When my little boy turned one I decided I wanted to make a healthy first birthday cake for him. So I developed this recipe for a Baby's 1st Birthday Cake. It is free from refined sugar, and the sponge is sweetened only with fruit. The cream cheese frosting is sweetened with agave nectar, which is a natural sweetener from the agave plant. It's very much like a banana bread, with a moist and denser texture. At my son's first birthday party both the kids and adults loved it! It's officially a kid approved healthy cake!
Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information
- Make sure your eggs are at room temperature before you start baking.
- The dried dates can be swapped for raisins, sultanas, cranberries or apricots.
- If you use self raising wholemeal flour, you can omit the baking powder.
- You can swap the wholemeal flour for regular plain flour or self raising flour. If using self raising flour, you can omit the baking powder.
- The vegetable oil can be swapped for another oil like sunflower, coconut or canola.
- Ripe bananas are best for this cake, as they are the sweetest.
- I used regular sized eating apples for this cake. I like the pink lady variety as they are lovely and sweet.
- The grated apple can be substituted for a similar fruit like pear or peaches. If you can't grate them, then mash them up or finely chop them.
- I recommend using full fat cream cheese for the frosting as it is thicker and will have a better consistency.
- I used agave nectar to sweeten the frosting, you could also use maple syrup or coconut nectar. Do NOT use honey if serving to children under one year old!
- Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales*. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
- For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons* and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.
For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.
How to make Baby's 1st Birthday Cake
Make the date puree first by soaking the dates in boiling water for 15 minutes, then blending them with a stick blender. In a mixing bowl, add the self raising flour, plain wholemeal flour, baking powder and cinnamon.
In another bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, eggs and milk. To the flour mixture, add mashed bananas, the date puree and the oil/egg mixture.
Then add the grated apple, and divide the mixture between the tins.
Bake the 8" cakes for 40-45 minutes, then do the same for the 6" mixture and bake for 25-30 minutes.
To make the frosting, mix together the butter and cream cheese, then mix in the vanilla extract and agave nectar. Level off the cakes with a cake leveller or a knife before you stack them.
Spread the frosting onto the first layer of cake, then add the second layer and cover the whole cake in frosting. As you are stacking another cake on top, add dowels for support so the cake doesn't collapse.
Also use a cake board underneath the 6" tier for extra support. Add the 6" tier and cover it in the cream cheese frosting. To decorate the Baby's 1st Birthday Cake, place berries all around the cake, and a 'one' sign of course!
For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.
Can this cake be made as one tier?
Yes! Check the recipe card at the end of the post, I've separated the ingredients for the 8" and 6" tier so you can easily make only one of them.
Can this cake be made into cupcakes?
I have had several readers make this recipe into cupcake and they have confirmed it worked well! I haven't tried it myself yet, but I'm confident it would work.
Can this cake be made gluten free?
I've not made this cake gluten free, but I'm sure it'd work well with a gluten free flour blend. You may need to add a little bit of extra moisture as gluten free flour can be drier, but this is a very moist cake anyway.
Can this cake be made vegan?
You can replace the eggs for chia or flax eggs if you need the cake to be egg free, and also use a plant milk to make it vegan.
More tips for making Baby's 1st Birthday Cake:
- This cake can be frozen without the frosting for up to 3 months. Wrap it up well to prevent freezer burn.
- I grated the apple to add it to the cake, you can also finely dice it if you prefer. I used pink lady apple as it's sweeter, but you can use any apple you like.
- If you are making this into a two tier cake like I did, you'll need to insert dowels into the bottom tier, and use a cake board between the two tiers. This is essential for maintaining the structure of the cake and will stop it from collapsing.
- I used agave nectar to sweeten the frosting, but you could also use maple syrup. Please do not use honey if your baby will eat this cake before they are over 1 year old, or if there will be any younger babies eating it. This is because honey should not be given to babies under the age of one, as it can cause serious illness.
- I used a mixture of self raising and wholemeal flour, if you want to use all self raising then omit the baking powder. It isn't recommended that babies have too many whole grains, so I wouldn't recommend making this cake with all wholemeal flour.
Troubleshooting
If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!
Recommended equipment & ingredients*
- 8" cake tins
- 6" cake tins
- Cooling rack
- Dowels
- Round cake tin liners
- Agave nectar
- 6" Cake board
- One Cake Topper
- Freeze dried raspberries
*I earn a small amount of money if you buy the products after clicking on the links. You will not be charged anything extra for this. Thank you for supporting The Baking Explorer!
More refined sugar free/healthier recipes...
Baby's 1st Birthday Cake
Ingredients
For the 6" cake
- 85 g Dates dried
- 75 ml Boiling water
- 185 g Self raising flour
- 115 g Plain wholemeal flour
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Baking powder
- 2 Eggs large
- 80 ml Vegetable oil
- 85 ml Milk
- 2 Bananas mashed
- 1 Apple grated
For the 8" cake
- 150 g Dates dried
- 130 ml Boiling water
- 330 g Self raising flour
- 200 g Plain wholemeal flour
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 4 Eggs large
- 140 ml Vegetable oil
- 150 ml Milk
- 4 Bananas mashed
- 2 Apples grated
For the frosting
- 200 g Butter
- 400 g Full fat cream cheese
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract optional
- 4 tbsp Agave nectar or maple syrup
For decoration
- Berries (raspberries, blueberries, strawberries) optional
- Freeze dried raspberries optional
Instructions
- You can make either the 8" or 6" cake first, the instructions are the same for both, or make both cakes at the same time if you have enough oven space!
- Pre-heat your oven to 160C Fan/180C/350F/Gas Mark 4, and grease and line two 8" cake tins, and two 6" cake tins (that are at least 2" deep)
- Place the dates and boiling water into a bowl and leave them to soak for 15 minutes
- Puree the dates and water together using a stick blender or food processor
- In a large mixing bowl, weigh out the self raising flour, wholemeal flour, baking powder and cinnamon
- In a second mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, vegetable oil, milk and date puree together. Add the mashed bananas and mix in
- Add the grated apple and mix in
- Pour the banana/egg mixture into the bowl of flour, and mix until combined
- Divide the mixture between the tins, using scales for accuracy if you like
- Bake the 8" cake for 40-45 minutes or until a thin skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Bake the 6" cake for 25-30 minutes or until a thin skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool fully
- To make the cream cheese frosting mix together the butter and cream cheese until combined, then stir in the vanilla extract and agave nectar
- Use a cake leveller or a knife to level off the cakes if they have domed at all, or the top of them is not flat
- Place the first 8" cake layer onto a cake board, plate or cake stand
- Spread cream cheese frosting over the top of the cake, then add the second 8" cake layer and cover the whole cake with the frosting
- If you are adding the 6" tier, you will need to support the cake with dowels. This stops the cake from collapsing. Roughly mark out a 6" sized cirle on top of the cake. I usually hover a cake tin over it and mark a dent in the frosting using a butter knife. Then insert three evenly spaced out dowels into the cake, inside the marked circle. You will need to cut the dowels to size
- Place the bottom layer of the 6" cake onto a 6" cake board and spread the top with frosting, then add the top layer. Place the whole 6" cake on top of the 8" cake
- Cover the entire 6" cake in cream cheese frosting, making sure to cover the join between the tiers
- Add berries of your choice. Please note that berries will run their juice into the frosting so don't add the berries if you're not ready to serve the cake yet
- Chill in the fridge for 1 hour to firm up the frosting before serving
- Store any leftovers in the fridge and eat within 3 days
Video
Notes
- Make sure your eggs are at room temperature before you start baking.
- The dried dates can be swapped for raisins, sultanas, cranberries or apricots.
- If you use self raising wholemeal flour, you can omit the baking powder.
- You can swap the wholemeal flour for regular plain flour or self raising flour. If using self raising flour, you can omit the baking powder.
- The vegetable oil can be swapped for another oil like sunflower, coconut or canola.
- Ripe bananas are best for this cake, as they are the sweetest.
- I used regular sized eating apples for this cake. I like the pink lady variety as they are lovely and sweet.
- The grated apple can be substituted for a similar fruit like pear or peaches. If you can't grate them, then mash them up or finely chop them.
- I recommend using full fat cream cheese for the frosting as it is thicker and will have a better consistency.
- I used agave nectar to sweeten the frosting, you could also use maple syrup or coconut nectar. Do NOT use honey if serving to children under one year old!
- Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales*. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
- For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons* and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.
Louise Fairweather
This looks great. I have recently cut out sugar from my diet in order to lose some weight and when I get back to normal I am certainly going to ditch refined sugar. #cookblogshare
Georgia
Is this cake good for a cake smash?
thebakingexplorer
Hi Georgia, yes I don't see why not, I think it would be great! Let me how it goes 🙂
Angela
Hi
Could I use blueberries instead of the apple as that is my sons favourite.
thebakingexplorer
Hi Angela, I've never tried this so I can't say for certain, perhaps test it first in a small quantity. Or you could decorate the cake with lots of blueberries, or use the apple and add extra blueberries to the batter insteas. Let me know how you get on!
Monika Dabrowski
This is officially my favourite healthy birthday cake ever, and happy 1st birthday to your little boy:)
Mel
I am a complete beginner at baking - i have made maybe 3 very basic sponge cakes in my life. I had to Google about cake dowels as had never heard of them! I wanted to try this for my daughter's birthday as don't want to give her sugar plus i fancied the challenge. I am delighted to say it came out amazingly! I followed the recipe to the T. It helped to also cross reference the recipe with your detailed instructions and photos. Thank you for such clear instructions and a delicious recipe!
thebakingexplorer
I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe and the instructions were helpful! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such wonderful feedback - I appreciate it so much!!
Rugina
I’m going to attempt this recipe on Jan 1st for my sons first birthday the next day. A bit nervous as we have guests! I couldn’t source any wholemeal flour, can I use plain flour instead and what at what ratio? Is it possible to make a complete substitute?
thebakingexplorer
Hi Rugina, yes you can swap the plain wholemeal flour for plain flour. I hope you all enjoy the cake!
Gabby
This looks delicious! Could it be baked as cupcakes rather and a single large cake? X
thebakingexplorer
Hi Gabby, thank you! A few other readers have baked them as cupcakes/muffins and had success, I've not tried it myself though.
Martina
Hi,
Can I just check are the ingredients for the 8 inch cake for one or two cakes?
Thank you
Martina
thebakingexplorer
Hi Martina, they are for one cake made up of two layers, as pictured. Let me know if you make the cake!
Michelle - Lost in Food
I bet he was one happy one year old with an amazing cake! Happy Birthday to your little one and thanks for linking up to #CookBlogShare. Michelle
Elisabeth
Hi! I have just baked this cake and I cannot wait to try it!! I'm not sure if we will eat a third of it and will keep it in the fridge. I'm wondering if I can freeze some of it.
thebakingexplorer
Hi Elisabeth, yes you can freeze the undecorated cake, I hope you enjoy it!
Thais
Did you peel the skin off the apple?
thebakingexplorer
Hi, yes I did 🙂
Cat | Curly's Cooking
This looks amazing and even better that it is healthy. I hope he and you had a lovely day 🙂
Antonia @Zoale
Happy Birthday to your little one! What a great idea and it looks beautiful! Thank you for sharing your special and gorgeous cake at Fiesta Friday this week!
Angie | Fiesta Friday
That's the BEST 1st birthday cake! Ever!
mohan kumar
This look so fresh and delecious.So easy to make and so delicious too
Kate - Gluten Free Alchemist
Happy birthday to your little boy. So exciting! And a beautiful cake to celebrate.
We didn't give Miss GF any sugar before her 1st birthday and then she had a chocolate cake... Slippery slope from then on. Wait as long as you can.
On the up side... we managed to avoid McDonalds for about 5 years. xx
JK
Looks great, I am planning on making this for my boy’s first birthday next week. Are the ingredient quantities for the 8 inch cake just for the one layer or I need to double the amounts in order to get the two 8inch layers on the bottom? Thank you!
thebakingexplorer
Hi JK, all of the ingredient quantities are so you can make the cake exactly as it is pictured, so two layers on bottom and two on top. I hope that helps and please do tag me on social media when you make it!
JK
Thank you! I will tag you for sure. I am planning on using buttercream icing as would like to do some piping decorating. All a first time for me but fingers crossed my boy is not disappointed!
Nathalie
Hi,
I’m going to make this for my sons first birthday in June! Did you use unsalted butter for the cream cheese frosting?
Thanks x
thebakingexplorer
Hi Nathalie, yes it was unsalted butter. Let me know how it goes!
Eda
I want to make this cake now but i dont have apple. Can i still make cake without grated apple?
thebakingexplorer
Hi Eda, I've never made the cake without apple so in theory yes you could make it without apple but I don't know what the result would be. You could try a similar fruit if you have it like pear. Let me know how it goes!
Han
Hi planning on making this for my LG’s first birthday this month lol! Can I check is the quantity for dried dates? Thanks!
thebakingexplorer
Hi Han, yes they are dried, I've updated that now to make it clear 🙂
Han
Thanks! Me again though, tried it out as a 6” and it came out quite dense (delicious though!), any tips on how to make the sponge lighter? Thanks!
thebakingexplorer
Hi Han, this cake is quite dense so that's how it's meant to be. You could try adding some bicarbonate of soda, but I've never done this so I can't say for sure what the result would be.
Jennifer Mcelheron
Hi I am in the middle of making this lovely cake but not sure if cooked it has Been in oven for 40 mins at 160 but still sticky looking when I check it with a knife.any ideas?kindest regards
thebakingexplorer
Hi Jennifer, the 8" layer takes 40-45 minutes in my oven, but all ovens are different. You'll know it's done when a thin skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. I hope that helps!
Hale
I also tried this recipe over the weekend. Skew comes out clean, but the cake is very dense and feels raw. I chopped the top off to level it out and if those bits are that raw cant imagine how it will be in the middle 🙁 i froze it for next weekend(without the creamcheese topping). Hope it turns out ok.
thebakingexplorer
Hi Hale, this cake is a more denser cake that your typical sponge cake (like a victoria sponge for example), but it should not be raw. Can I double check if you changed any of the ingredients, or any other element of the recipe?
April
Hi, I'm going to make this for my daughter 1st birthday in 2 weeks, however she can't eat Bananas. Any suggestions on what I could use instead?
thebakingexplorer
Hi April, I've not made this cake without bananas, but there are several common replacements you can try. You can try substituting the bananas with mashed apples, mashed pears, mashed avocado or grated courgette (bear in mind for the avo and courgette it won't be as sweet). Let me know how you get on!
Denise
Hello, I am really looking forward to making this cake for my daughter next week. Do you think I could substitute vegetable oil for coconut oil?
Many thanks,
Denise
thebakingexplorer
Hi Denise, yes definitely! Just melt the coconut oil down but let it cool a bit before adding to the mix 🙂
Denise Burke
Thank you so much for replying and sharing this recipe. I can't wait to make this week. If I do a worthy job, I will give you a tag on social media = )
thebakingexplorer
Hi Denise, I can't wait to see it, I'm sure it will look lovely!
Phe
Hiya
Looks like such a great cake! I can’t get dried dates can I swap it for anything else? X
thebakingexplorer
You could try another dried fruit like raisins, apricots or cranberries. Let me know how it goes!
Ruth Holland
Will the cake still be as delicious if I frost it the night before and keep it in the fridge overnight? Thanks
thebakingexplorer
Hi Ruth, yes, I actually did this exact thing as I made it for my son's birthday party and I kept it in the fridge overnight. Everyone at the party raved about it! 🙂
Shani
Hi,
This recipe looks great, thank you! Is it okay if I make it in the morning, the day before Bub’s birthday? It’ll be in the fridge for about 30 hours. How long does the cake keep for?
Lastly, we are really trying to avoid giving Bub anything like maple syrup. Can I remove the vanilla extract and syrup from the frosting? I know it won’t taste as nice but I want Bub to have some. Is there anything I can substitute? Like strawberries?
Many thanks.
Cheers, Shani
thebakingexplorer
Hi Shani, yes it will be fine in the fridge until the next day. I did the same thing and made it the day before my son's party. Vanilla extract doesn't contain any sugars, and it is nice to add in for extra flavour, however you can of course omit it if you like. The cream cheese frosting really isn't tasty without any kind of sweetener. You could try using fruit juice (I've heard pineapple juice is good) but don't add too much as it could make the frosting sloppy. You could reduce the juice first to avoid this. I hope that helps!
Sara
Hi, can I use whipping cream in place of cream cheese?
thebakingexplorer
Hi Sara, yes you can cover the cake in whipped cream if you prefer. I have never done this myself though so I'm not sure what the quantities would be.
Kirat
Hi, this cake looks great! Can you use regular dates instead of dried? And will you need a different amount?
thebakingexplorer
Hi, thank you! I've not made this recipe with fresh dates, only with dried. They provide sweetness so I would suggest using the same amount, and you will not need to soak them so you can omit the boiling water.
Sarah
It was my sons first birthday recently and I made a promise to my self that I would always make him his birthday cakes.
I have never made a cake before so when I googled 1st birthday cake this one popped up.
I'm really pleased with it. We particularly liked the frosting. In fact I might just make a bowl of that on its own and eat it!
thebakingexplorer
I'm so happy to hear this Sarah! I think I might join you in enjoying a bowl of the frosting haha! 😀
Jacinth
What cake do you call this?
thebakingexplorer
I would call it a healthy banana, apple and date cake if you're not making it for a baby/small child 🙂
Bee
Hi this sounds wonderful for our little girl's first birthday, thank you for posting! Wee question though, would the recipe work for cupcakes?
thebakingexplorer
Hi Bee, I haven't tested this recipe as cupcakes, however I don't see why it wouldn't work. I would suggest testing a small batch first before the big day! 🙂
Bee
Sure thing thank you, will report back - although in my case the story could involve some crispy black bits 🙂
Bee
P.S. I know literally nothing about baking 🙂
Mag
Hi, I just tried to make this cake as a practise before my sons birthday, but I am wondering if I chose the right cream cheese, as it came out a bit salty? I mean you can taste the saltinnes in the icing. Does it supposed to be like that? Or is there some kind of brands of cream cheese that have zero salt?? I used philadelphia soft cheese. Don't judge if this isn't the best one, as there was no more options, and I am begginer. Waiting for your reply, thanks. And it is delicious by the way
thebakingexplorer
Hi Mag, I've never known of a cream cheese being salty, they are usually quite bland. I use Philadelphia too and it's never been salty. Have you checked the label on the cream cheese? Does it say it contains much salt? I'm glad you found the cake delicious! 🙂
Caitlin M
Hi - This looks lovely! Do you think it would work well as a cupcake recipe?
thebakingexplorer
Hi, thank you! I've never tried it as cupcakes, but I don't see why not. Let me know how it goes!
Caitlin M
Hi! Just wanted to let you know that the cupcakes turned out alright!! They baked in about 13 mins (my oven) but they are still soft and perfect. Thank you so much for this recipe! I feel incredibly comfortable giving this to my soon to be 1 year old!
thebakingexplorer
Hi Caitlin, thank you so much for letting me know! I'm so pleased to hear this!
Anna-Cajsa Johansson
Hi! How many cupcakes did the recipe make please? Did you do just part of it (ie either 8 or 6 inch part?) Thank you!!
Hannah
Hi, this looks amazing and just what I'm hoping to create for my little boy's first birthday next weekend! Just wondering whether you think grated carrot could work in the recipe instead of grated apple, to make it a bit like a carrot cake? Carrot seems to be his favourite food so thought this might be fun, but perhaps it wouldn't be sweet enough? Thanks in advance!
thebakingexplorer
Hi Hannah, thank you! I'm so glad you're planning to make this cake! Yes I think carrot would work well. It is on the sweet side as far as vegetables go, and there should be plenty of sweetness from the dates and bananas. Please do let me know how it goes!
Mina
Hello, I am planning on making this for my little ones 2nd birthday. Can I substitute the full fat cream cheese to fat free cream cheese? Also, for frozen raspberries, do you buy them, wash and freeze them? Can’t wait to try this one. This will be my first cake baking experience
thebakingexplorer
Hi Mina, you can use fat free cream cheese but I've never done this, it could be less thick and more runny. There aren't any frozen raspberries in this recipe, if you wanted to decorate it with frozen raspberries you could, but I would recommend putting them on right before serving so they don't defrost and run their juices all down the cake. I hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions 🙂
Rakel
I tried this today and it was a complete fail 😩 don’t know what I did wrong!? It looked so good and tbh tasted good but it didn’t cook enough inside and was too cooked outside (brown) 🙁 any advise? X
thebakingexplorer
Hi Rakel, I'm sorry this happened but I'm glad it tasted good! This cake is not like a normal light and fluffy sponge cake, it does have a more dense texture (like banana bread) and is very moist, so sometimes this can be confused for it not being baked. I am going to update the post as soon as possible with a photo of the cake sliced so you can see what it should look like. I didn't do this at the time because I made the cake for my son's birthday, and I didn't decorate the tester cakes. I hope that helps explain it!
Rakel
Thank you soo much for your answer!!! Yes it did have a texture of a banana cake but still was too soft like uncooked. I will give it another go! Maybe the apple was too big as well and made it more watery?? And the eggs I used weren’t large one! In that case should I use 3?? I’m always confused when it comes to use eggs!
thebakingexplorer
Of course, I'm happy to help if I can! I don't think the apple would've made a huge difference - I used a normal sized eating apple, so unless you used a really massive one? You should be fine using the same amount of medium eggs, again eggs won't make a huge difference. Of course it is always best to stick to the egg size recommended in the recipe for the best results. I hope that helps 🙂
Iga
Same thing happened to me... Cake turned out almost too dark on the outside and very dense inside. I understand it won't have the usual fluffy texture you might expect, but it didn't feel right... 🙁
Jennifer
Oh my, this looks incredible! I can't wait to try this for my son's 1st birthday next month. Will have a trial run making either cupcakes or a loafcake with the 6" recipe. I was going to use self-raising wholemeal flour also and omit the baking powder, do you think that would work? Thanks!
thebakingexplorer
Hi Jennifer, thank you! Yes that will work, let me know how it goes!
Theresa
This looks like the yummiest healthy baby cake recipe I've seen! Can I use applesauce instead grated apple?
Thanks!
thebakingexplorer
Hi Theresa, thank you! I've not tried this but yes I think it would be fine to do, let me know how you get on!
Nell
Is it safe to give one year olds maple syrup?
thebakingexplorer
Hi Nell, I've never read anything that suggests it is unsafe and my son ate it when he was one with no ill effects, but please do your own research as I am not a nutritionist, dietician or doctor. I know that honey is not safe for children under one year old. You can find more info on foods to avoid giving to babies and young children here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/weaning-and-feeding/foods-to-avoid-giving-babies-and-young-children/
Rianna
This was my son's first try of cake and he loved it! The recipe was super easy. The cake and the icing were delicious. I highly recommend this as a first birthday cake!
thebakingexplorer
Thank you so much for the lovely feedback Rianna!
LJ
Hi, I hope to make this for my daughter’s first birthday next weekend. If I just did the 8” cake, how much frosting would I need for just that part?
thebakingexplorer
Hi LJ, two thirds of the frosting will be enough. So 265g cream cheese, 135g butter, 2 1/2 tbsp agave nectar and 1/2 tsp vanilla. I hope that helps!
Ash
Hi I was just wondering if you had any suggestions on how I could make this gluten free? Would you just substitute with gluten free self raising flour?
thebakingexplorer
Hi Ash, yes absoutely just replace it with a gluten free self raising flour blend, I hope you enjoy the cake!
CL
Hi, I would like to make 4 inch size for this cake. How much ingredient would I need? And hopefully to know is there any substitute for dried dates?
thebakingexplorer
Hi CL, you can work out the conversion to a 4 inch cake using my conversion guide here: https://thebakingexplorer.com/ingredients-conversions/ Instead of dates you could use another dried fruit like raisins, sultanas, cranberries, apricots etc. I hope that helps!
FC
This cake looks amazing and I want to make this for my bubs! He does have a bit of a sensitivity to eggs though...would you be able to recommend an egg substitute I might be able to use for this recipe? I'm planning to just make a simple 6inch cake for him...
thebakingexplorer
Hi FC, I've never made it without eggs but there are a few options like flax seed or chia seed "eggs", or adding additional milk and then cider vinegar and bicarbonate of soda - they react together creating air in the batter.
Felicia Cheong
Thanks a million for the advice! What quantities would you suggest for milk, bicarb soda and vinegar for just a 6inch portion of the cake?
thebakingexplorer
Hi Felicia, if I was going to make it without eggs I would try 1 tsp cider/white vinegar, 1 tsp bicarb and 120ml milk. But please be aware I have not tested this, so I don't know what the results will be. This is just my educated guess on how I would do it.
Bianca
Hi am I supposed to make 4 cakes or 2 and just cut them in half I'm just not understanding it ?
I'm going to make a trial run because iv never baked before and I want it to be perfect any help appreciated.. hope someone can help ..
Thank you
thebakingexplorer
Hi Bianca, if you want to make the same size cake as I have, then you'll need one 8" cake baked in two layers, and one 6" cake again baked in two layers. I would not advise making them as one layer each and cutting them in half as they will not bake all the way through properly. Let me know if that makes sense (or not) 🙂
Helen Gray
Excited to give this a try for my sons second birthday. I was wondering how long it would keep? It's his birthday on the Thursday and party on the Saturday so wondering if I made 2 (one for Thursday and one for Sat) on the Wednesday, whether it would keep or not? Or should I make and freeze one for the Saturday?
Thanks,
Helen
thebakingexplorer
Hi Helen, I would recommend freezing the one for Saturday, I hope your son has a wonderful birthday!
Jungsies
Hi! I am doing a blueberry theme for my daughter's first birthday. Do you think it would work to add some fresh or frozen blueberries to the batter? Or would the liquid from the fruit mess up the batter? Thoughts/suggestions for how to incorporate more blueberries into the recipe?
thebakingexplorer
Hi! I'm not sure if blueberries would affect the batter as I've never tried it before. If you want to add more blueberries to the cake, you could make a blueberry jam/compote and fill the cake with it. And of course decorate it with lots of them! Let me know how it goes!
Charlie Cave
Ooooh this looks scummy and perfect for my sugar free babies first birthday!! Her party is on Sunday, but her actual birthday is the Saturday and I don't want to be panic baking on her actual birthday. When do you recommend baking the cake? I plan to ice it on the morning of the party. Thank you in advance.
thebakingexplorer
Hi Charlie, I'm so glad you're planning to make this cake! You can make it on Friday, let it cool fully and store in airtight containers until you're ready to decorate on the Sunday. Let me know how it goes!
Charlie Cave
Amazing. Thank you for your reply. That takes a bit of pressure off Saturday night!! Will let you know how it turns out. Thanks again.
Amalia
Hello,
Can I make the frosting a bit in advance? Like the day before?
Thanks for sharing!
thebakingexplorer
Hi Amalia, yes I don't see why not, make sure to store it in an airtight container in the fridge if you do. Let me know how the cake turns out!
Amalia
Hello,
I made the cake for a friend's son! They loved it!
I loved the frosting. I am gonna be using it for my regular cakes for sure! thanks for sharing 🙂
thebakingexplorer
Thank you Amalia - this makes me so happy to hear! 😀
Lenka
I am going to make this for my son 1st bday. Grandad does not eat apple. What can I replace the apple with? would butternut squash work or carrot?
thebakingexplorer
Hi Lenka, yes or perhaps pear? It's mainly for sweetness and a bit of moisture too. Let me know how it goes!
Rebecca
This looks great I can't wait to try it! Have you tried making the recipe into cupcakes instead? Does it work, any reccomendations?
thebakingexplorer
Hi Rebecca, I haven't, but another reader did try it and she said they turned out perfect! It's further up in the comments if you have a browse 😀
Laura Gee
Hi! Can't wait to try this for my daughter's 1st birthday! I'm a baking beginner, but I'm thinking about making a number cake by baking a slab and then cutting out a number 1 and then icing. Do you think substituting the round tins for square or rectangle/slab tins would work? I would probably use the 8" quantity? Thanks heaps!
thebakingexplorer
Hi Laura, I've not tried making it in a rectangular tin but I don't see why it wouldn't work. I would recommend using 3/4 of the 8" mix, I think all of it would be too much for a 12" x 9" tin. Please let me know how it goes!
Will
Made this for our daughters birthday and the cake took around 1.5 hours and the resulting cake was extremely dense and claggy, almost like raw dough.
thebakingexplorer
Hi Will, I'm so sorry to hear this! This cake is not like a normal light and fluffy sponge cake, it does have a more dense texture (like banana bread) and is very moist, so sometimes this can be confused for it not being baked. Can I double check if you changed anything about the recipe at all? As this would've changed the final result too.
Jade
Made this for my Son’s first birthday! Was very easy and really yummy!
He loved it!
thebakingexplorer
I'm so happy he loved it Jade, thanks so much for the lovely feedback!
Caroline
Hi, I really want to make a healthy cake for my son's first birthday and this recipe looks great, but one of the guests is allergic to bananas. Is it possible to make it with an alternative to bananas?
thebakingexplorer
Hi Caroline, unfortunately I've never made it without bananas, I would not recommend substituting them in this recipe as they are quite a main part of the cake. Sorry about that! Maybe you can make the allergic guest something else like cupcakes?
Iga
Hello,
will this recipe work if using silicone sandwich tins?
Thank you!
thebakingexplorer
Hi Iga, I'm not personally a fan of silicone cake tins as silicone is a very poor heat conductor, however I know many people use them with success. I've never made this recipe using them so I can't say for sure, but you are welcome to try. Please make sure they are deep enough as mentioned in the recipe so the cake doesn't overflow. You may notice the cake browns less when using silicone. Do let me know how it goes!
Iga
I did a trial bake today and it didn't work 🙁 it might have been the silicone tins, or the fact that my eggs weren't quite at room temperature, or I overmixed the dough. Would you use a hard mixer, or a whisk/ spoon? I'm not a great Baker, most recipes don't work for me the first time; then I learn from my mistakes! Any advice welcome - it's my boy's first birthday next weekend and I'd love to make a cake for him. I'm not giving up just yet...
Iga
I meant- hand mixer 🙂
thebakingexplorer
Hi Inga, have you watched the video on this page of me making it? That could be helpful so you can see exactly what I do. The video and photos on this page also show exactly what the inside texture looks like. I would definitely recommend that your eggs are at room temp. I can't say what impact the silicone tins are having as I've not used them with this recipe, but generally if a cake is too dark on the outside it means the oven is too hot. All ovens are different and yours may run a bit hotter than mine, so you can try turning it down a little bit and baking for longer. The only other thing I can think of is to make sure your baking powder is fresh and not out of date, as that could be causing the cake to be more dense, because it will have lost it's rising power. I hope that helps but do let me know if you have more questions!
Jan
I made this for my daughter's first birthday but found it to be incredibly bland sadly, really don't think I did anything wrong. Maybe I'm just too used to sugar! The icing was nice though.
thebakingexplorer
Hi Jan, yes it is very diffent from normal sugar filled cakes, young children are used to blander foods and this cake is designed to be suitable for one year olds to enjoy. Maybe serve the adults portions with an extra drizzle of agave or maple syrup if it's not sweet enough for their tastes?
Rugina Mukid
I’m making this again for my son’s second birthday. Made it last year and it went down a treat. This time party’s on Saturday and I baked it tonight so that’s two nights before, stored it in the fridge in their cake tins and with cling film over the top, will it be ok?
thebakingexplorer
Hi, I'm so happy you enjoyed it so much you're making it again! Yes it will be ok covered in the fridge. You may need to bring them back to room temperature before getting them out of the cake tins, as if you use butter to grease the tins it can harden in the fridge.
Rugina
Thank you for the tip, will do.
Amalia
Hello,
Firstly thank you for sharing the recipe! I have made it several times already and it has been a great success!
I have a question: where I live self-rising flour is not easy to find. What can I use instead?
Thanks in advance!
Best,
Amalia
thebakingexplorer
Hi Amalia, you can make your own self raising flour by mixing baking powder and plain flour together. The general advice is 1 tsp baking powder per 100g plain flour. Please use proper measuring spoons when doing this for accuracy. I hope that helps!