Baby's First Cake

Baby's First Cake

Age suitable:
12 months
Servings:
10 Slices

Gluten Free

5 stars

About the recipe

This healthy first birthday cake is naturally sweetened, soft, and perfect for little ones. Free from refined sugar and packed with nourishing ingredients, it’s the ideal baby-friendly cake for celebrating that special first milestone — and delicious enough for the whole family too!

Birthday time? Hooray! You made it — you survived your baby’s first year (or another beautiful year together). What a milestone to celebrate!

You’ve been asking (and asking… and asking!) for a first birthday cake recipe, and honestly — I’ve been putting it off because baking isn’t exactly my forte (give me a savoury meal any day!). So I teamed up with my beautiful friend and incredible nutritionist Jordan Pie to create the perfect first birthday cake.

This cake is everything I wanted for a first birthday — wholesome, naturally sweetened, and full of real ingredients you’ll feel proud serving. It’s soft and moist for little mouths, delicious enough for the whole family, and free from refined sugar and additives. Whether you’re doing a big party or just a quiet celebration at home, this one ticks every box.

And if you love it, you’ll adore Jordan’s best-selling eBook Just Desserts — packed with gut-loving, nourishing treats that are healthy enough for breakfast! She’s kindly shared a 30% off code: BOOBTOFOOD so you can enjoy more of her beautiful recipes.

Age Suitability:

Suitable from 12 months+, or earlier if your baby has been introduced to all the ingredients individually.

Serving Suggestions:

Top with yoghurt, cream cheese frosting, or a whipped coconut cream for a naturally sweet finish. Decorate with fresh fruit, freeze-dried berries, or edible flowers for a beautiful, baby-friendly touch.

Storage Tips:

Fridge: Store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezer: Freeze individual slices for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature before serving

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Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups blanched almond flour
  • 1.5 cups brown rice flour
  • ¾ cup cacao powder
  • ¾ cup coconut sugar (or maple syrup)
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 3 eggs
  • ⅓ cup melted butter, ghee or coconut oil
  • 3 TBSP coconut flour
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar

For Chocolate Mousse Icing Ingredients

  • ½ cup coconut cream
  • 70 grams chocolate (chopped)
  • 250 ml whipping cream
  • maple syrup to taste (Optional)

For Chocolate Avocado Icing Ingredients(DF option)

  • 3 large or 4 medium sized ripe avocados
  • ⅓ cup maple syrup
  • ⅓ – ½  cup cacao powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup coconut milk

Method

  1. For the Chocolate Mousse Icing Option - add the coconut cream + chocolate into a small saucepan and heat on low until completely melted. Stir to combine. Put this in the fridge to chill while you make the cake.
  2. For the Chocolate Avocado Icing (DF) Option - add the avocado, cacao, vanilla, maple syrup and coconut milk to a food processor or Thermomix with the butterfly whisk attached if using. Blend until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides with a spatula and reblend. Pour into a bowl and place into the fridge to chill while you make the cake.
  3. Cake Instructions - preheat the oven to 170C. Grease and line a 20cm springform cake tin with baking paper.
  4. Add all the cake ingredients into a food processor and blend until the ingredients are just combined.
  5. Pour / scoop the cake batter into the prepared cake tin and place in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes. Check the cake, if you insert a skewer and it doesn’t come out clean, bake for another 5-10 minutes, keep an eye on it. It’s ready when you insert a skewer and it comes out clean.
  6. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely.
  7. For the Chocolate Mousse Icing Option - add the chilled ganache into a mixing bowl and beat with a hand mixer until creamy and lump free. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Then mix the whipped cream through the chocolate mix until combined. Taste and add in a touch of maple syrup if desired and gently remix. If you have a Thermomix whip the cream first, then remove it and set it aside in a bowl. Add the ganache into the Thermomix and whip on Speed 3 until creamy. Scrape down the side and reblend. Add the whipped cream back in with the ganache and mix on Speed 3 until just combined. Taste and add in a touch of maple syrup if desired and gently remix. Be careful not to overblend this, it should look like chocolate whipped cream when it’s ready.
  8. Assembling The Cake- use a large knife to score the entire outside edge of the cake halfway up the side. Go slowly, get down at eye-level if necessary. This is simply serving as a marker. Now carefully and evenly cut through the cake along the indentation made with the knife. Go slowly, there’s no need to rush. Carefully use the knife and your hands to lift the top layer off of the bottom layer.
  9. Add some of the icing on the bottom layer and spread it out evenly. Carefully place the top layer of the cake on top and finish icing the cake with the remaining icing.
  10. Garnish the cake with fresh or dried berries and optional chocolate shavings.
  11. Slice, serve and enjoy!

TIPS: *Maple syrup works in replace of coconut sugar (in the cake)
*Tapioca flour is NOT a good replacement for the brown rice flour (the brown rice flour really helps with the almost mud-like cake texture and I haven’t found a suitable substitute for it yet)
*I wouldn’t recommend an egg-replacement in this recipe
*The cake + frosting can both be made the day before, and you can assemble / garnish on the day or the day before just store it in the fridge
*Freezer friendly
*If you don’t have baking powder, you can make your own using 50/50 baking soda + cream of tartar (ie; this recipe calls for 1 tsp of baking powder which would be ½ tsp baking soda + ½ tsp cream of tartar.

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