As my daughter's first birthday approached I dreaded the idea of a "smash cake". I found the whole concept a bit odd...your baby is a year old ...not pump them full of sugar and artificial ingredients . That idea just didn't sit right with me. I knew that a homemade cake was my best option BUT guys....I hate baking and never have great success with it.
So , what does any modern mom do? Start Googling healthy smash cake recipes of course! The results ....most weren't vegan and many still had too many ingredients for my liking. With the lack of options out there , I deiced that I would come up with my own recipe! After one failed attempt I stumbled onto a winner.
I wanted to still make the cake look pretty...where are the other girl moms at? You get it right? I also still wanted it to be edible ...for both my daughter and our non- vegan family members. Most importantly ....free of processed ingredients and minimal added sweetener . Lots of check boxes to fill right ? Let's start checking them off!
Firstly, this recipe only uses 1/4 cup of maple syrup for a full cake. It also uses ten ingredients for both the cake and frosting . It is 100% natural and perfect for babies and adults alike. You can feel good about letting your sweet little one dig their hands into this healthy plant based cake! Completely plant based and healthy....box checked .
Secondly, This cake tasted pretty good.... in my opinion! It's very moist, a bit chewy and slightly sweet . The strawberry flavoured icing really takes it to the next level. I must admit, it defiantly tastes healthy....but that's the whole point. I wanted to create a cake that won't leave you will the gross sugar coma after you eat it.
Finally, I think it turned out pretty ...well pretty! I could have done a better job decorating and will be a pro for next year. As a first attempt, I think it turned out super cute! The best part about this recipe is that you could colour the icing with a number of whole plant based foods. Want green icing ? Try matcha . Purple ? Use some black berries . Lots of options to flavour/colour the icing naturally !
Overall I would say this recipe is a great option if you are looking for a healthy,easy and tasty plant based birthday smash cake. I am super excited to share this recipe with everyone !
Ingredients
I should start by explaining that this recipe will make two 8 slice medium cakes. I simply cut one of the flat cakes into cute little circles for my daughter's "Smash cake" . If you don't have adults to feed...you could cut this recipe in half, or likewise.... if you don't have a baby to build a cake for , you could also cut it in half.
Full Two Cake Recipe
For The Cakes:
6 overripe bananas
1/2 cup unsweetened plant milk (I used soy)
1/3 cup+1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 cup maple syrup (remember this is for 2 full cakes)
1+ 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ground flaxseeds
2 Tsp baking soda
1 Tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
For The Cashew Icing:
1+1/2 cups raw cashews (remember to soak them overnight for best results )
1-2Tbsp Maple syrup
1/2 cup plant milk of your choice
Optional 6-7 strawberries for pretty pink colour OR fruit of your choosing
I also used the strawberries to decorate
Instructions
Pre heat the oven to 350
In a large bowl bash the bananas and add all the wet ingredients . Mix well.
Add in the flour, flaxseeds , baking soda , cinnamon and pinch of salt. Mix until combined but DO NOT over mix. The cake becomes a bit tough if you mix the batter too much
Dump into two silicon baking pans (I used both a round and square one....I only have one of each lol) and bake for around 30 minutes .
Allow the cakes to cool before removing from the pans
While they are cooling dump all the ingredients for the cashew frosting into a high speed blender, or preferably blender cup and blend on high for at least one minute . The consistency should be creamy, smooth BUT THICK .
Allow the icing to chill in the drive until you are ready to decorate .
Simply take a small dish, measuring cup, bowl, cookie cutter...anything really and cut the desired pieces for the smash cake!
I used a small dish and measuring cup to cut out the circles for my daughter's cake. It looks a bit rough.....remember I am not a baker ! It doesn't have to be perfect, it's going to get covered in icing .
Next, Spread some icing in-between all the layers of the cake. Note that I only coloured half of the icing I made, but next time I would just colour all of it.
I spread the icing on fairly thick to really help stick everything together . Next I started to spread an even layer on the rest of the cake. Again, it doesn't have to be perfect ...it's only going to get mauled by a baby in a few hours anyways .
I also iced the adult cake at the same time by spreading a thick layer of icing across the top. I did all the icing with a knife...if you have any cake decorating tools feel free to blow my icing job out of the water lol
Finally , simply decorate both cakes with some chopped strawberries or fruit of your choice ! Be sure to cut the fruit appropriately for your baby's age! Again, you can probably do a far better job of decorating than I did , I was going for done...not perfection !
Most Importantly.... Enjoy giving to your sweet baby knowing that you are giving them something made with love and healthy ingredients! I loved watching my daughter explore the texture and flavour of this cake. it was the perfect solution to my smash cake dread!
I hope this recipe helps any other plant strong mamas looking for a healthier first birthday smash cake alternative !
-Love Sarah+ Miss August
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