First Birthday Smash Cake
A sweet and wholesome smash cake made for a baby’s first birthday: soft vanilla‑oat layers, lightly sweetened with maple syrup, and topped with a creamy Greek‑yogurt frosting. It celebrates new beginnings with tenderness and joy.
Equipment
- Three 5‑inch round cake pans
- Fine‑mesh strainer
- Mixing Bowls
Ingredients
Cake Layers
- 3 cups oat flour made from rolled oats ground fine
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 12 tbsp unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 1 cup pure maple syrup
- 4 large eggs lightly beaten
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Yogurt Frosting
- 1.5 cups whole‑milk plain Greek yogurt strained for thickness
- 2–3 tbsp maple syrup
- 0.25 tsp vanilla extract
- Fresh berries for garnish/top
Instructions
- Prepare the frosting by placing the Greek yogurt in a fine‑mesh strainer lined with paper towel over a bowl. Let it sit for about 30 minutes to remove extra moisture. Then stir in the maple syrup and vanilla extract until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Grease three 5‑inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper, and grease again.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oat flour, baking powder and salt.
- In another bowl, whisk the melted butter, maple syrup, eggs and vanilla until smooth.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet just until combined. Avoid overmixing.
- Divide the batter evenly among the three pans. Bake for about 22–26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once completely cool, place one layer on your serving plate. Spread about ⅓ cup of yogurt frosting across the top. Repeat with the second layer and frosting; top with the third layer. Use extra frosting to coat the sides if you prefer a fully frosted cake, or leave the sides exposed for a rustic “naked cake” look. Garnish with fresh berries and serve.
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Allow the cake to sit at room temperature about 20 minutes before serving so the frosting softens slightly.
Notes
This smash cake uses wholesome ingredients and is sized perfectly for little hands to explore. To make it gluten‑free, use certified gluten‑free oat flour. For dairy‑free, swap butter with coconut oil and use a dairy‑free Greek‑style yogurt. You can also reduce the batter by half to make a 4‑inch single layer smash cake. Let the frosting chill so it firms up nicely for little hands.