
A smash cake is a cute way to mark your little one’s first birthday. They’re smaller than your average celebration cake – perfect for those little hands digging in. As the name suggests, the whole idea is to give your baby smash Cake is free to eat. As a result, smash cakes are often made with baby-friendly ingredients, no refined sugar, and are packed with nutrient-dense goodness.
This plant-based smash cake recipe is one I tried on my daughter before her first birthday. Since strawberries are currently her favorite fruit, I mixed some strawberry puree into the cake (those strawberry and apple baby food bags came in handy!)
To make this cake allergy-friendly, simply use a different plant-based milk, such as rice, and then use a gluten-free flour blend instead of spelled flour. You can also choose to omit the olive oil for an oil-free version, although this will affect the moistness of the cake.
For the frosting, I went for whipped coconut cream, which is made by simmering a can of full-fat coconut milk overnight. The coconut fat solidifies on the top of the tin, making it easy to scoop out. You can use it as is or sweeten it with a little natural fruit.

raw material
(makes four 4-inch layers)
cake:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 ripe bananas, mashed
Sachets of apple and strawberry puree (about 120 grams)
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon mixed spices
Frosting:
1 tin coconut cream (full fat coconut cream made overnight)
1 tablespoon apple-strawberry puree
decorate:
strawberries, chopped
cake topper
method
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix until combined.
3. Divide batter into cake tins. You’ll need about two tablespoons of batter for every 4 inches of cake tin. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick sticks to the center.
4. Make the coconut frosting by scooping out the solid coconut fat from a can of refrigerated (overnight) coconut milk. Be careful not to add water to the bottom of the tin as you want the frosting to be as thick as possible. If you wish, you can sweeten the coconut with a tablespoon of apple/strawberry puree. Beat until creamy. If not using immediately, keep refrigerated until you are ready to freeze the cake.
5. Assemble the cake by filling and covering the cake layers with buttercream frosting. Garnish with fresh strawberries or any chopped fruit of your choice.


