re trying to avoid those, then we’d recommend sprinkling some broken freeze-dried fruit pieces on top or even some of the powder once they’ve been blended to color the icing. You can also just quarter some of their favorite fruit to put on top, like raspberries or blackberries or blueberries.
What if I don’t want to do a smash cake?
No worries – you don’t have to!
This is just one way to celebrate your sweet little one – it’s not the only way. We’d love to hear about your family traditions!
Leave your ideas in the comments to inspire other families too!
If you make our recipe, we would love for you to tag us in your pictures. Post it on your Instagram stories, or send us a picture by email or DM. We love seeing your little one enjoying their day!
Embrace every chaotic, beautiful moment of their first birthday party – it’s a huge milestone (for both of you!).
MLE's First Birthday Smash Cake (added sugar-free)
Equipment
- 3 round baking pans (6 inches in diameter)
- 1 round baking pans (8 inches in diameter)
- Choose one or the other and double the recipe if you’d like more layers (6 x 6 inch pans or 2 x 8 inch pans)
Ingredients
Cake Batter
- 1 cup Medjool dates (pitted)
- ½ cup water
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup almond or peanut butter
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
Coconut Whipped Frosting
- 4 x 13½ oz cans of full-fat coconut milk
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place 4 cans of coconut milk in the fridge overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease round springform pans with coconut oil.
- In a blender or food processor, combine dates and water and blend until smooth.
- Add in the eggs, almond butter, vanilla, baking soda and salt and blend again until smooth.
- Divide batter evenly between the cake pans and smooth the tops with a spatula. Bake for about 25 min if using an 8 inch pan, or for 10 min if using 6 inch pans, until lightly golden.
- While the cakes bake, remove the coconut milk from the fridge and turn the cans upside down. Using a can opener, open the cans from the bottom and discard the water that separated from the cream.
- Scoop the thick cream into a small mixing bowl. Add the vanilla extract and whip with a hand mixer until light and fluffy. Place in fridge until cake is done baking.
- Remove cake from the oven and out of the pans to cool completely. We recommend placing them in the fridge for an hour or two, if you're able.
- Stack each cake layer on top of another on a cake stand, spreading mashed berries or extra frosting in-between each layer for added moisture.
- Immediately frost the cake, top with fruit (if desired), and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Loved this healthy smash cake recipe? Pin it to use again!
Edwena Kennedy, RD
Founder and lead Registered Pediatric Dietitian at My Little Eater Inc., creator of The Texture Timeline™, and mom of two picky-turned-adventurous eaters.
Edwena Kennedy, RD
Founder and lead Registered Pediatric Dietitian at My Little Eater Inc., creator of The Texture Timeline™, and mom of two picky-turned-adventurous eaters.
19 Comments
This recipe was FANTASTIC! I used a different healthy recipe for my daughter’s smash cake a few years ago, and it was so dense that she couldn’t even break it with her little fingers. This one was so soft and fluffy that my son had no trouble digging right in! And I didn’t feel guilty at all letting him eat his fill. My dad has Celiac, so I cut out a piece for him to eat, and he enjoyed it as well. I snuck a bite myself and was pleasantly surprised by both the texture and flavor of the cake. I’ll be using and recommending this exclusively in the future! Thanks for another great recipe, Edwena – I can always count on you!
And I forgot to mention: It was so EASY! Put everything in a blender? Anyone can do that!
LOVE to hear this! Thank you!
Thank you so much for this recipe! My son is allergic to eggs. Any suggestion on a best substitute?
So sorry we missed this comment! You could try using applesauce (1/4 cup per egg), or a banana (1/2 mashed, ripened banana per egg). We haven’t tested any of these though, so if you do let us know how it goes!
My newly one-year-old (and his parents) loved this cake. It was easy and healthy and delicious!!! Gets a little expensive if you’re making the frosting too, but it was worth it. Sweet and peanut-buttery (I used peanut butter) and the perfect soft, moist texture.
I made 1 + 1/4 of the recipe which made enough for 3 6-inch layers. I wasn’t sure how the batter would end up with a cake-texture, but it did!
I had a little trouble with the frosting getting wet, like sweating. But we made it work. My baby really loved it and I am glad I found this recipe.
Thank you!
That’s wonderful, so glad it was enjoyed! Happy Birthday to your little one 🙂
Looking forward to baking this cake for my daughter’s first birthday next month. Sounds delicious! Wondered if anyone has baked it in a square tin and cut it into a shape… I’m hoping to cut it into the number one and then ice it. Do you think this could be done?
So sorry for the late reply! We haven’t tested that out yet, did you give it a try?
Any suggestions for a nut free environment?
So sorry for the late reply! Yes, you can make it nut-free, try swapping for a seed butter like sunflower seed butter. We haven’t tested it yet so we’d love to hear how it works out!
Are there any specific brands of coconut cream that you recommend for the frosting? I’ve read that some brands don’t whip into the right texture.
Alternatively, are there any other sugar free frosting options that anyone has tried?
Thanks!
Hi Chelsea! Great question- Brands will vary depending on where you’re located, but the most important thing to look for when choosing a canned coconut milk is to choose one that is “full fat” so that it whips up nice and thick! Coconut cream also works well. 🙂
Amazing and delicious! My son smashed his slice for his first birthday and loved it! The adults also enjoyed it. Will definitely repeat!
Hi Lisa-Mari! That’s amazing- So happy to hear that you and your family loved the cake! 🙂
I made ⅔ of the recipe and baked it in two 7.75 x 3.75 x 2.5 inch loaf pans for about 12-14 mins (both greased and lined with a parchment sling). I then punched out two 3.5″ circles from each loaf and then sliced those circles in half horizontally to make two four-tiered mini cakes! (I only needed one but there’s a sibling…) I also cheated and just whipped 1 cup of 35% whipping cream with 1 tbsp cornstarch and a dash of vanilla and used this to frost the cakes. Looks great and the sweetness of the dates makes up for the lack of sweetness in the whipped cream. Thank you so much for this recipe! My first attempt for kid #1 was made with almond flour and ended up being like a brick, although she still ate it 🙂
These are great suggestions! So happy you enjoyed the recipe!! 🙂
Thanks for the recipe! It looks great and I can’t wait to try it. However, I am a bit concerned about the choking risk if it clumps in my baby’s mouth with large bites? Is there anything I can do to prevent this?
Great question! This recipe is made to be moist for your baby and not too dry. A tip that can help keep the cake extra safe in case they take large bites is to add extra moisteners between the layers – this could be extra coconut frosting, extra smashed berries, or a homemade chia seed jam! Another tip is to offer your baby sips of water between bites to give them a break and keep their mouth nice and moist 🙂 We hope your baby enjoys their smash cake!!