Looking for a healthier, homemade birthday cake for your baby/toddler? So was I, and to be honest I’m not usually a big cake baker (I would normally opt for buying one as I’m horrible at it). My sister is a total cake boss unlike myself, so I asked for some advice from her before I even attempted this recipe. After testing it a few times, I realized that even a non cake maker like myself can totally nail it, so I believe in you!
Lets get real for a second, I heard a lot of “why not just give your baby real cake for his birthday” when I talked about making a healthy sugar free version. My baby has zero idea what real cake is, and we’ve avoided almost all added sugars (as much as possible) until now, and I wanted to continue that as long as possible. I am a huge advocate for reducing refined sugars in your diet, as I had a major sugar addiction growing up, and my sweet tooth is something that haunts me to this day. Don’t get me wrong, it’s totally ok to treat yourself, but your baby has zero need for added sugar in their diet and they have no idea what it even is until you introduce it, so why not wait as long as possible?
TIPS & NOTES BEFORE YOU START:
- This cake is not your average cake, because of the oat flour it is quite dense, you won’t get a big tall fluffy cake like you may be used to, but if done right this cake is the perfect size for your little babe!
- To make oat flour, blend oats in a high speed blender until a flour forms
- To get the naked frosted cake look, watch a quick youtube video for the technique if you aren’t familiar with it. If possible, using an icing spatula works best to achieve this look. But get creative and frost however you like!
- MAKE IT DAIRY FREE: this cake is dairy free if you opt for plant based milk and choose a different frosting. Coconut cream also works in replace of the Greek yogurt, but it is much thinner and must be consumed immediately after frosting.
Ingredients:
- 1 mashed ripe banana
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (homemade if possible)
- 1/2 cup milk of choice (I used oat milk)
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 cup oat flour (gf if needed)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
ICING:
- 3/4 cup full fat unsweetened Greek yogurt
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Line an 8×8″ square cake pan with parchment paper, leaving a small overhang on the edges (this makes it easier to take the cake out)
- Whisk mashed banana, applesauce, milk, eggs, and vanilla in a bowl until combined
- Make oat flour in high speed blender, then stir in baking powder and cinnamon
- Add dry ingredients to wet bowl, and stir just to combine
- Spread batter evenly into cake pan
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean
- Allow cake to fully cool
- Once cooled, take a circle cookie cutter or drinking glass (I used a water glass) to cut out 4 (approx 3 inch) circles out of the cake (you can use a bigger cutter if you’d like, and only make 3 layers)
- Add a layer of the Greek yogurt “frosting” between each layer of cake, and smooth over (see tips above for frosting technique)
- Consume as soon as possible after frosting, or refrigerate
