This Healthy Easy Eggless Smash Cake is perfect for celebrating your baby’s first birthday! It’s moist, fluffy, and delicious. Plus, It’s refined sugar-free. Instructions to make it dairy and gluten-free are included too. Plus, step-by-step photos and lots of tips.
Healthy-ish Eggless Smash Cake for 1-Year-Old
A birthday celebration is incomplete without a cake! And this easy-to-prepare, refined sugar-free, and Eggless Smash Cake will be perfect for your baby’s first birthday!
I know how special our babies’ first birthday is, so I have created a tutorial to help you make their first cake, with all the goodness without the guilt!
Many of you have expressed concern about your 1-year-old child filling up on lots of sugar and fat, and I totally understand, so I have created this healthy-ish cake version that is still delicious and fluffy.
What Is a Smash Cake?
A smash cake is a small frosted cake made specifically for a baby’s first birthday. Parents usually let them dig into it with their hands and do whatever they want with it. Be warned that it gets messy, but it’s super cute. So get your camera ready to capture the cuteness.
Smash Cake Size
I personally like 5-inch diameter cakes, since it’s not too small and not too big. Other popular sizes are 4 and 6 inches. You can make a two, three, or four-layer cake…it’s totally up to you!
I made a 5-inch four-layer cake. Since I didn’t have small cake pans, I baked the cakes in 9×13 pans and then cut the layers out. Then, I used the cake scraps to make cake pops and decorated the cake with vanilla buttercream.
Before You Start Making the Smash Cake, Plan Ahead!
- Decided what size your smash cake is going to be:
- You can make a two, three, or four-layer cake.
- First, decide what diameter your layers will have: 4-5-6-inch. I personally like 5-inch.
- Decide if you will bake the cake in round cake pans or a rectangular pan. If you don’t bake many cakes, I find it’s a waste of money buying small cake rounds, so a rectangular 9×13 pan will work just fine. See the step-by-step photos below.
- Pick the flavor: I made this smash cake without refined sugar and flavored it with banana. Of course, you can use vanilla, chocolate, carrot, red velvet, etc… You can also use a cake mix box if you want. To learn how to make a boxed cake without eggs, check my How to Make a Cake Mix Box without Eggs recipe.
- Plan how you will decorate the cake: To frost the cake, you can use regular homemade buttercream or store-bought. I also include below an easy “healthy-ish” version of frosting if that is what you are looking for.
- To make your cake even cuter, add a nice topper. There are several cute cake toppers, such as these.
Healthy Eggless Smash Cake Ingredients
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and instructions (scroll down).
I love most about this recipe because it only requires a few basic ingredients. You’ll need:
- Flour: Standard all-purpose flour works best here, skip the cake flour, bread flour, and wheat flour.
- Baking powder & Baking soda: Make sure they’re not expired or too old.
- Salt: I prefer kosher or sea salt. If you only have table salt handy, I recommend reducing the amount to half.
- Milk: For baking, I like to use whole milk. However, you can use any milk you have handy, even plant-based milk.
- Vinegar: You can use apple cider vinegar or white vinegar.
- Butter: I prefer to use unsalted butter, but if you only have salted butter handy, you can use it. In this case, skip the salt called in the recipe.
- Pure maple syrup
- A ripe banana
- Vanilla Extract: For optimal flavor, reach for pure vanilla instead of imitation. Even better, try homemade vanilla extract!
Make A Smash Cake Without Eggs
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and instructions (scroll down).
1 – Make the Cake Batter
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- In a mixing bowl, combine milk and vinegar.
- Beat butter until creamy on medium-high speed in a large bowl for about 3 minutes. Add maple syrup mashed banana, and vanilla; continue beating to combine.
- Add half of the flour mixture. Scrape down the mixing bowl with a spatula and turn the batter over several times to ensure all the ingredients are well incorporated. Add milk mixture; continue beating to incorporate. Add the remaining flour; beat just until combined. Do not overmix this batter.
- Pour the cake mixture into the prepared pan(s).
2 – Bake and Let it Cool
3 – Make the Frosting
So many frosting options!! You can use Vanilla Buttercream or Chocolate Frosting. Also, Strawberry or Oreos buttercream or even cream cheese frosting. However, If you are looking for a healthier buttercream alternative, I included a recipe below, make sure to check it out.
4 – Assemble
If you make your cakes in round cake pans:
- If your cakes are not leveled, use a large serrated knife, and slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface.
- Place one cake layer on your cake stand. Evenly cover the top with frosting (about 3/4 cup). Top with 2nd cake layer and evenly cover the top with frosting. And so on, until you’re done with all the layers you made.
- Spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides.
- Decorate as your heart desires.
If you make your cakes in one or two 9×13 (rectangular) pans:
- When the cake (s) are completely cool, unmold.
- Place the cake (s) on a flat surface.
- Use a bowl, plate, or big cookie cutter to cut out large circles.
- Carefully remove the excess cake around the edges.
- Place one cake layer on your cake stand. Evenly cover the top with frosting (about 3/4 cup). Top with 2nd cake layer and evenly cover the top with frosting. And so on, until you’re done with all the layers you made. Spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides.
- Decorate as your heart desires.
5 – Decorate
When it comes to decorating the cake, it is totally up to you! In my opinion, since this cake is for a baby, the simpler, the better. You can frost your cake with just buttercream and add sprinkles.
I decorated mine with vanilla buttercream and made some cake pops with the cake scraps. Then, I dipped them in candy melts and added lots of sprinkles.
Eggless Cake Success Tips
Measure the ingredients correctly. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
Preheat the oven for at least 15 minutes before starting the recipe, giving it plenty of time to reach the ideal temperature.
Don’t overmix the batter. Instead, mix just until the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout.
Bake the batter as soon as it is ready.
Don’t open the oven door until your baked good has set. Leave the oven closed until the minimum time is stated in the recipe.
Every oven is different, so baking times always have to be taken with a grain of salt. Oven thermostats can be wildly off, affecting baking time, so keep an eye on yours.
Healthy Buttercream Alternative
If you are looking for a less buttery and sweet buttercream, this might be a great option:
- 1 (14-ounce) can of coconut cream (chilled overnight)
- 1/4 – 3/4 cup icing/powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- Open the chilled coconut cream can and remove the hard cream on top of the can, leaving the liquid behind.
- Place hardened cream in your chilled mixing bowl. Beat for 30 seconds with a mixer until creamy. Then add ¼ cup of powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt and mix until creamy and smooth – about 2-3 minutes. Taste and adjust sweetness, adding more powdered sugar as needed.
Food Allergy Swaps
This recipe is egg- and nut-free, but you can adapt it to other food allergies.
Gluten-Free
Substitute all-purpose flour for 1-to-1 Gluten-Free flour mix. My favorite brand is Better Batter Original All Purpose Flour Blend. Cup4Cup will also work fine, but the texture will be slightly different.
Dairy-Free
Use your favorite plant-based, dairy-free, or vegan butter and milk. Make sure to use an unflavored, unsweetened variety of non-dairy milk. Soy and oat milk have the best consistency and very neutral flavors. My favorite dairy-free butter brands for baking are:
Smash Cake Flavors
Use the batter for the following recipes to make different flavor smash cakes:
Storing & Freezing Instructions
Store
Unfrosted cake layers can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days or frozen for up to a month; defrost at room temperature before frosting and serving.
Frosted cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 1- 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If your kitchen is too hot, I recommend storing it in the fridge. Take into consideration that the cakes will lose some of their fluffiness if refrigerated or frozen.
Freeze
Unfrosted and frosted cake can be frozen for up to two months; defrost at room temperature before frosting and/or serving.
Frosted cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 1- 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If your kitchen is too hot, I recommend storing it in the fridge. Take into consideration that the cakes will lose some of their fluffiness if refrigerated or frozen.
To freeze, wrap the cake tightly in several layers of plastic wrap to ensure it is tightly sealed. You can also add an extra layer of aluminum foil for additional protection against freezer burn. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before decorating/serving.
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Easy Eggless Smash Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (240 ml) milk (at room temperature)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (180 ml) pure maple syrup
- 1 ripe banana, mashed (about 90 g)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Important
Don’t forget to check out the step-by-step photos above in the post—they’ll guide you through the process and make everything super clear!
Instructions
Make the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350º F (180º C). Using a baking spray, generously grease the cake pan(s). For a 2-layer cake, you can bake this cake in two 4, 5, or 6-inch cake pans, or in a 9×13-in rectangular pan and cut the circle as I show in the photos above (see notes for more details).
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, combine milk and vinegar. Let the mixture stand at room temperature for 5 -8 minutes. When it is ready, the milk will be slightly thickened, and you will see small curdled bits. Reserve.
- In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add maple syrup mashed banana and vanilla; continue beating to combine.
- Reduce speed to low and add half of the flour mixture. Scrape down the mixing bowl with a spatula and turn the batter over several times to ensure all of the ingredients are well incorporated. Add milk mixture; continue beating to incorporate. Add the remaining flour; beat just until combined. Do not overmix this batter.
- Pour the cake mixture into the prepared pan(s). Bake until a skewer comes out clean when poked in the center. Baking times will vary, depending on what kind of pan you use, so keep an eye on yours. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. For 2 small round cake pans bake for about 18-21 minutes. For a 13×9 rectangular pan bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Allow cake to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack. The cake must be completely cool before frosting.
Make the Frosting:
- I used my easy Vanilla Buttercream to frost this cake. If you prefer chocolate, I have a Chocolate Buttercream recipe too. I included a healthy buttercream alternative in the recipe note (see below).
Assemble and Decorate:
- If your cakes are not leveled, use a large serrated knife, and slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface.
- Place one cake layer on your cake stand. Evenly cover the top with frosting (about 3/4 cup). Top with 2nd cake layer and evenly cover the top with frosting. And so on, until you're done with all the layers you made.
- Then spread the remaining buttercream evenly over the top and sides of the cake. You can smooth the cakes' top and side with a cake scraper and an offset icing spatula if you like.
- Decorate as your heart desires.
- Round Cake Pans. I personally like 5-inch.
- Rectangular 9×13 pan
- Big cookie cutter
- To make your cake even cuter, add a lovely topper. There are several cute cake tops, such as these.
- 1 (14-ounce) can of coconut cream (chilled overnight)
- 1/4 – 3/4 cup icing/powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- Open the chilled coconut cream can and remove the hard cream on top of the can; leave the liquid behind.
- Place hardened cream in your chilled mixing bowl. Beat for 30 seconds with a mixer until creamy. Then add ¼ cup of powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt and mix until creamy and smooth – about 2-3 minutes. Taste and adjust sweetness, adding more powdered sugar, as needed
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Eggless Baking Frequently Asked Questions
You’ve asked, and I’ve answered! Read on for a handful of answers to the most frequently asked questions about eggless baking.
Originally posted in March 2020, the post content was edited to add more helpful information, with no change to the recipe in May 2022.
Hi Oriana, my baby is allergic to banana. Can I replace the banana with something else? Thanks
Hello Marina! I’m so sorry to hear about your baby’s banana allergy! You can definitely replace the banana in most recipes. A few great alternatives are unsweetened applesauce, mashed avocado, or even canned pumpkin, depending on the recipe. Each of these will add moisture and a similar texture to the banana. I hope this helps!
I just want to make a small amount to test it can I just cut the recipe in half for a small cake?
Hi Danielle! Yes, you can absolutely cut the recipe in half to make a smaller cake. Make sure to ajust the baking time depending on the cake pan you are using. It should work just fine! I love that you’re testing it out — let me know how it turns out for you. Happy baking!
I’ve made this recipe the last 2 years for his bday it’s awesome! This year he’s requesting chocolate. Could I just add cocoa powder or cacao or do I have to reduce the flour?
Hello Morgan! I’m so glad to hear you’ve been enjoying the recipe for the past two years! For adding chocolate, you can definitely incorporate cocoa powder or cacao. To keep the texture right, you’ll want to reduce the flour slightly to balance things out. A good starting point is to replace about 1/4 cup flour with the same amount of unsweetened natural cocoa powder. Enjoy making the chocolate version for his birthday—it sounds delicious!
Hiya, can you sub the butter for margarine instead or would that change the consistency?
Hello Cass! If you are looking to keep the cake dairy-free I recommend using dairy-free or vegan butter that comes in blocks. My favorites are Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks or Miyoko’s Creamery Organic Vegan Butter. Spreadable margarine wont work well since the water content and taste is different. Hope this helps!
Hello,
Can I make this into cupcakes instead please?
Hello Kirat! Yes, you can. This recipe yields about 12 cupcakes. Bake at 350º F (180º C) for 20 – 24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool pan on wire racks for 5 minutes, then remove cupcakes from pan, place them back on the rack, and cool to room temperature before frosting, about 1 hour. Thanks for your interest in my recipe. Please come back and let me know how you like it =)
Hello!
In making this for my son’s 1st birthday smash cake! I found Goya canned cream of coconut (15oz), is that the right thing? There was also 15oz canned coconut milk. Thanks in advance!
Hello Maggie! Yes, you need 1 (14-ounce) can of coconut cream for the healthy-ish buttercream. Ensure you chill it overnight, so the cream is set (better for creaming). Thanks for your interest in my recipe. Please come back and let me know how you like it =) xx
I made this with almond flour and almond milk and it turned out like soup even after baking over 15 minutes more. What happened?
Hello Judy! Oh no, I’m sorry to hear that! 🙁 It sounds like you encountered a little bump in the baking road there. It seems like the batter might have been too thin, or your oven might not be working properly. As I always say, every oven is different, so baking times always have to be taken with a grain of salt. Also, oven thermostats can be wildly off, and that will affect baking time. Next time, you might want to measure the ingredients with a kitchen scale for more accuracy and check if the oven is working well by placing an oven thermometer on the inside and see if the temperature matches. Don’t worry, though—mistakes happen to the best of us! It’s all part of the baking adventure! If you need any tips or advice, give me a shout—I’m here to help!
I love your recipes. This has always been my go-to website whenever I plan to bake cake for my kids . I have tried this cake, banana bread and even chocolate cake.. every thing turned out to be amazing!! I’m a beginner in baking and must say your recipes gave me so much confidence and make me keep trying more. Well explained details and tips. Thank you 😊
Best part : I made this cake for my 1 yr old and he loved it , kept asking for more 😍
Hello Niru! Thank you so much for your kind words! 🌟 I’m absolutely delighted to hear that you’ve been enjoying the recipes and that they’ve become your go-to for baking cakes for your kids. It’s wonderful to know that they’ve turned out amazing every time! 😊 As a beginner in baking, building confidence is key, and I’m thrilled that the recipes and tips provided here have been helpful for you. Hearing that your little one enjoyed the cake and kept asking for more is just the icing on the cake! 🍰🎉 Thank you for choosing to bake with me, and here’s to many more delicious creations in your kitchen! Happy baking and lots of love to your little one!
Have you tried this recipe with whole wheat flour?
Hello Molly! I honestly haven’t tried that yet to advise, but If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
My daughter is allergic to eggs so I wasn’t sure which recipe to follow for her first birthday smash cake. I followed this exactly and it turned out so so good! Thank you for this!
Hello Rebecca! It sounds like you nailed it! Thanks so much for trying my recipe and taking the time to come back and let me know. I hope my recipes inspire you to continue baking. Please make sure to reach out if you have any questions or special requests. I am happy to help!
Love your healthy recipes! That being said, I was wondering if I could leave the vinegar out and substitute the butter for sunflower seed oil.. Would that be ok for this eggless smash cake?
Hello Maria Belen! I have tested this recipe with other ingredients. Keep in mind that when you omit, substitute or swap ingredients, results will vary and won’t be the same as mine. For best results, I recommend following the recipe exactly. Thanks for your interest in my recipe.