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
Your toddler won’t eat? Help is here!
Sign up for our email updates to get tips and ideas sent to your inbox.
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 for my son’s first birthday. I went ahead and used Greek Yogurt because it’s what we had on hand. I used your modifications to bake it in a 4-inch cake pan. It all worked great and tasted yummy! Thank you!!
I’m so glad and happy bday to your boy!
Can I use all purpose flour instead of oat ?
I haven’t tried it that way but let me know if you do!
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe for my sons first birthday this week! Quick question, I read the notes for the egg free version. My son is allergic to egg and I’d like to only use oat flour instead of adding in regular flour. Do you think it’s ok to sub flax egg 1:1 for this recipe?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure, but I don’t think that the texture would be the same at all since that would be a lot of flax eggs. Maybe try using the egg-free option, using all oat flour, and doing 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon baking soda. Adding baking soda to that might, I think, would help it to not be crumbly.
How much avocado oil instead of butter? Thank you in advance! ?
I haven’t tested it with avocado oil, but with coconut oil it’s the same amount as the butter.
I am going to try making this for my daughter’s first birthday. I have the yogurt in a paper towel lined strainer. I put it in there last night and now over 12 hours later, the bowl underneath is still empty/dry. The paper towel is damp. Is this how it is supposed to work? The yogurt looks exactly like it did when I put it in the strainer. Please advise. This recipe sounds really good and I really want to try it.
If no liquid is coming out, it’s possible your yogurt started off thicker than some other brands. Which is fine! You should be good to go.
Just to confirm that’s meant to be 12 tablespoons of unsalted butter?
Yes, 1.5 sticks or 12 tablespoons
Is the yogurt frosting thick enough to be used as piped frosting and keep form?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure. It’s thick but it might not be thick enough to do that without straining it longer or adding some powdered sugar to stiffen it. Let me know if you try it!
I made this cake for my niece’s first birthday – LOVE how it turned out! I cut my 2 square cakes to form a number 1. I made the frosting and divided it into 6 bowls and added natural food colouring, and then piped the different colours onto the top of the cake. It doesn’t pipe as well as buttercream but it still looked nice. Fantastic outcome.
I’m so glad!
Made this cake today and it fell apart when I took it out of the pans. So maybe this will become a deconstructed cake????
Oh no! Did you change anything in the recipe? Were the cakes cooled?
I baked them in 8in pans, maybe I should have let them bake a little longer or cooled a little more before I took them out of the pan. This was a trial run so hopefully next time will turn out better.
This cake is delicious. Made it for my 2 year old grandson’s birthday. All who tasted the third layer loved it. Honestly it was much more flavorful than the homemade vanilla cupcakes I made for everyone else Thanks for the recipe
Looking to make this for my daughter’s first birthday. Maybe I’m being silly but what is the amount of butter I’m supposed to add?
It’s in the recipe at the bottom of the post!
Hello. Can I use buttermilk in this recipe
I haven’t tried it so can I can’t say for sure how it might impact flavor but let me know if you try it!
I love the music to your video… how might i find it?!
It’s called Happy Birthday to Me by Jaymie Gerard
Can I use buttermilk in this recipe
Hi Amy – I’m looking forward to making this for my baby’s 1st birthday! We have almond flour readily available at home – have you tried or heard of anyone using it with good results? Thanks.
Hi! I haven’t had any comments from folks who’ve tried almond flour. It’s similar to oat flour in that it doesn’t have gluten (so I think it would work the same), though it may absorb moisture differently so I can’t say for sure if everything would work the same. Sorry to not have a more helpful answer!
Did you try the almond flour? Just wondering if that worked. I have almond flour as well as oats so I’m wondering if I can just mix them to make up the amount I need.
Hi! I used almond flour. I used the same amount that it calls for oat flour (3 cups). I poured 2 cups of batter into the pan instead of 1 1/3. Cooked it to 25 minutes and then just checked on it every few minutes with a toothpick until I was happy with it. It was delicious!
Hi there, just wondering if quick oats are ok to grind into the oat flour?
Thanks
Yes, that should be fine!
We tried this recipe for my daughters 1st birthday and it was perfect! Very crumbly which is perfect for a smash cake. We left the yogurt overnight in a container with a paper towel to absorb the liquid. Frosting was nice and thick and I think we added a little extra maple syrup and vanilla