This smash cake is a little four-inch chocolate birthday cake perfect for a first birthday celebration. It’s an easy-to-make Smash Cake that your little one is going to love.
For my first grandson’s first birthday, my daughter wanted him to have his own little smash cake. I wanted him to have a homemade cake from grandma, so we bought a 4″ round cake pan. The perfect size for a smash cake.
I combined the Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake recipe with a two cupcake recipe to make just enough batter for one little 4 inch chocolate cake.
The cake domes as it bakes, if you want, you can leave the rounded top. Or, use a serrated knife to trim the top flat.
You can decorate the cake as simply as you’d like. I’ve used sprinkles and easy-to-make white chocolate curls on smash cakes.
My grandson had never had cake before, but he couldn’t wait to get his little hands on his little birthday cake. My daughter had to put a little piece of cake in his mouth before he realized it was something to eat.
It was so fun to see his eyes light up with that first taste of cake.
I frosted the chocolate smash cake with a simple cream cheese frosting. You could use chocolate frosting or chocolate ganache if you prefer.
Two years later, I also made a smash cake for my second grandson’s first birthday. They have such fun sprinkles available online now, so it’s easy to make a simple cake look fun and festive.
Last year we were excited to welcome our first granddaughter to the family and of course for her first birthday, I had to make something adorable. I bought a sweet little unicorn candle to top the cake and some fun unicorn sprinkles to decorate the cake.
The smash cake was a hit with my granddaughter and all the people at the party.
My daughter throws a big party with family and friends for her babies’ first birthdays, so we needed special cakes for the adults too. I baked two chocolate cheesecake cakes. It’s a triple layer cake with a cheesecake layer in the middle. (I’ll update that post with new pictures of the adults’ unicorn cake soon.)
If you’re looking for a fun way to celebrate your little one’s first birthday, this easy-to-make smash cake is perfect.
Smash Cake for a First Birthday
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup hot water
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray a 4" x 2" round cake pan with baking spray.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Whisk together water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla in a cup. Add to dry ingredients and whisk just until combined.
- Bake 18 - 20 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting. (I frosted the cake with cream cheese icing.)
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Natalie
I made this vanilla by making a couple subs/adjustments & it is VERY good!!
Tysm for posting this recipe, it’s a keeper! And, the bonus is, it’s vegan for those who are interested. =)
Oh, and I used AP flour & the texture is nice & fluffy/soft. If one is looking for dense, I would use a Boxed mix & make the extra batter into cupcakes. This cake is perfect for smashing & eating 😉
Michelle
If i might make a suggestion to the two ladies that complained about the texture?
Might substituting cake flour for the all purpose flour be more suitable to their delicate palates?
My grandma, the best cook and baker I’ve ever known, claimed it made all the difference. 😉
Amanda
Hi! Where’d you get the cake stand for the smash cake? Thank you!
Barbara Schieving
Hi Amanda – I bought it at Macy’s a few years ago https://www.macys.com/shop/product/martha-stewart-collection-serveware-bird-dome-with-cupcake-cake-stand?ID=635886 It looks like it’s no longer available. But I did find it online for you https://www.mercari.com/us/item/m46907779926/?gclsrc=aw.ds&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=12272857581&utm_content=t0&adgroup=116244883326&network=g&device=c&merchant_id=144484408&product_id=297362935391&gclid=CjwKCAjw6fCCBhBNEiwAem5SO-ph6UIf9334TZ2r9rjqM9h5qkEcBdF88FoWEOeNUqfp4on3XTxeOBoCXQwQAvD_BwE
Amanda
Thank you so much! I just ordered it.
Abi Rutherford
Hi, not sure if you will still see the comments for this. What vinegar do you use? I’m making in the UK. Thanks
Barbara Schieving
Hi ABi – distilled white vinegar pictured here https://www.bonappetit.com/story/types-of-vinegars-decoded Enjoy!
Abi Rutherford
Thanks so much!!
Sara
How much cream cheese frosting do I need to make since the cake is so small?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Sara – I would use about 2 ounces of cream cheese, 1/4 cup of powdered sugar, and a splash of vanilla. Add additional powdered sugar if needed for a nice spreading consistency.
Hannah
Is this all that is needed for this frosting or would some softened butter be needed as well?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Hannah – I did use butter as well. Here’s a link to the recipe https://www.barbarabakes.com/chocolate-cheesecake-cake/ and a smaller version https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/chocolate-cake-for-two/ using coconut oil instead.
Michelle
If I want to make a white cake do I just omit the coca?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Michelle – you’d need to replace the cocoa with an equal amount of additional all-purpose flour.
Sara
Hi! Can I use butter instead of vegetable oil. If yes how much? Thanks!
Barbara Schieving
Hi Sara – you could substitute 2 tablespoons melted butter. Enjoy!
Michele
I think I did something wrong. Tasted like flour or like a bread dough.
Barbara Schieving
Hi Michele – sounds like you forgot to add the sugar?
Tammy
I followed the recipe exactly. It came out exactly like yours. It was grainy and flour tasting. Not good. I did not forget the sugar.
Barbara Schieving
Hi Tammy – it’s a scaled-down version of this cake https://www.barbarabakes.com/old-fashioned-chocolate-cake-with-maraschino-cherry-filling/ and it gets great reviews. So perhaps your measuring was off, or your baking soda was old? What type of cocoa did you use?
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella
That’s so cute mum! We have smash cakes here but they tend to be chocolate ones with a chocolate shell you break with a mallet.
Melisa Fu
Hi, do you have a cream cheese icing recipe to share? Thanks!
Barbara Schieving
Hi Melisa – I did a coconut cream cheese frosting in this recipe https://www.barbarabakes.com/chocolate-cake-two-coconut-almond-cream-cheese-frosting/ If you don’t like coconut, just sub butter for the coconut oil and omit the coconut and almonds. Have fun!
Erica
I hope you still see these comments!! My son has an egg/ dairy/ nut allergy (plus a few other things) so I made this cake 3 years ago for my his first birthday and it was perfect! I made it again for his 2nd birthday. Last year we did something different but this year I’d like to do a cake myself again but I’d like to make it a regular sized cake instead of a smash cake. PLUS my husband has a recipe he wants to try (he’s convinced he can do an allergy free cake from one of the boxed cake mixes!) So we’re going to have a bit of a competition this weekend. Can i just triple (quadruple??) all the amount of everything to fit to regular sized round cake pans or is there anything I should do differently?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Erica – sounds like a fun competition. I downsized this smash cake from this full size cake https://www.barbarabakes.com/old-fashioned-chocolate-cake-with-maraschino-cherry-filling/ Have fun!
Erica
Update: it came out perfect and delicious. My husband said it’s better than boxed cake. Which is a compliment from him since that’s his favorite.
HOWEVER my son apparently doesn’t like chocolate! ?
Is there a way to turn this perfect chocolate cake recipe into the perfect vanilla cake recipe?
Barbara Schieving
Thanks for the update. Definitely better than boxed cake 🙂 Try replacing the tablespoon of cocoa with flour and increasing the vanilla to 1 teaspoon.
Christina
Hello,
I’m extremely excited to try this recipe for my son’s first birthday coming up next week. Just wanted to get your suggestion on two things:
(1) can i substitute the cocoa powder with something else?
(2) what measurements and bake time have to be changed if I have a 6″x2″ pan?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Christina – if you don’t want a chocolate cake, just substitute flour for the cocoa. I would double the recipe for a 6×2 inch cake pan. The cook time will be slightly longer but I would start checking on it at 20 minutes.
Tiff
Hi there! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I am trying to avoid giving sugar to my baby, may I know if the sugar can be replaced with unsweetened applesauce (or mashed ripe bananas)?
Barbara Schieving
I haven’t tried replacing the sugar with applesauce or a banana, but it should work. Here’s some good tips https://www.rallyhealth.com/food/try-these-6-sugar-alternatives-for-baking
Mia
Barbara i hope you still check the comments , i have a 4×4 in round cake pan, can I use this instead of the 4×2
Would it make a difference? If so, what should i add more or less of???
Barbara Schieving
Hi Mia – your cake pan is just taller than mine, so you shouldn’t need to make any changes. Happy Birthday to your little one!
Haley
Hi there! The little cake you made looks so precious! I want to make this cake for my sons first birthday, and am wondering if the recipe or bake time would change if I made two 4×2 inch layers? Is the vanilla you mention in this recipe vanilla extract? Also would it be possible to make this recipe a yellow cake?? I’m fairly new to baking, so I really appreciate your help!! Thank you!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Haley – yes, vanilla extract. You can bake two 4×2 inch layers at the same time with no change in cook time. To make it a yellow cake, just substitute additional flour for the cocoa in the recipe. Have fun!
Holly
Hi there! I wondered what the measurements would be for a 6×3 inch cake pan? It’s for my son’s first birthday and he has an egg allergy and this looks like the perfect recipe! Thanks!
Barbara Schieving
Hi Holly – I would double the recipe for a 6×3 inch cake pan. Don’t fill the pan more than 2/3’s full – you could make a cupcake if you do have excess batter. Happy birthday to your sweet little one. Have fun!
Sonia
Barbara, I’m hoping you still check these comments. I’m making this recipe for my sons 1st birthday and the pan (one of those giant cupcake pans) requires 6 cups. Can you tell me how many cups of batter this recipe yields? Thank you for the fantastic eggless option!!
Barbara Schieving
Hi Sonia – I measured the pan for you and it held 2 cups to the top, so about 1 1/2 cups of batter. What I would recommend instead is just using the original recipe and cutting it in half. https://www.barbarabakes.com/old-fashioned-chocolate-cake-with-maraschino-cherry-filling/. Facebook me a picture. I’d love to see it.