the details
This one’s for all the baby mamas out there. This banana smash cake is perfect for your little one’s first birthday party! When Hudson turned one, I wanted to make him a cake that he could eat as much of as he wanted, without having to stop him to keep him from having the world’s most intense sugar rush. He loved what I made him and actually ate almost the whole thing. And then fed some to the dog, naturally. I was so relieved I didn’t make him a more traditional sugar-filled cake, I don’t know if his little baby bod could have handled that!
About a year later, a good friend asked me to make her son’s smash cake. And here we are! This cake is made with primarily maple syrup as its sweetener and no salt. It’s made moist with coconut oil rather than butter. The result is a cake that tastes like lightly sweetened banana bread and a frosting that is essentially a vanilla scented cream cheese. Not only is it healthier but it’s such a cutie! It’s the perfect size for a little one year old. I like to have fun with smash cakes by dying the frosting pretty colors and finding on-theme sprinkles. Top it all off with a cute candle, and you’ve got yourself an impressive smash cake!
How to I make my cake look like this?
I break down how to assemble clean-looking, stable, and beautiful 2 + 3 layer cakes here. But, here’s the short version for anyone who needs it on the fly:
- Cut off any domes on top of your cake. Place your first cake layer flattest side up.
- Pipe/spread buttercream on top of this layer. Be generous. Add the next layer, flat side down.
- Add a thin layer of frosting all over the cake. Smooth it out with a bench scraper and spatula.
- Freeze the whole cake for 15-30 minutes. This is the crumb coat.
- Remove from freezer and add your final layer of frosting. Pipe if desired.
- Top with any sprinkles or decor. HBD baby!
For this cake, I used 2 4-inch cake pans for the layers. I piped the buttercream with wilton tip #1M.
If you are interested in more lightly sweetened or unsweetened bakes for your little one, I love Yummy Toddler Food! I make recipes for Hudson off this site all the time.
Bake to this music
Baby Banana Smash Cake
This reduced-sugar cake is perfect for your one-year-old’s birthday. Let them go to town on this banana cinnamon-flavored, subtly sweet cake for the best birthday ever!
- Yield: 1 4-inch layer cake 1x
Ingredients
For the banana cake layers:
- 1 very ripe banana (with brown spots)
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 3 tbsp whole fat buttermilk
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 1 egg, whisked
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup cake flour
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 8 oz (one package) cream cheese, chilled
- 1/8 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/8 tsp vanilla extract
- 1–2 drops food coloring, if desired.
Instructions
- Generously grease two 4-inch round cake pans, set aside. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.
- Make your cake batter. In a medium mixing bowl, mash the ripe banana. Add melted coconut oil, whisked egg, maple syrup, buttermilk, and vanilla. Whisk vigorously until mixture is combined and homogenous. In a separate bowl, whisk together cake flour, cinnamon, and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to wet batter mix and fold until just combined and flour streaks disappear. Pour cake batter evenly into the two cake pans. I like to use a scale to make sure the batter is evenly distributed.
- Bake cakes for 15-20 minutes at 325 until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
- Make your frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream cheese and maple syrup until smooth and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl and add sifted powdered sugar, paddling on medium-high until smooth. Add vanilla and beat until smooth. Mix in food coloring if using.
- Frost your cake. I like to assemble this little cake in a similar manner as I do with big layer cakes, using a crumb coat and chilling, then a final coat of frosting. This recipe makes enough frosting to cover and fill the cake, plus some extra for piping if desired. Store the frosted cake in fridge and let the it come to room temp before serving to your little one.
Notes
- For assembly instructions, I break down how to properly construct 2-layer cakes here.
- Cake layers (unfrosted) can be stored at room temp for up to 1 week, cooled and wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. If using much later, wrap cooled layers in plastic wrap and put inside a freezer bag. You can freeze them for up to 1 month. Let defrost overnight at room temp before assembling cake.
- You can omit powdered sugar in the frosting if you would like to avoid refined sugar in this recipe. Just be aware the frosting will be a little less stable and a little trickier to work with.