This easy and beautiful paleo smash cake is a yummy and healthy birthday cake that’s free of all common allergens! All babies should be able to enjoy cake and feel good at the same time.
My baby recently turned 1 year old, and for months now, I’ve been dreaming of making a healthy smash cake recipe for her first birthday. While she does not have any food allergies so far (fingers crossed!), I still wanted a cake that’s free of common allergens to keep it anti-inflammatory, while still being delicious so she would enjoy it. And I’m so happy I made that possible!
Allergen Free Paleo Smash Cake Recipe
This sugar free smash cake is only sweetened with fruit and made without some of the top allergens, which I try to only expose my baby to from time to time. It’s a yummy first birthday cake that is:
- gluten free
- dairy free
- egg free
- nut free
- grain free
- sugar free
I also made a healthy smash cake frosting recipe that you can add color to if you want to!
Ingredients in Paleo & Gluten Free Smash Cake
- Cassava flour
- Coconut flour
- Baking soda
- Sea salt
- Ripe bananas
- Coconut milk
- Coconut oil
- Apple cider vinegar
Just 8 ingredients in this healthy smash cake recipe and the result is a cute and delicious round cake layer that you can stack and frost.
What Size is Smash Cake?
For this yummy and healthy first birthday cake, I made it small since I wanted to be baby-sized and I knew she would mostly play around with it instead of eating it. I decided to do 3 layers of 4-inch round cakes. However, you can also do 2 layers of 6-inch round cakes with this recipe. These are the cake pans I used, and that link has both the 4-inch and the 6-inch options available.
Healthy Smash Cake Frosting Options
I gave two options for frosting for this paleo smash cake: coconut cream frosting and heavy whipping cream frosting.
- Coconut whipped cream frosting is great for whipping into fluffy cream, but make sure to chill the can of coconut cream or milk overnight so the cream can separate. You can check out this post for the best brands of coconut milk to use for this purpose. One thing to do note about this frosting is that it will melt when warmed up at room temperature for a long time. I recommend you keep the cake chilled until just before serving.
- Heavy whipping cream frosting is a sturdier option for this gluten free smash cake and I recommend it if your baby isn’t allergic to dairy. It will last longer at room temperature and will be a bit stiffer.
Sweetener or No?
While this is a sugar free smash cake, if you want to add a bit more sweetness to it, you can add it to the frosting. I recommend powdered sugar, and you can use coconut sugar that’s been powdered in the food processor for this recipe. Personally, I didn’t add any extra sweetener for my baby’s cake, and she still loved it!
How to Dye Frosting Without Food Coloring
I kept this healthy smash cake frosting simple and white, but I totally get that you may want to make it colorful depending on the theme or your favorite color. If you want to avoid using chemical food coloring, I highly recommend using freeze-dried fruits to add color to the frosting in a healthier way.
All you have to do is run the freeze-dried fruit in the food processor until powdery, then whip it with coconut cream or heavy whipping cream when making the frosting. Here are my recommendations for the different colors you can create:
- Red/pink: freeze dried strawberries or raspberries
- Yellow: freeze dried pineapples
- Purple: freeze dried blueberries
These are what I’ve tried in the past that have worked well to dye frosting naturally. There are definitely other freeze dried fruits that you can try out to test out the different colors though!
A Few Notes About This Healthy First Birthday Cake
- The texture of this cake will be slightly denser than a standard cake. It’s hard to make cake fluffy and light when you aren’t using all-purpose flour and eggs. However, I personally found it delicious and your baby won’t notice the difference!
- Since this is a sugar free smash cake, find bananas that are very ripe to maximize the sweetness. Even still, the cake itself won’t be that sweet. If you want to make it even sweeter so the whole family can enjoy it, feel free to add 1/4 cup of maple syrup to the batter.
- The cake batter will be a bit thicker in texture than a standard cake batter. That’s okay! It’ll still bake up nicely. Just make sure to flatten the top of the batter before baking.
- Make sure to cool the cake completely before frosting. Otherwise, the frosting will melt!
- If you want to add some textures to the frosting to decorate it nicely, I recommend using something like this cake scraper and smoother set. That’s how I got those pretty lines on the sides of the cake!
If you enjoyed this healthy first birthday cake recipe, you might also like:
- How to Start Solids at 6 Months: Our Experience
- Paleo Carrot Mug Cake
- Non Toxic Baby Products For The Nursery and Registry
- Paleo Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache
- Paleo & Vegan Pecan Pie Cheesecake (No Bake)
Allergen Free Paleo Smash Cake (Egg Free, Grain Free, Nut Free, Sugar Free)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cassava flour
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup blended ripe bananas about 2 large or 3 small
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- OPTIONAL: 1/4 cup maple syrup for extra sweetness
Frosting
- 1 14 oz can of full-fat coconut milk or cream with no emulsifier – chilled overnight
- OR 1 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled if no dairy allergy
- Optional sweetener: 3-4 tbsp coconut sugar
- Optional coloring: 3/4 cup freeze-dried fruit of choice* See note for coloring options
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line the bottom of three 4-inch cake pans (3 layers) or two 6-inch 2 cake pans (2 layers) with parchment paper cut into circles. Grease the sides with coconut oil.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine cassava flour, coconut flour, baking soda, and sea salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together blended banana, coconut milk, coconut oil, and apple cider vinegar (and maple syrup, if using).
- Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until just combined.
- Divide the batter into the prepared cake pans evenly. Tap the pans on the countertop a few times to evenly distribute the batter, then flatten out the top with the back of a spoon. It'll be a bit thicker than a standard cake batter.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool on the countertop for 20 minutes, then remove from the cake pans carefully. Cool completely at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
- MAKE THE FROSTING: If using coconut sugar and/or dehydrated fruit for coloring, place them in the food processor and blend until powdery.For Coconut Frosting – Carefully remove the can of coconut cream or milk from the fridge, slowly turn the can upside down, and open it with a can opener. Pour out the coconut water you see on the top, and scoop out the solid cream on the bottom. Combine the cream with powdered sugar and dehydrated fruit (if using), and use a stand mixer or a handheld mixer to beat until stiff peaks form.For Heavy Whipping Cream Frosting – Combine the chilled heavy whipping cream with powdered sugar and dehydrated fruit (if using). Use a stand mixer or a handheld mixer to beat until stiff peaks form.
- Frost the cake. If the cake layers are not flat on the top, use a serrated knife to to cut a thin layer of the tops of the cakes. Place 1 cake on a cake stand or plate, then frost the top with some of the frosting. Add another layer, then repeat (skip for a 2-layer cake). Add the final layer, then spread the frosting all over the top and sides. Garnish and decorate to your liking.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- For red/pink: freeze dried strawberries or raspberries
- For yellow: freeze dried pineapples
- For purple: freeze dried blueberries
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I am so excited to make this!! I am going to try to half the recipe today and try it with my almost 1 year old. Thank you!
Yay, I hope it works out!!
Do you think it would be possible to sub applesauce for the bananas?
Yes, that’ll work!
How much apple sauce?
The same amount – so 1 cup
For the coconut milk in the cake, did you also use FF canned or do you think I can us me lite or drinking coconut milk? Thanks!!
I used full fat, but you can use lite coconut milk.
I love this recipe and the first time I made it it was perfect. The last 2 times I made it, it sunk. Any idea what could be the culprit? Babes first birthday is in 3 weeks and hoping to make the perfect cake!
I’m so sorry I missed this comment! I would bake a little longer. The center probably wasn’t baked enough and it can sink when that happens.
Can I make this into cupcakes? How long do you think I’d bake?
That should work! Bake for 12-15 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Hi! Can the coconut milk used be the same in the main part of the cake versus the frosting? Or is it two different types? I’m confused reading. Thanks!
Yes, it can be the same! I just specify the type for the frosting because it’s important to use coconut milk without emulsifiers for the frosting to set properly.
Hi there! Does the coconut oil need to be melted or solid or anything specific? Just wanting to make sure I do everything correctly! Thank you!
It should be melted and cooled. 🙂
Can you freeze this cake?
yes!
I don’t have cassava flour. I have almond, coconut and a gf flours blend. Can I use only coconut or can I sub with almond flour? Thank you!
I’ve had others use bob’s red mill gluten free flour and it worked really well!
Hi , would it be ok if I ONLY use coconut flour and no other flours to bake this cake ?
I think that would dry out the cake. Coconut flour is quite absorbent. I recommend you stick to the recipe.
Would that be Bob’s legume-based gluten free flour? Or the 1:1?
1:1 gluten free flour!
Do I have to use parchment paper in the pans? I prefer to stay away from soybean oil, I know I can buy organic but still. What else can I do in place of parchment paper in pans? Also what brand of casava flour do u recommend that’s organic?
You can just grease it really well. And this is the cassava flour I used: https://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/8515423/type/dlg/https://thrivemarket.com/p/thrive-market-cassava-flour
I’ve been using a homemade cake pan release paste, and that has worked beautifully. It only takes a few minutes to make. Recipes for it are all over…here’s one: https://www.ifyougiveablondeakitchen.com/grease-cake-pan-release/
Use rice flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour in place of the regular flour (same measure). You can use any type of oil or shortening.
I don’t have 4 or 6 inch pans! Ahh! I am curious if a small loaf pan would do the trick or if I should keep it safe and do muffin tins? ((I saw your comment on the cupcake cook time above)).
I think it’ll work but I’ve never tried so I can’t recommend the baking time. You’ll just have to keep an eye on it to make sure you remove from the oven when it’s done.
Is this recipe also Dye free? And what can I use to make this recipe everything except sugar free?
There’s no dye in this. And as the recipe cards states, you can add maple syrup if you want to add more sweetness!
I landed on this recipe while looking for an allergen-free smash cake for my daughter, who we know is allergic to eggs and peanuts (and seems to be very sensitive to other foods). I wasn’t able to find cassava flour, so I took a risk and did all coconut flour. I also did add the optional maple syrup. For the frosting, I used the Supernatural brand naturally-dyed frosting. (Naturally Colorful Vanilla Frosting by Supernatural – Sunshine Yellow – No Artificial Dyes, Vegan, Organic Ingredients, 12oz https://a.co/d/67aWfDb)
Y’all, this was absolutely delicious!! My husband devoured it! We ate it cold right out of the fridge and loved it. I would describe it as a dense but very moist banana bread— almost as dense as a pound cake. This will be perfect for my daughter’s first birthday and for special treats to come when I want my kids to enjoy sun treats that aren’t totally devoid of any nutrition. Love the recipe!
Thank you so much!! Love that it worked with the substitutions. Hope your daughter loves the smash cake!!
Thank you so much for this recipe. My grand daughter has Fpies and can’t have any grains. I made this for her 1st birthday with no added sweetener. She loved it! I did use the dehydrated strawberries in the frosting with the whipped coconut cream.
Love the idea of using dehydrated fruit for color and flavor!
Hi! I made this cake last night and added the coconut frosting as instructed however, this morning when I went to pull it out of the fridge it was cracked! Any ideas why? I’ve never done cake before or frosting so wondering if I did something wrong. This is a test run for my sons 1st bday on Saturday, so any tips and recommendations would be appreciated
Hi! I would make sure that the cake is completely cooked before adding the frosting and chilling.
Hi, do you think I can double the cake recipe and put it in an 8 by 8 inch pan or would it be better to make cupcakes with it. I need something a bit bigger and this is perfect for all of her allergies! Thanks so much.
So sorry, I just saw this. You can try and reduce the cook time – just keep an eye on it. You can also try 1.5x the recipe for thicker layers.
Oh my goodness. My granddaughter has so many allergies and this is soooooo good. Healthy without compromising anything! I made cupcakes/muffins out of it. Thank you foe such a wonderful recipe! The only thing I did was add 1-t T of monk fruit instead of the maple syrup. I was afraid of the extra liquid. Otherwise the recipe is exactly as written.
Amazing! I’m so happy you were able to bake her something that she can enjoy! Thank you so much for leaving a review.
Hello! I’ve tried this recipe twice once with cassava and coconut flour and again with just Bobs Mill gluten free flower and I’m running into the same issues. No matter how long I cook it in the small baking dishes you recommended it won’t cook right in the middle.
It looks like smashed bananas when I spilt it open and is gooey. I’ve tried cooking it until the tooth pick is mostly clean but I have to cook it in the oven for 50-60 mins and the center is still not right. The outside is beautiful and I can stack the cake but it doesn’t seem cooked and I don’t want to feed it to my baby. Was is the inside of the cake supposed to look like? Any recommendations?
Hi Nikki. I’m not sure why the center isn’t setting. I would add maybe 2-4 tbsp of more flour to see if that would make a difference. I think the flour measurement might be off.
Thank you so much for this great and healthy recipe! At first I wasn’t able to get the center to cook right but after trial and error I realized for me the optional 1/4 cup of maple syrup was adding too much liquid to the batter. Once I removed that the cake was perfect! My son loves it and my FIL even loved it and he hates healthy food! This was a big win!
I’m so glad it worked out! And good to know about the maple sryup. I’ll add that to my notes when I test it out again.
Your recipe says to add powdered sugar to the coconut cream for icing but no amount given. How much should I add?
Sorry about that! You can add about 3-4 tbsp.
Hi! This might be a dumb question. I thought this is sugar free but then why do I need to add powdered sugar for the frosting?
You don’t need to. The recipe says that it’s optional. It does help with firming up the frosting though, so I do like to add it and it’s only a small amount of sugar since there’s none in the cake.
Hi there! I’m planning make this cake for my son. Could I sub oat milk for coconut milk in the cake and/or frosting?
You can sub for it in the cake but not for the frosting. Oat milk has a lower fat content than coconut milk it won’t solidify and cannot be turned into frosting.