Well, when it comes to your Baby’s first birthday cake, although it is up to you us a mom or as parents to decide the kind of cake you want to make or buy for your princess/prince birthday.There are a few things you must keep in mind. In 2020, it was said that dietary guidelines in the U.S.A recommend children under Two years old to no longer be given foods with added sugar, including cake.
In Europe where I live, it is pretty much the same. The EU Science Hub has an article about feeding infants and young children and in there it say’s, the dietary guidelines recommend infants and young children to eat a balanced diet that includes a variety of foods with limited amounts of sugar, fat and salt.
In the western world, a child’s first birthday party is remembered with a picture of the little one, sitting in front of a cake covered in icing as well as him/herself. Where as in Africa where I grew up years ago, on a child’s first birthday, an egg that has been boiled will be presented to the little one and whilst being watched, he/she play’s with this egg until it turns to mush and the child begins to eat pieces of the egg. However, things have changed there as well. They also do fancy cakes covered in icing and huge celebrations for their baby’s first birthday too which I find totally unnecessary because not only does it make a big mess, it gets wasted because the baby does not really eat it.
So here is a much healthy, clean and simple option for your baby’s first birthday cake.
Ingredients :
60g ( 1/2 Cup ) Almond Flour
60g ( 1/2 Cup ) Whole Wheat Flour
250g ( 1 1/2 ) Banana
25g ( 4 pieces ) Dates
30g ( 3 Tablespoons ) Melted Butter
3 Tablespoons Butter Milk/Normal Full Fat Milk ( at room temperature )
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
Pinch Salt
Procedure :
Pre-heat your oven to 170°c, butter and line your baking pan with parchment paper to prevent cake from sticking. I used a 17 cm Spring form pan, you can use a rectangular baking pan if that is what you have handy.
In a clean bowl, mash banana using the back of a fork until creamy. Chop dates really fine, add to mashed banana and stir well to combine.
in another bowl, combine whole wheat flour, almond flour, salt and baking powder. Using a wire whisk, stir well and create a wheel in the middle. Add butter milk, melted butter, mashed banana with dates and vanilla extract.
Using a spatula, stir to combine wet and dry ingredients. Transfer batter into the baking dish and bake for 20—25 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
When your baby’s first birthday cake is done, let it cool on wire rack and sprinkle with chocolate flakes like I did or whip heavy whipping cream without any sugar until it reaches soft peeks and frost the cake with it.
Click this link to watch a full video of me making this baby’s first birthday cake recipe.
Click this link to check out my whole wheat bread recipe for the whole family
Thank you and I hope you find this post helpful.