This No Sugar Added Smash Cake is the perfect first birthday cake for your little one. It’s naturally sweetened with ripe bananas, incredibly soft for smashing, and made with simple ingredients you’ll feel good about serving.

I made this smash cake for my own daughter’s first birthday, and it turned out exactly how I hoped. The texture is intentionally soft so it’s easy for little hands to grab, squish, and smash, while still holding together enough to frost and serve. The ripe bananas provide all the sweetness the cake needs, and the simple Greek yogurt cream cheese frosting adds the perfect finishing touch without any added sugar.

If you’re planning a first birthday celebration, this cake is a fun homemade option that’s just as special as it is simple. And if you’re making desserts for the rest of the party too, be sure to check out my Birthday Cheesecake Jars, Birthday Cake Pops, and Birthday Cake Cookies. They’re all festive treats that older kids and adults will love, making it easy to have something for everyone at the celebration.

How to Make

In a large bowl, mash the bananas until mostly smooth.

Whisk in the eggs, applesauce, oil, and vanilla until fully combined.

Add the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. The batter should be thick but scoopable.

Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake until the center is just set and a toothpick comes out mostly clean. To make the frosting, add cream cheese to a stand mixer and beat for 30 seconds on high speed.

Add in greek yogurt and vanilla and whisk to combine.

Add frosting to cake and serve immediately. 

Tips and Tricks

• Use very ripe bananas with lots of brown spots for the sweetest flavor and softest texture.
• Don’t overmix the batter. Stir just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
• The cake is intentionally soft, but a toothpick inserted into the center should come out completely clean before removing it from the oven.
• Beat the cream cheese by itself before adding the Greek yogurt to create a smooth, lump-free frosting.
• Frost the cake just before serving, as I haven’t tested making and frosting it ahead of time.
• Let the cake cool completely before frosting so the frosting doesn’t melt or slide off.

How to Save and Store

Store any leftover frosted cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Since the frosting is made with Greek yogurt and cream cheese, it’s best kept chilled.

If you’re making the cake ahead of time, bake it, let it cool completely, and wrap it tightly before storing it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. I recommend waiting to frost the cake until just before serving for the best results, as I haven’t tested storing it once frosted.

The unfrosted cake also freezes well for up to 2 months. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer-safe bag or container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before frosting and serving.

**this post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission for products purchased through my link.

If you make the Smash Cake, I would really appreciate a comment and rating down below the recipe card. Don’t forget to take a picture and tag me over on Instagram, Tiktok, or Pinterest!

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No Sugar Added Smash Cake (For Baby’s First Birthday!)

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Hannah Kling

This No Sugar Added Smash Cake is the perfect cake for your baby's first birthday. Naturally sweetened with ripe bananas and topped with a simple Greek yogurt cream cheese frosting, it's soft, moist, and made with simple ingredients for an easy homemade celebration.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8 slices

Ingredients  

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Cake

• 2 large very ripe bananas (about 1 cup mashed)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
• 2 tbsp melted coconut oil (can use butter or avocado oil)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 ¾ cups finely blanched almond flour
• 2 tbsp arrowroot starch
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp salt (omit if avoiding salt)

Frosting

• 1/4 cup cream cheese
• 3/4 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (can use vailla bean paste or vanilla beans)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line one 6-inch cake pan (or divide between two pans for layers).
• In a large bowl, mash the bananas until mostly smooth. (Can also just add them into a stand mixer to mash)
• Whisk in the eggs, applesauce, oil, and vanilla until fully combined.
• Add the almond flour, arrowroot, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir just until combined. The batter should be thick but scoopable.
• Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
• Bake for 28-32 minutes, or until the center is just set and a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Mine took more toward 32 minutes in a single 6 inch pan.
• Let cool in the pan for 20 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting:

• Add cream cheese to a stand mixer and beat for 30 seconds on high speed.
• Add in greek yogurt and vanilla and whisk to combine.
• Add frosting to cake and serve immediately.

Notes

• This recipe was developed in a single 6-inch cake pan, which took about 32 minutes to bake.
• If using two smaller cake pans for layers, the baking time will be shorter, so begin checking for doneness early.
• Finely blanched almond flour works best. Almond meal will create a denser, more crumbly cake.
• This cake is lightly sweet from the bananas, making it perfect for little ones while still being enjoyable for the whole family.

Did you make this recipe?Don’t forget to tag @lovelydelites across all social media platforms!