Are you looking for a super tasty, sugar-free birthday cake for your baby’s first birthday? Well in a past working life, I was a private chef and I also had my own cake bakery – and I have a passion for nutrition and super tasty, healthy children’s food. So earlier this month I got baking for my youngest baby’s first birthday, and created this really delicious layer cake which was so yummy and completely baby friendly too.

I’m afraid when I’m in the kitchen I’m a bit of a ‘just throw it all in’ kind’a person, so the below measurements are approximate, as I was making it up on the spot and didn’t take notes! This is also a great keto birthday cake (just reduce the quantity of spelt flour) and you can modify the recipe to be dairy free or gluten free by using plant milk or gluten free flour in place of the spelt.

Recipe

  • 6 organic, free-range eggs
  • 500g almond flour
  • 200g spelt flour
  • 1 (BPA-free) tin organic coconut milk
  • 2 ripe bananas
  • Vanilla
  • Milk of choice (I used organic goat or you could use more coconut milk), to add at the end until desired consistency reached

For the filling / topping

  • Coconut whipping cream (or thick coconut yogurt)
  • Fruit of choice (I used ripe mangos and strawberries)

Method

Step 1 – Crack all 6 eggs into a bowl and whisk them (whole, not just the whites), until they are fluffy and cloud-like (this gives the cake a natural aerated lightness)

Step 2 – Blend the bananas with the coconut milk until smooth

Step 3 – Fold all the ingredients in a large bowl (holding back the ‘milk of choice’), being careful not to knock out too much of the air in the eggs. You’re looking for a runny but thick consistency, so add ‘milk of choice’ if needed at the end. Don’t worry too much about the consistency, as long as it’s runny and not a dough mix it will work. Don’t over mix because you want to keep as much air in there from the eggs as possible.

Step 4 – Pour into very well greased cake trays (I used 3) and cook for 30 minutes at 180°C, or until cooked through.

While the cake is cooking:

Step 5 – Whisk the coconut whipping cream. Read the instructions on the side of the tin but usually you need to refrigerate the tin before whipping. As an alternative, you can use thick coconut yogurt instead.

Step 6 – Once the cakes have cooled completely, layer up your cakes with the whipped cream and cut fruit, adding more cream and fruit to the top layer.

Top with a beeswax candle and sing! Happy first birthday to your little one, we hope you all enjoy this recipe.