First birthday cake for baby is actually a maple syrup cake that can be made into cupcakes or a small 6-inch baby smash cake. It's naturally sweetened and the coconut whipped cream is so good!
Baby’s First Birthday Cupcake
I said I wasn't going to be 'that Mom.'
That Mom that makes her kid a naturally-sweetened first birthday cake. Ugh. I kinda hate myself for this, except...these maple syrup sweetened cupcakes are DELICIOUS. You won't even notice they're not 'normal' cupcakes or cake...you'll just notice the deep maple flavor. Even the raw batter is lick-able.
I like to think of them as 'better for baby' babycakes. Is the maple syrup sweetened coconut whipped cream on top too far? Wait, don't answer that.
So, let's back up. I've told you before that I didn't read any parenting books before Camille was born. I only read books about how French children eat. Books like 'Bringing up Bébé' and 'French Kids Eat Everything.' All I knew is that I was NOT going to have one of those kids that only eats white foods. No no no. And I would never bring my kid to your house for a dinner party and pull out goldfish crackers and fruit snacks for Camille to eat instead of the homemade dinner you lovingly made. No no no again.
Anyway, those books told me that when you deny kids something (like sugar), they want it all the time. A little bit of the real thing in moderation sets them up for a lifetime of healthy eating habits.
I knew this. And I've been denying her sugar anyway. I just couldn't do it. She's such a good eater; I'm worried she'll stop eating her vegetables once she tastes sugar. Truthfully, that is what's holding me back.
When she was 7 months old, I was licking an ice cream cone with her on my hip. She leaned in for a lick. She enjoyed it, but didn't beg for more.
Then, when she was 10 months old, I was making oatmeal cream pies from my cookbook, and she was parked on my hip while I was smooshing the marshmallow filling between the cookies. Out of nowhere, she just went for it. Both hands grabbed that cookie, and she knotted up her fists around it and started shoving it in her mouth as fast as she could. I couldn't really do anything but laugh. Honestly, I felt like she earned it because she fought for it so hard and held it so tightly in those sweet little fists.
Then, at 11 months, I was eating this caramel carrot cake during snack time and she was eating something boring like peas. I gave her 3 little bites of the cake without the frosting. She liked it, and asked for more.
And here we are. Maple syrup-sweetened cupcakes for baby's first birthday cake.
Side note: I did make these cupcakes for a kid's second birthday and used white whole wheat flour, per request. It totally works here, but they do taste kinda blah because of it. When I make it with regular all-purpose flour, they taste like a real cupcake that you would buy at a bakery. Yes, they are that good.
The frosting? It's nothing but whipped coconut cream and maple syrup. And it's so good, I'd eat it off a shoe. I actually add it to my tea lattes during the afternoon sometimes.
First Birthday Cake ingredients
- Butter. Three tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted.
- Oil. One tablespoon of a neutral, flavorless oil, like avocado oil, grapeseed oil or canola oil.
- Maple Syrup. We’re sweetening this first birthday cake naturally with maple syrup. You can use grade A or grade B maple syrup, either work well.
- Egg. One large egg.
- Flour. One cup of all-purpose flour that has been fluffed, scooped and leveled with a knife.
- Baking Powder. Baking powder and baking soda is not interchangeable; please use baking powder.
- Whole Milk. One-half cup of whole milk. Whole milk is best for a rich-tasting cake. Do not use skim milk.
- Coconut Cream. Read the label of the can--it should say COCONUT CREAM. Not coconut milk. An entire thick can of coconut cream will still have a small amount of liquid in it. Refrigerate the can of coconut cream upside down overnight. Then, flip the can over and use a can opener to open it and drain off the liquid completely.
How to make a 1st Birthday Cake
Preheat the oven to 325, and line 8 cups in a muffin pan with cupcake liners. Alternatively, you can line a 6-inch by 2-inch round cake pan with a parchment round in the bottom. In a medium bowl, beat with an electric mixer the melted butter and oil. Stream in the maple syrup and keep beating.
Next, add the egg and beat until combined.
Sprinkle the flour, baking powder and salt evenly over the batter, and beat just to combine for a few seconds.
Next, add all of the milk at once. Beat everything until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go.
Divide the mixture into the prepared muffin cups or pan. Bake for 20 minutes.
To make the coconut cream, you really should refrigerate the can overnight. Flip the can over and open from the opposite end to drain off all of the liquid. It helps to refrigerate the bowl, too. Add only the white cream to a bowl, and beat until fluffy. Add the 1.5 tablespoons of maple syrup, and beat to combine.
Taste the frosting--if you want it sweeter, you're going to have to add powdered sugar because any more maple syrup will make it too thin. Frost the cake/ cupcakes and serve.
How to serve baby's First Birthday Cake
The best way to serve baby’s first birthday cake is to place it on the high chair and let them dig right in. Have your camera ready :)
How to store Cupcakes for First Birthday
If you want to make this cake/ these cupcakes a day ahead of time, you can refrigerate with the frosting on. Place them in a covered container in the fridge overnight. The frosting need to stay somewhat chilled because of the coconut cream, so do not let these become overly warm. This is the not the recipe to use for a park birthday party.
Babys First Birthday Cake FAQs
Can babies eat cake on their first birthday?
In general, we like to limit sugar with kids under 3. This is just my personal philosophy. I think cake is okay for a birthday, but it doesn’t need to be a gateway to sugar every single day for little kids.
What's a smash cake?
A smash cake is a decorate small cake that you give to a kid to eat/play with however they like. It is assumed that only the birthday kid is going to be consuming it. It will most likely be destroyed by the kid, but you will capture great photos :)
Can a baby have a normal cake at 1st birthday?
My personal philosophy is to limit all sugar to kids under 3. I think this helps develop their palate to other flavors, like slightly bitter vegetables, savory meat/ eggs and spices. I make an exception on birthdays, and in that case, I use a natural sweetener, like maple syrup. Once a kid has a more developed palate that appreciates all types of flavors, I think sugar in moderation is great. For my kids, around age 5, I start letting them decide on what they eat.
Cupcakes for First Birthday
Naturally sweetened maple syrup cupcakes or a 6-inch smash cake for baby's first birthday cake!
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil (grapeseed)
- ⅔ cup maple syrup
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- ½ cup whole milk
For the coconut whipped cream:
- 1 14-oz. can of coconut cream, refrigerated overnight
- 1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325, and line 8 cups in a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, beat with an electric mixer the melted butter and oil.
- Stream in the maple syrup and keep beating.
- Next, add the egg and beat until combined.
- Sprinkle the flour, baking powder and salt evenly over the batter, and beat just to combine for a few seconds, then add all of the milk at once.
- Beat everything until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go.
- Divide the mixture into the prepared cups.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- To make the coconut cream, you really should refrigerate the can overnight. And the bowl.
- When the cupcakes are totally cool, make the frosting: scrape all of the coconut cream out of the can and into a cold bowl (do not add the little bit of coconut water or juice in the can--just the thick, white cream).
- Beat with an electric mixer on HIGH until light and fluffy. Add the maple syrup, and beat to combine.
- Taste the frosting--if you want it sweeter, you're going to have to add powdered sugar because any more maple syrup will make it too thin. Sorry, bub.
- Frost the cupcakes and serve.
Notes
A note on Coconut Cream: Read the label of the can--it should say COCONUT CREAM. Not coconut milk. An entire thick can of coconut cream will still have a small amount of liquid in it. Refrigerate the can of coconut cream upside down overnight. Then, flip the can over and use a can opener to open it and drain off the liquid completely. Only beat the thick white cream, do not add any liquid from the can to the bowl. It helps to refrigerate the bowl you will b using to make the frosting. The colder the coconut cream is, the faster and thicker it will whip up.
Storage: This cake must be kept cold becasue of the frosting.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 386Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 165mgCarbohydrates: 60gFiber: 1gSugar: 45gProtein: 4g
S says
I was skeptical about trying this recipe because it looked too easy! I was desperate for a sugar free bday cake substitute and found this shortly before the party. This is hands down the best cupcake recipe EVER! It's so quick, so easy, and so delicious. Thank you for sharing!
Christina Lane says
Yay! :) <3
Jaime says
Hi! What can I use to substitute the coconut cream? I'm allergic to coconut and I'd like to try them too :)
Thanks!
Christina Lane says
Hi Jamie! Can you have dairy products? Just regular heavy whipping cream would work even better :) <3
Laura says
I remember seeing this when your daughter turned one, and just tested them out for my daughter's first birthday! SO GOOD! My family is sitting here eating them hot straight out of the oven! Thank you SO MUCH! Love all of your recipes!
Christina Lane says
I'm so glad to hear it, Laura! Thanks :)
Marion says
I was excited for this recipe because it was just a *normal* cupcake. We didn't want a banana bread, or date bread cupcake, just one without sugar and this was fabulous. Although somehow I made too much batter and ended up with 9 cupcakes. But they still tasted great and turned out fine. Thanks for the recipe!
cakespy says
D'AWWWWWWW well fine, the cupcakes look good enough, and the kid is cute enough, that I'll forgive you :-) Joking! This recipe looks aces, boo!
Genevieve says
The cupcakes turned out perfectly! (Doing some test batches for my 3yo birthday). But the icing went all grainy (and tastes a bit watery, especially after being chilled more) after adding the maple syrup (I drained the cream and beat it till it was beautiful and thick, and then my maple killed it, even after just a tablespoon).
Suggestions? I might just have to try a different icing recipe. (Processed sugar free, of course :) )
Christina Lane says
Oh no, Genevieve! Thanks for making it! Oh no, I bet your maple syrup is just a tad thinner than mine. I think I mentioned this in the post, but you can sweeten with powdered sugar instead of maple syrup if you want it thicker. Would that okay?
Sienna says
I made these in a 6 inch cake pan last weekend for my daughter’s first birthday. It took 45-50 minutes in the 6 inch pan but turned out great and the middle didn’t sink. Wanted to share for anyone else wanting to make this as a smash cake. Thanks for the recipe!
Christina Lane says
Thanks so much for sharing this, Sienna! I want to make it this way too now! :)
Celeste says
Would it work to substitute honey instead of the syrup? Flavor wise do you think it would still be good? I’m making a smash cake for my daughters first tomorrow and this seems to be exactly what I’ve been looking for, but I prefer honey(and already have it in the house:p)!
Christina Lane says
I haven't tried honey, Celeste, but I would be cautious because the sugar crystalline structure is different than that of maple syrup. It's also more dense. Your cupcakes might sink :(
Celeste says
Well, i was already in too deep when i read your response, but it think it still turned out really good! I made her a three layer mini smash cake that did end up a bit dense but didn't sink, and still tasted nice. I also made mini cupcakes with the remaining batter and they turned out great! So i'd say honey works as a sub pretty well, but i'll try it your way this week to see if i'd rather have that for her party ;)
cali says
hi Celeste! how many times did you multiply the recipe to make a 3 layer smash cake? and how large was the cake? 6"?
thanks so much! :)
Jennifer says
Delicious ! So glad I found this recipe. Just wondering how long you would say to mix the frosting? I can’t seem to make it as thick as I envisioned it would be. Is there something I can add to make it thicker? Thanks so much.
Ruby Lee says
Hi Christina,
You may have already answered this question, but I don’t think I saw anything about it in the comments...just wondering if I make the cupcakes the night before I serve them should I store them in he fridge or covered on the counter? Just the cupcakes-I’ll do the icing on the day. Thanks in advance for your reply! Looking forward to using your recipe!
Christina Lane says
I would store them on the counter, covered. And yes, icing the day-of for sure :) Enjoy!
Carol says
I just made these but subbed the coconut icing for an orange cream cheese icing (hubby's request) - they are delish! I love the maple flavour in the cupcake! Next time I'm thinking I might add some shredded apple to the batter and a cinnamon crumble type topping (no icing). Thanks for sharing a great recipe! :)