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.
Would adding freeze dried fruit to this frosting work to give it color?
Sure! Strawberry turns it a nice bright pink and blueberry is sort of purple. I’d crush it up finely in a food processor or blender and stir it in.
I have baby oatmeal left that I’ve been meaning to use up, do you think I could use this as my oatmeal flour? Looking forward to making this!
I haven’t tried that so I can’t say for sure. Sometimes baby oatmeal has a different flavor though
We used the recipe and made it into cupcakes- it was delicious and our little boy thought so too! I almost skipped the yoghurt frosting but so glad I didn’t. I was surprised how easy it was to turn Greek yoghurt into the right texture for frosting.
I am so glad to hear that and happy birthday to your boy!
Oh my goodness, this recipe came out BEAUTIFULLY! I used 1/2 cup maple syrup and one ripe banana to cut down a bit on the sugar, it worked great. I was super surprised at how much the adults/older kids liked this cake just as much as baby!!
Yay! I’m so glad to hear that and I’m happy to know that your adjustments worked so well! Happy birthday to your little!
Can I just add vanilla and skip maple syrup? My baby is obsessed with plain yoghurt and gets annoyed when I try to mix it with anything else! Will it still work?
In the frosting? Yes, sure though it would of course not be as sweet
I did this with almond flour, for those asking! I used 3 cups still & baked it for about 27 minutes (might have been a bit longer but I checked with a toothpick every few minutes until it was done) & it came out just perfect! Moist & delicious & it was dense but crumbled perfectly. I used it for my 6 months old 1/2 birthday smash cake.
Oh, I also poured 2 cups of batter into my cake pan as well! Not sure if that matters but just wanted to add
Thanks for sharing that!!
Really want to make this for my boy who turns 1 next week. What are the measurements in grams?
I tested it with US measurements (sorry!) but you can try using an online converter to help get it to grams.
Can you make this cake without the maple syrup so it is sugar free?
I haven’t omitted the maple syrup entirely and you would need to replace it with something to make up the liquid and also give it flavor
Hi, my baby is allergic to wheat, eggs and banana. Do you have a suitable version, or can let me know what I can use as substitutes as I can’t find a version which doesn’t have all three ingredients. Would love to make this for my baby’s first birthday. Thank you!
I would love to figure this out for you but I haven’t tested it with that specific combo of leaving things out and I am not sure that it would hold together if you used oat flour and also made it egg free. Mashed sweet potato puree is usually a good substitute for mashed banana. I think you could make my Sweet Potato Cake using gluten-free flour blend and the egg-free option if you want to look at that?
HI
COULD YOU TELL ME THE NAME OF THE SONG THAT YOU HAVE USED IN THE VIDEO ?
Happy Birthday to Me by Jaymie Gerard
Can’t wait to make this for my son’s first birthday! How much yogurt for the frosting? A small container? Or large one? Thank you!!
You’d need 2 6 or 8 ounce containers or a large quart (and you’d have some leftover).
Such a simple, moist and delicious cake for any occasion! Love Yummytoddlerfood!
I’m so glad to hear it!
Can I add ripped banana to the cake to make it It’s slightly sweet?
The cake is plenty sweet from the maple syrup!
Hi there, I was wondering how to make this recipe dairy and egg free? Also can I add fruit flavors to the frosting? Like pureed strawberries etc? Will this cake hold up with other types of flour and when substituting the coconut oil for butter is it still q2 tablespoons of coconut oil?
The egg-free and dairy-free info is in the Notes section (scroll down). What other types of flour are you considering? The coconut oil and butter amounts are the same.
Can you freeze this cake? I want to make it for my son’s birthday, and cut up to make a train. I’ve got quite a bit on so would like to make it ahead of time if I can! Thanks
Yes, I think it would be fine to freeze if it’s wrapped well. I would wait to frost it though. I haven’t tried cutting it to make a shape, but I think I would do it before freezing if possible. Let me know how it turns out!
Hi! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I have a question. Can the frosting be used for piping? If yes, how long will it last in the room temperature?
I haven’t tried to pipe this frosting so I can’t say for sure. I suspect it will work but it won’t be as firm as a frosting that has powdered sugar in it and I would try not to have it sitting out at room temperature for too long. Let me know if you try it!