Healthy First Birthday Cake

Turning one is a special milestone and you want the perfect cake to celebrate. This Healthy First Birthday Cake is amazingly moist, full of flavour and sweetened only with fruit. It is gluten, dairy and nut-free making it the ideal choice for those with allergies. 

Why Choose This Cake for Your Baby’s Special Day?

Most parents are careful to fill their little one’s tummies with nutrient-dense foods from the moment they start solid food.

The World Health Organisation recommends that children under the age of two consume NO ADDED SUGAR. For this reason, many parents avoid feeding their baby added sugars and when it comes to their baby’s first birthday they may feel uncomfortable serving a sugar-laden cake.

I’m not against sugar and believe it is important to find the right balance – where it doesn’t take over but covers our children’s wants. However, I also believe that you can’t miss what you don’t know about. A one-year-old baby generally doesn’t know any different and serving a cake, sweetened with only fruit, will make most birthday babies more than happy.

The sweetness in this cake comes from the banana and date puree. It is NOT a sugar-free cake, dates are a high sugar ingredient, however, it is lower in sugar than many other cakes and if you wish, you can reduce the number of dates you use. 

First Birthday Cake Ingredients

This is what you need to make this healthy first birthday cake…

How to Make the Cake

• Blitz the dates in a food processor until broken down and clumping together to form a paste. Add the bananas and continue to blend until combined. 
• MORE INFO – Ensure the dates are soft or they will not blend properly. If your dates are a little dry soak them in boiling water for a couple of minutes before blending. 
• Add the oil and eggs into a mixing bowl, along with the date and banana puree, and mix until combined.
• MORE INFO – You may be wondering why there are so many eggs. Coconut flour does not have gluten in it and eggs are needed to keep the product together. Eggs also help the product rise and provide extra moisture.
• Add the coconut flour and stir until combined
• MORE INFO – Allow the coconut flour to sit in the liquid mixture for 10 mins. This is to allow the coconut flour to absorb the liquid. You should notice that the mixture thickens. 
• Pour mixture evenly into two greased 7″ pans
• MORE INFO – I have tested the recipe in 7″ round pans (takes 50 mins) and 8″ round pans (takes 45 mins). I do not have any timings for other pan sizes. The mixture should be split into two tins or it will not bake properly. I used springform pans. 

Top Tips for Making Coconut Whipped Cream 

Making coconut whipped cream isn’t as simple as just opening cans of coconut milk/cream and whipping it up.  There are certain things you should do to ensure you achieve the perfect consistency. 

• Choose the right brand. Not all brands work well, make sure you buy full fat as reduced-fat won’t work. I recommend giving the can of milk a shake and if you don’t feel the liquid moving then this will probably work perfectly.
• Chill the coconut milk/coconut cream in the refrigerator overnight. This is important to ensure the cream hardens if you skip this then it will be too soft and won’t whip properly. 
• Make ahead. You can make whipped coconut cream up to 4 hours before icing your cake, make sure to store it in the refrigerator and ice the cake just before serving. 

Assembling the Cake

• Cool: Allow the cake layers to cool and the chia jam to thicken in the fridge.
• Layer: Place one cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Evenly cover with the chia jam and top with the second cake layer. Spread the coconut whipped cream frosting over the top and sides. Decorate as you wish.

Storage and Make-Ahead Instructions

If you wish to make this cake in advance you can make the cake layers ahead of time but you should not assemble until the day of the party. The coconut whipped cream should be added at the last minute. 

• CAKE LAYERS: You can make ahead and freeze the cake layers for up to a month. Let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Alternatively, you can make the cake layers up to two days in advance and store, covered, in the refrigerator. Normally I do not recommend storing cakes in the refrigerator but this is a moist cake and stores best refrigerated. 
• CHIA JAM: You can make the chia jam 2-3 days in advance and store in the refrigerator. 
• COCONUT WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING: Can be whipped and stored in the refrigerator up to four hours before “icing” the cake. 

Does it Make a Good Smash Cake?

Smash cake photos are the cutest and this is a great cake to use. I have been sent so many adorable photos of readers’ babies captured with this first birthday cake. Some have added food colouring to the frosting, to match a theme, and others have left it white. 

The cake is moist and easy for baby to grab handfuls of it and you are sure to capture the delight on their faces when they take their first bite!

Make sure to snap the photos quickly before they manage to devour the whole cake!  😉

What Others Are Saying…

• “I’m making this cake AGAIN for my son’s second birthday. I just don’t think he needs all the processed sugar so this cake will probably work for me as long as possible! It’s delicious! Thank u”
• “The smash birthday cake was the show stopper of the party! Everybody liked it! Adults too! Superb”
• “Our one year old couldn’t believe her luck. Piece in both hands and more allowed the next day for breakfast! all the adults raved and licked their lips as well. Thank you”

Have you tried this recipe? I love receiving your feedback. Please rate and leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @healthylittlefoodies

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4.7 from 40 votes

Healthy First Birthday Cake

A healthy coconut and raspberry first birthday smash cake. No refined sugar and sweetened only with fruit.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

1 hour

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Serves:12 slices

Hover over "serves" value to reveal recipe scaler

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Equipment

• ▢
  2 x 7" (18cm) Baking Tins (Nonstick springform is preferable)
• ▢
  Food Processor or High Speed Blender

Ingredients

Cake

• ▢ 6 Medjool Dates, Pitted
• ▢ 375g (3- 4) Ripe Bananas
• ▢ 6 Eggs
• ▢ 60ml (¼ cup) Coconut Oil, Melted (plus extra for greasing tins)
• ▢ 45g (1/2 cup) Coconut Flour
• ▢ 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• ▢ 1 ½ tsp Baking Powder
• ▢ 65g (½ cup) Raspberries

Jam

• ▢ (1 cup) Frozen Raspberries, defrosted
• ▢ 1 tbsp Chia Seeds
• ▢ 1 tbsp Warm Water

Frosting

• ▢ 2 400ml (14oz)Cans Coconut Milk, chilled in the refrigerator overnight
• ▢ 3 Drops Vanilla Extract

Instructions

Cake

• Blitz the dates in a food processor until broken down and clumping together to form a paste. Add the bananas and continue to blend until combined.
• Meanwhile, pre-heat oven to 170C / 340F and lightly grease two 7 inch pans with some coconut oil
• Transfer the banana date mixture to a large mixing bowl together with the eggs and oil. Carefully mix until combined. In a separate bowl mix together the coconut flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Add to the wet ingredient and stir through. Wait for 10 mins to allow the coconut flour to expand.
• Add the raspberries and gently stir through before pouring the mixture equally into the prepared cake pans.
• Bake for approx. 45-50 mins or until the cakes are baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean, it is done. Allow cakes to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the tin. Place on a wire rack and allow the cakes to completely cool before assembling and frosting.

Chia Jam

• Add all the ingredients to a blender, or food processor, and blitz until combined. Transfer to a container and allow to set in the fridge for an hour. (If you want something sweeter you can add some maple syrup or sweetener of choice)

Coconut Whipped Cream Frosting

• Scoop out the thick coconut cream from the top of the coconut milk cans. Add to a large mixing bowl, along with the vanilla.
• Wisk until it resembles whipped cream. Store in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble the cake.

Cake Assembly

• Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Evenly cover the chia jam. Top with the 2nd layer and spread the coconut cream frosting over the top and sides. Decorate as you wish.

Recipe Notes

Recipe is adapted from this Banana and Coconut Cake from Lyfstyled.

STEP BY STEP IMAGES: Please see recipe post for step by step pictures for reference. 

DATES: Medjool dates are generally soft and will blend well. If your dates are dried then soak the dates in hot water for a couple of minutes before blending. 

COCONUT MILK: Whipped coconut cream doesn't work well with all brands of coconut milk. Make sure it has a high fat content. If you shake the tin of coconut milk and it you don't feel the liquid moving then this will work perfectly.

Nutritional information is an ESTIMATE only, calculated using an online nutrition calculator. 

Nutrition Facts

Healthy First Birthday Cake

Amount Per Serving (1 of 12 slices)

Calories 293 Calories from Fat 198

% Daily Value*

Fat 22g34%

Saturated Fat 18g90%

Cholesterol 82mg27%

Sodium 48mg2%

Potassium 450mg13%

Carbohydrates 22g7%

Fiber 4g16%

Sugar 13g14%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 157IU3%

Vitamin C 7mg8%

Calcium 65mg7%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Course:cake

Cuisine:Western

Keyword:First Birthday Cake, Healthy First Birthday Cake, Healthy Smash Cake

Did you make this recipe?Tag me on Instagram at @healthylittlefoodies or leave me a comment & rating below.

This recipe was first published on October 15th, 2015. It has been updated to include extra information and process shots.