The first year of your baby’s life is filled with milestones. The first time they sit up, their first steps, the first time they say mama and baba, first playdates…you get the idea. Needless to say, when that first birthday rolls around, there’s a litany of other firsts that come pouring in, all of which you want to capture on camera.
On top of all that, the internet has given us an obsession for gender reveal parties when we’re pregnant, and for a baby’s first birthday, it’s given us “cake smash” obsessions. What’s a cake smash you ask? It’s exactly what it sounds like – a cake made with baby-friendly ingredients that your little one can smash on their first birthday.
Making a smash cake is relatively easy. After all, no one’s actually eating it so you don’t really need to worry about the taste. All that matters is that the cake holds up and is baby-friendly. Whether or not your baby actually wants to smash it is up to them.
Sugar Free Smash Cake
Ingredients
• 1/3 cup or 100 grams applesauce
• 1/3 cup or 75 grams banana (about 1 small banana)
• 1/3 cup or 75 milliliters oat milk
• 3 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 ½ cups or 180 grams all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ tsp or 6 grams baking powder
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 175 degrees Celsius.
2. Grease the cake pans or muffin tin with neutral cooking oil then line with parch-ment cups or paper. Place on a sheet tray.
3. Mix the applesauce and banana. Use a fork to mash the banana then stir to thoroughly combine all the ingredients.
4. Combine the apple cider vinegar and oat milk and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir to thoroughly combine.
5. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the flour and baking powder.
6. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients all at once. Use a spatula to stir until combined and no streaks of flour remain. The batter will be sticky and thick.
7. Evenly distribute the batter in the muffin tins or cake pans, filling about halfway to leave enough room for the cakes to rise without spilling over the edge of the pan. Use the spatula to smooth the tops and push the batter into the edges of the pan.
8. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
9. Remove the cakes from the oven and place them on a wire rack. Let the cakes cool in their tins for 5 minutes, then remove the cakes from the tins to finish cooling on the rack.
To store
Once the cake layers are cool to the touch, store the cakes in the refrigerator or freezer if you’re not planning to frost them right away. Tightly wrapped in plastic, the cakes will keep for up to one week in the refrigerator or up to one month in the freezer. Let the cakes come to room temperature before serving.
Coconut Frosting
Ingredients
• 2 cans of coconut cream (not milk)
• 2 tbsp orange juice
• 1/2 to 2 tsp of juice or water
Directions
1. Harden your coconut cream by putting it in the coldest part of your fridge for 24 hours.
2. Turn the cans upside down and use a can opener to open the bottom. Pour out any liquid and discard or reserve for another use.
3. Mix coconut cream and juice in a mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth.
4. To color the frosting, add one drop of juice and whisk to combine. Keep adding drops, one at a time, until the desired color is reached. Note that the more liquid that is added to the frosting, the looser it will become. If this is the case, chill the frosting in the fridge for 30 minutes to thicken before frosting your cakes.
Note
Coconut frosting will hold its shape at room temperature for about two hours. Keep that in mind when you’re transporting your smash cake to the party.
This article appeared in the jingkids 2021 September-October issue
