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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

Units Scale

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

  1. Generously grease two 4-inch round cake pans, set aside. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.
  2. 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.
  3. Bake cakes for 15-20 minutes at 325 until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  • Author: Caroline Crockett