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.
Made this in cupcake form and it was quite tasty and easy to make! I even cut the maple syrup in the batter to about 3/4 of a cup. When I lost some of my butter in the microwave, I replaced the missing amounts with some coconut oil. I also used some baby oatmeal when I didn’t make enough Oat flour. The yogurt frosting is great and is similar to a cream cheese frosting without being super sweet – I’d consider using this frosting for more recipes! Our 1 year old enjoyed this cupcake!
I’m so glad to hear that they worked well for you and happy birthday to your little one!
Best healthy smash cake for my 1 year old , My husband didn’t want to give our son cake at all until I told him I found a healthy recipe.
I’m so glad and happy bday to your little one!
Hi, is it possible to use Greek yoghurt instead of straining the regular yoghurt?
Yes, though brands vary so if you see any water at all in the container, I would still recommend straining it briefly.
Thank you. I’ll do that.
I’m so glad I found this recipe, I can’t wait to give it a try. A couple of questions please – do you think I can use just 1 cake pan and cut in half for a 2 layer cake? With the frosting, doesn’t the paper towel fall to pieces and stick to the yoghurt? Thanks in advance.
I think if you wanted to use one pan, I would bake half of the batter at once to make two thin cakes rather than cutting it in half. Just to limit the chances of it breaking while cutting it. Let the pan cool between baking if possible. The paper towel does not fall apart in my experience.
Can I make this with cake flour?
I haven’t tried it that way so I can’t say how it would turn out but let me know if you try it.
Hi! Did it work with the cake flour?
Turned out PERFECT! I used a bit of powdered sugar for the yogurt frosting because I ran out of maple syrup and I could not believe how well the yogurt frosting turn out! Delicious AND looked great in the photos!
I’m so glad and happy birthday to your little!
I’ve just made this today and it tastes so good! I swapped the butter for coconut oil and eggs for flaxseed and bananas. I also used regular plain flour instead of oats as it’s what I had, but it was quite dense and as it’s for a cake smash, I need it to be lighter. If I try vegan butter instead of coconut oil, would that maybe help? I’m not sure if I just did one substitution too many! I need it vegan and low sugar. thank you so much!
Have you tried giving your kiddo a slice to see what happens? It’s possible it will smash just fine:) I’m not sure of a way to make it lighter (if you used eggs, you could whip them to add more air). You could try sifting the flour first?
Can’t wait to try out this recipe!
Can I use ripe bananas instead of maple syrup? Or is there another substitute?
I haven’t tested that but I believe some commenters did that and had great success!
I made this for my son’s first birthday today and I couldng believe how delicious it is! I did 4 inch pans and it turned out great, following your directions for that size pan. I was worried to frost it too soon in the Florida summer heat, even with leaving it indoors, but decided for logistical reasons to frost it a few hours prior and leave it in the refrigerator, which worked just fine. Just wanted to mention in case someone else needs to put it together a bit earlier also. The cake layers were baked the night before and kept nicely in a tightly sealed ziplock bag overnight. I’m just sad it took me three kids to find such a great smash cake recipe! I can’t wait to eat the extra layer haha – my husband said it tastes like an oatmeal pie. Thanks again!!
Do you think Gerber first food oatmeal is close enough to oat flour? I don’t have much faith in my blender to cut oats any finer than the Gerber baby oatmeal…
Also, nice Hyvee stuff, Iowa mama here.
Hi neighbor! The texture of the first food oatmeal is pretty close to oat flour and I know that people have made this recipe with baby oatmeal and it’s turned out. I haven’t tested it that way so I can’t say for sure but please let me know if you try it!
Can I use regular flour instead of Oat Flour?
I haven’t made it with all purpose flour, but here’s the info for whole wheat as I imagine it would be similar: “You can try making this with whole wheat flour if you prefer—though check for doneness closer to 18-22 minutes and stir very gently to avoid overworking the batter.’
This is delicious! I made a different recipe for a low sugar “healthy” smash cake for my first child–it was SO much work and tasted awful. Its my 2nd child’s first birthday tomorrow and I decided to try this Vanilla Oat and it is SO much better and far easier! I made 2 cakes. One for our little photoshoot and it turned out a tad dense and harder for my little guy to grab and eat! So the 2nd cake is for his birthday party and this time I separated out the egg whites, (mixed in yolks as directed) whipped up the whites and folded them in as the last step. 2nd cake turned out lighter and fluffier! Either way its yummy! Thank you!
Oh my goodness. I did a trial run before my daughter’s birthday next month and wow. I think I found my own favorite cake AND I HATE CAKE. I think it was the oat flour and mild sweetness with the syrup and banana that sold me. Normally cakes taste too fine and rich and sweet for me, but this was perfect. Forget just smash cakes, heck I’ll make this just for me.
That makes me so happy to hear! I love this cake too. I have a stash of pieces in the freezer I pull out regularly for myself!
Can I use instant oats to make the oat flour?
Yes that should work fine
Loved the end result…had a beautiful texture, was light…perfect. We also enjoyed the Greek yogurt icing…. it was a perfect smash cake for a 1st birthday celebration. I would definitely make this again & again.
I am so glad to hear that and I hope it was a very happy day!
Hi anyone tried and the cake crumbled? Wonder what went wrong? My butter n eggs mixture also seemed to have split!
Did you change anything in the recipe? And what exactly do you mean by the eggs mixture splitting? Happy to help if I can!
The song in the video is amazing, but I cant find it anywhere. Who sings it and what is it called? This cake also looks perfect for my son’s first birthday on June 1st 🙂
It’s called Happy Birthday to You by Jaymie Gerard. It’s so lovely!