This First Birthday 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 vanilla oat smash cake, plus allergy-friendly and make-ahead options.
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 smash 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 first birthday party ideas for a little one.
(You may also like Blueberry Smash Cake, Sweet Potato Baby Cake, and my full list of Kids Birthday Cake Recipes.)
Table of Contents
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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.
What’s a smash cake?
A smash cake is a first birthday 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 baby highchair, 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 first birthday smash cake recipe to share with baby so you know what to have on hand.
- Oat flour: You can use store-bought oat flour or make your own by grinding rolled oats into a fine flour in the blender. I love using this ingredient because it creates a wonderful texture and adds nice flavor to the cake.
- Eggs: I bake and cook with large size eggs, so plan to use them here. They help bind the batter together and give the cake structure.
- 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.
Ingredient Substitutions
Gluten-Free First Birthday Cake: If you need to make this gluten-free, you can use certified gluten-free oats or gluten-free oat flour.
Dairy-Free Smash 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 Smash 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.)
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.
Step 1. Lightly beat the eggs. Add the rest of the wet ingredients and stir.
Step 2. Gently stir together the dry ingredients and add to the wet.
Step 3. 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.
Step 4. Let the cakes cool on a wire rack while still in the pan. The cakes must cool completely to hold their fluffy structure.
TIP: You can make this recipe in 5-inch pans, 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!)
Step 5. 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.
Step 6. Stir yogurt together with maple syrup and vanilla in a bowl. You can use a spoon or a hand-held mixer if you prefer.
Step 7. Add some frosting on top of the first layer. Spread. Add another cake and more frosting.
Step 8. Add the third cake, if using an additional cake layer. 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 for baby’s first birthday.
Frequently Asked Questions
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 bananas.
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.
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 first 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 the first birthday cake just before serving, but you can frost up to an hour ahead and leave it at room temperature.
Make Ahead Tips
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
Best Tips for Success
- Let the first birthday cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes before turning them out onto the rack for the best texture.
- You can try making this 1st birthday cake 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.
- To Use Three 4-Inch Pans: Divide the healthy smash cake 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.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear your feedback if you try this first birthday cake, so please rate and comment below to share!
First Birthday Smash Cake (with Yogurt Frosting)
Ingredients
Greek Yogurt Frosting
- 1½ cups whole-milk plain Greek 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. (This helps ensure that the frosting is nice and thick.)
- 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!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This post was first published May 2017.
Hello, I want to try this recipe and make only one of the three cakes. Then for the actual birthday, I was going to make only 2 of the 3 cakes. So do I use your recipe and cut by 1/3 and then 2/3 accordingly? I just wanted to double check 🙂 ! Thank you!
the sweetness level tastes appropriate for the audience.
Hi
36 tablespoons sounds like a huge amount 😳 is that correct?
What are you looking at? There isn’t anything in that amount in the ingredient list.
Likely to be the butter 12tbsp but in *3 servings version
Hi there – I’m sorry but I can’t see anywhere how many eggs you suggest for this recipe. Can you advise?
In the recipe at the end of the post, you’ll see it calls for 4 eggs.
Hi! I made this cake ahead of time to freeze for my son’s 1st bday party this weekend 🙂
I followed everything except I subbed half flax eggs, and half banana/half maple syrup. The result was really tasty – but very firm/tough and it’s not a very smashable cake. I want to try making it again.. will using all eggs and all maple syrup help make it a bit lighter/softer?
Thank you!
Hi- I haven’t done that exact mix you did, so it’s possible that was firmer than the original recipe. It should work just fine to smash. Be sure it’s at room temperature if you make it ahead and freeze it since it’s firmer when it’s cold. Hope that helps and enjoy the celebration!
Do you think I could make in advance and freeze cake? Then decorate the day before with frosting.
You can make it ahead and freeze it for sure. Let it sit at room temperature for a few hours once it’s thawed so it softens and if possible, frost on the day you plan to serve it.
Accidentally grabbed regular yogurt instead of Greek yogurt for the frosting 🤦♀️ Can I use regular or will it not be thick enough?
yes, just give it a little more time to strain
Hi I would like to make this for my Nephew’s first bday. His mum would like the cake to be dairy/gluten/refined sugar free. I have a few questions regarding the frosting 1. Which type of dairy free yogurt would be best (coconut, cashew, almond) 2. Do you strain the dairy free yogurt as you would full fat, I know it tends to be runnier but would try a cheese cloth and 3. How much coconut oil should I use?
Hi- I would look for a Greek style of df yogurt, such as the one from Siggis. That one is nice and thick. Or any other brand with that same attribute. Base doesn’t really matter. I would strain it over a cheese cloth, yes. For the coconut oil, I would use the same amount as is listed. Enjoy!
As long as the cakes are Un-iced, would they be ok to make 2.5 days prior and keep in airtight container and refrigerated??
Yes, should be fine. I may cover them with plastic wrap in the container to help them stay freshest.
Does it need to be refrigerated if it’s made the day before?? I dint want ut to be Rick gard
One day covered or in a container will be fine.
Let me warn you. I refrigerated the layers and they were rock hard! I only did it a day in advance and it was barely refrigerated 24 hours prior to baby’s party. I was so upset. There was no way baby would be able to “smash” it and I didn’t want to microwave it to (maybe) soften it up. It’s a super easy cake to make so I wouldn’t make it more than a day in advance unless you don’t have any time. I ended up throwing it away. I’m going to make it again tomorrow.
If you pull it out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature before serving it will soften up. I am sorry you were frustrated by this.
The cake has butter in it, butter hardens in the fridge
This cake is delicious!!! Made this cake today as a trial run So I halved the amount of recipe ingredients and also substituted half of the maple syrup with applesauce. I made this cake in 6 inch pan and it took about 24 minutes.
I think it out perfect!! It’s a Keeper… smash cake or not. 😊
I’m so glad to hear that and happy day!
Can I bake this a week ahead and freeze it instead of baking it the day before?
Absolutely, just be very gentle when wrapping and unwrapping it.
Also! How much banana would be used to substitute the maple syrup?
I haven’t tested it fully subbing the maple, but you can do half a cup of each which works nicely.
What depth of pan did you use? 2in or 3in?
Thanks!
My pans are 3 inches deep (the cake doesn’t fill them up though)
Would it be OK to use white or whole wheat flour rather than oat? Nothing against oat, just don’t have any on hand.
I haven’t tested it that way but of those two options I would go with whole-wheat. The baking time may be a little less. Let me know how it goes!
Cake and frosting tasted really good! Definitely don’t put the frosting on until right before you serve it.
Everyone in my family loved this cake. I made a minor tweak by subbing half of the melted butter with heavy cream. It was fluffy and held together well. Thank you for sharing!
I made this today for my sons birthday tomorrow. I didn’t see where you say not to frost ahead of time until just now and im worried it will be ruined for tomorrow because I did it already. Oops. I hope it’s okay!
Also wanted to mention that I had to bake much longer than the suggested time because it was very liquidy inside otherwise.
Lastly- the bits I tasted of both the cake and the frosting were delicious!
It should be okay, enjoy the celebration!