Have you been searching for the perfect healthy birthday cake? Something that doesn’t contain white sugar or gluten? Something totally delicious and perfect for your baby’s first birthday?! This is it! This cake not only has a wonderfully healthy ingredient list, but this recipe makes enough for a smash cake for the birthday baby and an extra cake for the party!
Birthdays are a big deal in our family, and we do not want to skimp on celebration details like birthday cakes just because we don’t want to feed our little ones unhealthy ingredients. This cake is a fabulous alternative because it’s a whole foods cake. It is high in protein and healthy fats, while of course, being naturally sweetened. And don’t worry! Every ingredient in this cake is something that you already have on hand or can easily find.
This cake’s dense and moist texture is absolutely delicious despite how healthy it is. We added tons of vanilla to promote it’s natural sweetness and decorated it with a beautifully sweetened strawberry cream frosting! An ombre appearance makes this cake festive and pretty!
Roses seem to complete the look but feel free to decorate this healthy cake in any way! The light cream frosting is easy to work with. We were very happy with the results of this healthy cake and your little one-year-old will be, too!
Healthy First Birthday Cake
Vanilla Cake:
1 cup Coconut Flour
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
10 Organic Eggs
1 cup Melted Organic Butter or Grape Seed Oil
1 1/2 cups Honey or Agave
4 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
Zest of 1 small Orange
Ombre Strawberry Frosting:
16 ounces, Heavy Cream Or Canned Chilled Full-Fat Coconut Cream
3 ounces Cream Cheese of choice, Softened (Use vegan cream cheese if you want this to be dairy-free)
1- 1 ½ teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract, to taste
4 Tablespoons Raw Honey Or Agave
2 Tablespoons Brown Rice Flour or Oat Flour
8 Tablespoons (1/2 cup) Dehydrated Strawberries, blended until powdered.
Instructions:
Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Line two 8-inch cake pans or two 9-inch pans with parchment paper and lightly butter the edges. 8-inch cakes will give you extra batter for about 4 or 5 cupcakes or another small cake. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, whisk the coconut flour, salt and baking soda. In another large bowl, beat the eggs, butter, honey and vanilla and orange zest together until smooth. Add the dry to the wet in 2 batches and mix until just combined. Pour batter into the prepared pans about 3/4 the way full and bake for 35-40 minutes, cakes will be golden. If baking cupcakes, bake for only 10-16 minutes. Allow cake to cool.
Cover and wrap well and place in the freezer for at least 2 hours (or overnight). Freezing helps lock in moistness and flavor but also makes the cakes easy to frost so DO NOT skip this step. Remove from freezer and set out for 30 minutes.
FOR THE FROSTING: In a small bowl, beat cream until thick and fluffy. Add the cream cheese, vanilla and honey and beat until smooth.
To create the ombre white to dark pink look, scoop out a generous 1/3 portion of the frosting and place in another mixing bowl. Beat in 2 tablespoons of flour to the 1/3 portion of frosting. Slather some frosting on top of the first cake for the inner filling, about 1/4 cup. Place the second cake on top.
Fill a pastry bag with the white frosting with a large star tip (or anything that you like the look of). Start piping a row of roses on the upper 1/3 part of the cake. Pipe roses by creating a continuous circle of frosting until your desired size. Work upwards to cover the top portion of the cake in white roses.
Next, add 4 tablespoons of the strawberry powder to the remaining frosting (or however much powder to reach desired hue). This part will be the light pink color so don’t add too much. Pipe another row of roses on the cake right below the layer of white roses, leaving enough space for the last, darker pink row.
Add the rest of the powdered strawberries to the remaining frosting and beat in until smooth. If the color is not as dark as you’d like, you can add a few drops of strawberry or beet juice or natural food dye. We ended up using 2 drops of natural food dye. Pipe the last row and marvel at your beautiful healthy cake!
Note: The strawberries do not create a very strong flavor and act as more of a powdered sugar substitute while giving color to the ombre appearance. You can substitute with powdered xylitol if you do not want the pink color or fear your baby may be allergic to strawberries. If you don’t want to use xylitol, you may add 5 tablespoons of a flour of choice (not wheat, so it doesn’t change the color) and liquid stevia to taste.
Based on 5 Review(s)
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Elizabeth Piazzola says
I am not a baker, but when my daughter asked me to bake my granddaughter ‘s first birthday cake I took on the challenge. I was so nervous but the fake received rave reviews. Thank you much for the best recipe, a sure keeper. Not to tech Davy would have lived to post a photo. Thank you!
Kelli says
Hello! I would love to try out this healthy cake option. After beating together the cream, cream cheese, honey, and vanilla to make the frosting, do you think I can add some cinnamon to give it a tan color and then just simply spread that onto the cake? My son is turning one and will have a cookie monster party theme and I want to make him a cake that looks like a cookie.
Jacey says
THANK YOU for such a wonderful tasting recipe, I felt like a pro baker and my 1 year old daughter enjoyed “smashing” and eating her cake. My only complaints are that it was an EXPENSIVE investment, which I did not realise looking at the ingredients beforehand, so just be warned Moms, especially if you buy the quality brand vanilla extract. Also I found the amount of honey to be overbearingly sweet and should I attempt this a 2nd time round would use 3/4 of the said amount to suit my taste.
On the GOOD SIDE the orange zest was a decadent touch of flavour and compliments the coconut nicely, cake stayed moist for 3 days,
Heather says
Thank you for this recipe! It was one of the few “Healthy Recipes” not containing whole wheat flour. I’m making mine now and my cake sunk in the middle :( I did a 6 in. Not sure what I could’ve done differently.
Jane says
We loved this recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Francesca Kaounis says
I used a giant cupcake mold and it has been in for over 45 minutes, the edges look very brown but the knife test is still coming out wet. Is the knife test applicable to coconut flour cakes?
Liza says
What a perfect first birthday cake! This cake was outstanding. We could hardly believe this cake was a healthy recipe. Loved this cake recipe and so glad I found your blog. Thanks!
Natural Sweet Recipes says
Thank you for your kind words! I’m so happy this healthy cake recipe worked for you and that you enjoyed it! Healthy cake is one of my favorite things to make (and eat)! :)
Amber Medin says
Do you need to freeze the cupcakes too before icing them?
Natural Sweet Recipes says
You don’t need to, but we recommend doing so. The coconut flour makes the cake a little more delicate and crumbly than other cakes so freezing makes frosting easier.
Karrie says
This was fabulous! What a great recipe this is for all the kids plus the adults. Everyone was happy and mama was happy the kids could eat it! Thanks!
Lauren H says
This cake was delicious! Many healthy first birthday cake recipes contain some weird ingredients but I love this ingredient list. This cake recipe is healthy and filling. It worked great for the extra cake!! We loved it! I like the texture of this cake as well with the whipped cream. It’s a great healthy cake recipe that doesn’t taste healthy!!
Leanne says
We loved this healthy cake! The cake was surprisingly delicious! Thanks for the recipe and for sharing your beautiful decorating tips.
Kassie says
This recipe looks great and I really want to try it for my daughter’s 1st birthday in a few weeks. The only issue is – She’s allergic to EGGS :( and the recipe calls for 10 eggs. Is there anything I can substitute with eggs without sacrificing the taste/texture/overall flavor?
fleur says
Hi! I am at this very moment trying to bake this cake – but I forgot to melt the butter… The mixture is pretty fluid with lumbs of butter now. Do you think I can succesfully bake it after all? Don’t want to throw out the batter of 10 eggs and all that honey :’-(
Jennifer says
Any suggestion on how I can make this for a boy instead of using pink but having some color?
Sarah says
Dehydrated blueberries?
Leslie says
Fantastic! Strawberries and cream flavor was delicious.
Leslie Fierro says
Hi there, if I were to just do all cupcakes, do you have an idea of about how many your batter would produce? Thanks!!
Leslie Fierro says
Oh duh, sorry for not reading through the comments, cupcakes = about 2 dozen, got it!
Anna says
I’m doing a test run and so far the cake tastes amazing! For the frosting, I will use a can of coconut cream. I notice a few comments above you say chilled. I checked out other coconut cream recipes online and they say refrigerate the can then scoop out just the creamy bit. Is that right?
Do you think I could take this out of the freezer to frost, then put in the fridge until the party the following day?
Thank you
Birthday Cake Recipe says
I am so excited to try this baby birthday cake recipe! What a great recipe!
Ash says
I am making my nephew’s first birthday cake and this recipe sounds amazing. I just make it and the butter wasn’t melted all the way so I ended up with butter chunks. I am hoping that doesn’t cause problems, but I used a 10″ square cake and the entire batch only half filled the 10″ square. Does that sound about right or should this recipe have produced more batter? Thank you.
bree says
I’m having a hard time with the icing. Cake part is so delicious. What brand of coconut cream did you use? The kind I use comes in a box and is solid until I run water over it. Then I feel like it hardens back up when mixing with the other ingredients. Any suggestions?
Natural Sweet Recipes says
Bree, we use a canned coconut milk – but only the thick white portion. I am unfamiliar with the box kind, but if it is firm, it would work even better. I wouldn’t add water to it and try mixing it as is. Good luck!
Anna Kosharko says
It tastes really good, but the cakes did not rise at all in the oven. They stayed at one inch, so my cake looks like a little, thin tart. Did I do something wrong? I beat the liquid ingredients for almost 10 minutes. Usually, when I beat eggs with sugar, it allows for the cakes to rise. Maybe it’s not the case with agave. That was my trial run, and my son’s birthday party is in a few days. I really want to make this cake, but it doesn’t look like a cake with only 3 inches in height. :(
Anna Kosharko says
Just read a previous person’s comment. I used a 9″ pan. I use all US measurements you’d mentioned. I’ll get new baking soda, just in case. That was the only ingredient that wasn’t purchased for this cake. It may have been old. Any other thoughts?
Natural Sweet Recipes says
Hi Anna,
I’m so sorry about the cakes not rising! That is frustrating! Since you followed the recipe and read all the comments and suggestions, I think the baking soda could be the culprit. If you wanted to be safe, you could throw in an extra 1 teaspoon of Baking Powder to ensure the cakes rise. Another suggestion is to save the cakes you just made in the freezer and use them in addition to making this recipe again. If for some reason with the new baking soda they still don’t rise, a layer of 6 thin cakes would be enough height and still be very pretty! Good luck and we’d love to hear how they end up working for you!
Anna Kosharko says
Thank you. I’ll try that tomorrow. I also followed the recipe for the frosting and it was not thick at all. It slid down the cake. Do you add the 2 tbsp of oat flour to the entire bowl or a portion? Should I add more to thicken it? I really don’t want to give up and want the guests to enjoy the cake.
Natural Sweet Recipes says
It sounds like the frosting needs to be whipped longer. The flour is added for the portion that does not have the strawberries so it stays nice and thick. Are you using coconut cream or whipped cream? If it’s whipped cream, continuing whipping until stiff peaks. It won’t be runny at all. If you’re using coconut cream, make sure it’s just the thick white portion and be sure it’s chilled and whipped until it’s also very firm. You can add extra flour if it’s a little runny or add more strawberries to make the entire cake pink. I’m sorry this has given you some difficulties!
Anneline says
I tried this cake…it is sooo delicious. I will definitely be using it for my daughter’s 1st birthday this year.
However, Can anyone let me know how to get the frosting to hold up. Maybe I was too inpatient after mixing the frosting, but it was too loose when applied to the cake. Do I just add more cream cheese to make it firmer. I was thinking of making this 2 days ahead, then the frosting the day before, & placing it all together the morning of her birthday.
Any suggestions?
Brooke Gillett says
Hi! This cake seems delicious, but it did not rise! It is definitely nowhere near as tall as in the photos. I need it to have sides that I can decorate as I am making my son’s first birthday cake this weekend. Do you think perhaps U.S. measurements or names for things are different in Australia…?
Natural Sweet Recipes says
Hi Brooke, I’m so sorry this cake didn’t rise for you. The cake pictured was baked with the two rounds and stacked for the extra height. I am not familiar with measurements in Australia, but that could definitely be factor. Different countries tend to differ for the amount of “1 cup” or “tablespoon”. One common problem for cakes and muffins not rising is using old rising agents. If your baking soda is not the problem, I would double check you are using 8-inch cake rounds. Good luck!
paws says
Hi! How far in advance can I frost this cake? Thanks!
Natural Sweet Recipes says
Hello! Once the cake is cooled, you can frost this cake up to 4-5 hours before serving.
Jerrica says
Hi there! Love the recipe! Any substitutes for the rice/oat flour in the frosting? And also a good substitute for the dehydrated strawberries that would maintain the consistency so I can still pipe it? I couldn’t find either of those ingredients at the store today. Thanks!
Natural Sweet Recipes says
Hello Jerrica, the flour is meant to help thicken it. If you use whipped cream, you can get away with skipping the flour. If also using whipped cream, you could whip the creawm until firm peaks and omit the strawberries as well. We would add stevia extract for sweetness and you could use use a flavored extract for flavor. I hope that helps!
Wednesday O'Keefe says
This was delicious!!! For my 1 year old’s birthday I made this cake for her using agave instead of honey. Even though she can have honey after a year, I thought agave was a better to option. I also used an 8″ pie pan and rather than making cup cakes with the extra batter, I made a third layer which worked out perfectly. I doubled the frosting recipe to make sure there was enough and there was plenty of extra.
**be sure to grind the dehydrated strawberries to a fine dust because I kept getting particles stuck in the star frosting tube.
Loved it, super yummy!
Natural Sweet Recipes says
Hi Janea, we are so glad you enjoyed this! Thanks for your comment!
Kellie says
Can a blue version of the frosting be made with blue food colouring, tapioca flour (or another type of flour) and agave nectar instead? If so, what quantities would you use?
Natural Sweet Recipes says
You can absolutely use blue food coloring. We would not be able to give quantity suggestions for other ingredients in the cake. Coconut flour is too unique and we have not tried this using any other flours. Agave can be substituted in the cake using the same quantity as the honey. Thank you!
Kellie says
Thank you. I meant for the frosting, not the cake. Just wondering if it would change the consistency because I would be using blue food colouring rather than freeze dried strawberries.
Sarah says
This cake turned out FANTASTIC. I wish I had known about this cake for my first daughter’s birthday. I’m glad I know about it now. When are you girls going to make a little boy’s version? :D Will love to see that recipe soon!
katherine says
So glad to have stumbled across your page – this cake looks perfect for an upcoming first birthday party! However, I’m curious to find out if you use a specific egg size? In the UK our recipes always call for medium or large eggs (and apparently it actually makes a difference), so I’m just wondering if you can give me any guidance?
Thanks! Can’t wait to try this cake!
Annie says
Hi Katherine! Thanks for the comment and asking that question! We always use large eggs and this cake especially needs that ample amount of liquid. It sounds like a lot, but coconut flour acts like sponge and you’ll find you’ll need it! :) We hope you enjoy this cake!
Rose says
hello! making this cake right now.. fingers crossed!! Quick question. Once the cake is in the freezer, I know I take it out for frosting. But do I need to wait for the cake to come to room temp to serve? Any idea how long that takes? Cheers!
Annie says
Hi Rose! It’s definitely best to wait at least an hour to serve. We serve this cake around 1 1/2 to 2 hours after removing from the freezer so it’s just chilled! We hope you enjoy it!
Melissa says
I have been searching for hours on line for just the right cake to make for my friend’s birthday this weekend. She doesn’t eat cane sugar…but that shouldn’t mean she can’t have a proper cake for her birthday!
I am writing to you because I am nervous. I am a pretty capable baker. I make amazing (and pretty sophisticated) cakes, if I do say so myself ;-) But I’m no chemist and the science of baking without sugar intimidates me terribly.
Would it be alright to use a combination of maple syrup and agave? I have had luck with that duo for cookies…
Also, I wonder about this “sponginess” some have reported. Can that be solved by using one less egg? I don’t mind a spongey cake so much, but, again, I am nervous.
Anyway, if you have any tips or notes that you’ve gathered since first publishing this recipe, I would greatly appreciate some coaching.
P.S. I anticipate adding whipped cream to the frosting, as per “Olivia” (above, 3/30/15)–thanks, Olivia! Sounds like a great idea.
Annie says
Hey Melissa!
We absolutely understand your nervousness! Sugar-free baking can be scary. Our best advice is to read all the comments listed (as it sounds like you have!) and just follow the directions carefully. If you are super scared, make this ahead of time. It freezes great so if you are happy with the results, you can save it for your event or remake it later if there were any mistakes. You could absolutely use a combination of the liquid sweeteners. The spongy texture is more of like a really moist angel food cake I think. One less egg will throw off the liquid ratio of this recipe.. it *might* work, but coconut flour is really unique and so we really can’t vouch for the results. I hope that helps you! Sorry for the late response, we’ve been out of town! :)
Olivia says
Hi There, I loved this cake. I ended up adding whipped cream to the frosting and it was so good!! I could not believe how easy and healthy this turned out to be. Make sure you use good all the strawberries and sweetness of the frosting really depends on preference. I didn’t really need any stevia or anything in the frosting. I also added some fresh strawberries for garnish. It was just delightful.
FirstBirthday says
Thanks a million Annie.
Another question: is brown rice flour ok?
Hopefully I’ll get all the amounts converted correctly into grams :-).
Only learning to bake. Husband will help to dehydrate the strawberries. Couldn’t find them here in Ireland. Want to have it right before her 1st birthday in 2 months.
FirstBirthday says
Hi again,
I’m planning to use Rice Syrup instead of honey. Is that OK?
Annie says
Hello, brown rice flour will not work at all for this recipe. Coconut flour is a very unique ingredient and no other flour will work. That’s so great about the strawberries! I bet dehydrating them yourself will produce awesome flavor! We don’t have much experience with brown rice syrup, we aren’t sure how the flavor would effect it, but many readers have had success with maple syrup. I hope that helps!
FirstBirthday says
Hi Annie,
Thanks a million for your reply and advice.
Looking forward to baking your cake in few hours :-)
Annie says
No problem! We hope you enjoy the cake! :)
firstBirthday says
Thanks for sharing this lovely recipe. Great looking cake! Going to make it this week.
1. Did you use medium sized eggs?
2. Can I use lemon zest instead of orange as I’m allergic to orange?
Annie says
Hello! We usually use large eggs, but medium will work for this recipe. Yes, lemon zest will work fine, but you might want to decrease the amount a bit since it’s not as sweet as the orange. I hope you enjoy this cake!
Elan says
Hi! Thanks for the recipe – I think the cake came out great, but the frosting didn’t work at all – maybe you can help me. I used coconut butter and regular cream because I couldn’t find coconut cream at any stores. I basically whipped the cream and then added the rest and mixed those in. The result was grainy, as if the oil in the coconut butter had solidified in tiny pieces. Was I supposed to use warm cream? Then, for the white icing, I added coconut flour, which turned it cream color, and it became mushy and watery, and would not squeeze through the icing tip due to the graininess from the coconut butter. I had to throw that batch away. I added strawberry powder to the other and it was a little better, although also a bit watery, not creamy and I didn’t even try the icing tip, just spread it on. My other question is if there is any way to reduce the sweetness in this cake – I liked the flavor overall, but it was too sweet for us (and I have a sweet tooth!).
Annie says
Hi Elan!
Oh no, I’m so sorry! Did you use coconut butter or coconut oil? You need coconut butter and it should be soft, at room temperature so that it will beat smoothly. The cream shouldn’t have been warmed, but not super chilled (not right out of the fridge). As for the coconut flour added, I’m not sure what happened. Perhaps it’s best to use rice flour or another type of gluten-free flour so I will change that part of the recipe so it’s not confusing to anyone else. I am so sorry for your results and we definitely know how frustrating it is to throw something out. In the future, you can omit the coconut butter/cream cheese so it’s just a whipped cream frosting with some strawberry flavor. It won’t hold up as well, so you won’t be able to pipe the design, but it certainly would still be delicious.
As far as sweetness goes, you can decrease the sweetener in the actual cake to 1 1/4 cup. You can also decrease the sweetener in the frosting by 2 tablespoons… that might be enough to curb the sweetness. I hope you enjoyed it enough overall and will try it again with the changes! :)
Sandy says
Hi, I would like to make this icing tomorrow but I don’t have the dehydrated strawberries or coconut flour. I intend to use natural food colouring and maybe it would work to use tapioca flour to make the icing more firm? What do you think?
Annie says
Hi Sandy. We haven’t tried tapioca flour in this recipe. The frosting taste would change drastically so you would have to know you like that flavor, otherwise, you may not even like it. We aren’t sure about texture either. For the cake, we wouldn’t recommend changing out the flour. Coconut flour is pretty unique and requires a lot of liquid. If you try it, please post your results! We’d love to hear of successful substitutes. Good luck!
Mack says
Can you guess how many cupcakes this would make? Trying to decide if I should double the recipe or not.
Annie says
Hi Mack,
This recipe will yield around 20-24 cupcakes. It’s not a huge recipe, so I would suggest doubling it for a very large crowd. Hope you enjoy them!
Ally says
Wow, this is so pretty! You girl have such a knack for styling!
Annie says
Thank you, Ally! That is so sweet of you to say – we are always trying to get better at it. :)
Jessica says
One more question. I know I read the answer somewhere but can’t find it now. Can I ice them 24 hrs before and keep them in a cupcake carrier in the refrigerator? Thanks sI much for the recipe and help!
Jessica says
My daughter’s birthday party is in 3 weeks. I made the cupcakes last night. I wrapped them in parchment paper, aluminum foil and then placed them in a zip lock bag. Do you think they will last?
Annie says
Yes, they should last just fine! We hope you enjoy them for the party!
Aaron says
My cake came out a bit spongy. It was really yummy, but the texture was a little different. Very good though. I loved it with the frosting!!! Great recipe overall.
Bethany says
I wish I could eat this whole thing myself, but alas, I have to share. Fantastic recipe, thank you!!!
Lydia says
Gorgeous cake, great recipe. Honestly, I am so glad to have found this winner! Thanks!
Kristi says
I’m looking for a recipe for my daughter’s first birthday in a couple weeks and this looks amazing! We have a number of guests that need gluten & soy free as well so this looks like it will fit the bill for everyone, which makes my life easier. I plan to make a small tiered smash cake for my daughter, as well as cupcakes for the guests. So a couple of questions – 1. How many cupcakes do you estimate one recipe makes? And how full should I fill the cupcake liners? and 2. I love that this recipe can made ahead of time! Do the cupcakes freeze ok if they are individually wrapped? Thanks so much for posting such a great recipe – I look forward to making (and eating) it!
Annie says
Hi Kristi! I’m glad you found a recipe that will work for your daughter and your guests!
Sorry for not writing out better directions for the cupcakes!
To answer your questions:
If just using this recipe to make cupcakes, it will make about 20-25 cupcakes. Since you want to make a small smash cake as well, you could probably get between 10-15 cupcakes, depending on how big the smash cake is. Fill batter about 3/4 the way full for cupcakes. Yes, cupcakes will freeze well when wrapped individually – but they will not last as long in the freezer as the cake, just in case you were going to test out this recipe a few weeks before the event. :) But they will last great for a few days. They will also thaw quicker than a cake, which is also nice!
I hope your family and guests enjoy this! Thanks for the comment.
Annie
Jen says
I’m making this cake RIGHT NOW! It smells lush! The batter tasted lush! But it’s not solidifying! The outside edges are getting solid, but after 40 min, it’s still pretty much liquid. Did you use a fan assisted oven?
Annie says
Hi Jen, how did the cake turn out? We did not use a fan in the oven. I hope it baked up well for you!
Tricia says
Thank you so much for this recipe! I was searching for a cake to adapt for my daughter’s first birthday due to some food sensitivities, and this turned out great! I substituted coconut oil in the cake, and reduced the honey slightly and replaced it with 1/2 water and 1/2 apple juice. The cake was so moist and delicious with such a great texture! We used coconut cream and coconut butter only for the frosting. She had so much fun discovering cake for the first time, and I loved making something for her that I knew wouldn’t bother her tummy!
Annie says
Hi Tricia, we are so happy you discovered something that worked for you! Your substitutions sound amazing!! Thank you for sharing how they worked out for you. We hope your little girl had a fantastic birthday!
Erica says
This recipe looks beautiful! Would I be able to substitute coconut sugar for the honey? Thanks!
Annie says
Hi Erica, the flavor of coconut sugar would be fantastic in this, but we haven’t tried a dry sweetener in this recipe. If you tried it, you may need to decrease the flour or play around with the other liquids. If you do experiment with it, please let us know how it worked out for you! We do know others have had success using maple syrup and agave if you want to stay away from the honey. Thank you!
Caitlin says
I am trying this cake for my son’s first birthday so I’m attempting green icing instead of pink by using liquid chlorophyll for colouring. I’m running into issues when I try to beat the coconut flour into the icing, it seems to result in a grainy consistency. Is it likely that the texture of my coconut flour is too coarse? Any chance you have any suggestions? Would the consistency if the icing be ok if I omit the flour dehydrated strawberry powder?
Annie says
Hi Caitlin,
We are not sure what the problem could be since all the coconut flour we use is very very fine. You could try using another flour or blending up the flour before using. For the icing, you will need another powder and sweetener if you omit the fruit because the fruit helps sweeten the frosting. It also makes it firm enough for piping. I hope that helps you!
Kristin says
Hi!! So I just made this for my daughters first birthday party tomorrow. I used coconut butter in the frosting and found that it was starting to melt..I had roses slipping off the cake. So I fixed it and stuck it in a cake box in the fridge. The box is not airtight..standard cardboard cake box. My question is..her party isn’t until 3 pm tomorrow. Do you think it will be ok that long in the fridge?
Annie says
Hi Kristen,
Sorry, our internal site was down this weekend. I hope this turned out well enough for you! Please let us know how it was with the coconut butter!
Kay @ Healthy Home says
This look just stunning. I will keep in this in mind for my friend’s little girls birthday. She will love it. I just wish I had this for a boys birthday.
Isabel Chan says
This is sooo pretty! I wanted to ask can you make this cake ahead of time and keep it in the fridge frosted and everything? How long do you think it would last if we did so.
Annie says
Thanks, Isabel!
If you kept the cake frozen ahead of time and kept the frosting made and stored in an airtight container in the fridge, the cake will last for up to 3 months and the frosting will last for about 3-4 days. If you have a cake stand that will keep the entire cake covered without messing the frosting, this cake will last 2-3 days in the fridge. Assembling it all together and having it uncovered will only be good for a few hours… I would say 5-6 at most. I hope that’s helpful! Good luck!
Kathy says
Has anyone tried coconut sugar instead of agave or honey?
Lyndsay says
WOW! this looks amazing! Can’t wait to make this for my daughter 1st birthday at the end of march! Ive been searching everywhere for a healthy birthday cake and finally found THE ONE!
Where did you buy the organic butter from? and could i use coconut oil instead of butter or will that make it too runny?
Thanks :)
Annie says
Hi Lyndsay! I’m so glad we could help. :)
We buy organic butter from either Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods or Costco. Sometimes our regular grocery store sells it as well as local farms.
Unfortunately, we can not vouch for the coconut oil in this. You could always do a test run before her birthday using the coconut oil. If you want to stay away from butter, we would suggest grape seed oil. Good luck! And please share feedback if you try the coconut oil. Thanks!
Lyndsay says
Ok thank you oh and another question, how many grams of powder does the dyhydrated strawberries make up?
Annie says
I’m so sorry, we didn’t measure it like that. We slowly measured and immediately added it to the frosting so that we could control how deep pink we needed for each frosting layer. I hope that helps.
Cat Pitman says
This sounds amazing! Do you use salted or unsalted butter in the cake?? Also, is there a strong coconut flavor from using the coconut flour?
Annie says
We use unsalted butter so we can control the salt amount and use healthier salts. There is absolutely no coconut flavor at all! It’s totally hidden by all the other ingredients. Thank you!
Asmita says
Hi,
The frosting was amazing and worked great.
I was so excited to try the frosting recipe.
This cake was wonderful. All the kids loved it!
This is awesome!!!!
Annie says
Thank you, Asmita! I am so glad you enjoyed this cake!
Stephanie says
Hi! Im so excited to try the frosting recipe. I was wondering, though, can i use other types of freeze dried fruit to create diffrent colors? Or, should i use the flour or zylitol alternative and add natural food coloring? Thank you for any advise! Like yall, birthday partys…especially cakes are a huge part of our family! Ive been searching for a recipe that you can pipe with thats not filled with crisco or powdered sugar. Lol. Thank you!
Annie says
We are glad our cake is what you are looking for!! Yes, you could absolutely use other freeze dried fruits! You will want to be sure that you like the taste of the fruit in combination with the cake. There is not a very strong fruit flavor to the frosting, but it is present. I personally don’t think a kiwi or mango added would taste that great with this… but it is personal preference! We added a bit of natural food coloring in addition to the strawberries just so it would be nice and bold for pictures but we would still recommend using it, no matter if you decide to use extra natural sugar or flour. :) Hope you enjoy it!
Raquel says
What a lovely job you did! Its so refreshing to actually find a beautiful, healthy cake AND frosting recipe! My daughter turns 1 in two weeks, and i volunteered to make her friends birthday cake also, which is in a couple of days! My question is, does the cake need to be refrigerated once frosted? Or could it be left out for everyone to see how lovely it is? Thank you!
Annie says
Hi Raquel! This cake is fine to be left out at room temperature for a few hours. We frosted this cake when it was still pretty frozen, took pictures and then ate it probably two hours after that. It held up great and was thawed, but still a little cold by the time we ate it. Happy birthday to your daughter and friend! :) Hope everyone loves this!
Amy says
I had a hard time with this cake, honestly. It was too much liquid and caused all kinds of problems. First, it spilled out of my springform pans, so I poured it in another circle pan with the paper lining. The liquid spilled under the paper and the end result was a very hard to chew cake with paper in the middle of it. I wanted this cake to work, but maybe I’ll just try the frosting with another cake.
Annie says
I am sorry this didn’t work out well for you! We know how frustrating that is! We don’t bake in springform pans – only the rounds. Did you change anything in the recipe? We might be able to help see what went wrong. If you don’t want to try it again, the frosting recipe is delicious on any kind of cake. So sorry and good luck!
Amy says
The frosting was amazing and worked great. Not sure what I did wrong with the cake…:( I will be keeping this frosting recipe though!:)
Annie says
Oh good! Glad the frosting worked out well!
Tina says
Mine turned out the same way. I followed exactly. It’s in the freezer now. I hope it’s not too hard!
Jayne says
Oh my gosh, this cake was wonderful. All the kids loved it! I couldn’t believe how delicious it came out to be. I will be making this for all birthdays now. If anyone wants to know- I substituted heavy cream for coconut milk. It was delicious!
Annie says
We are so glad you liked it! And glad you liked the coconut milk substitute as well! It gives a nice sweetness to the frosting, doesn’t it?
Jamie says
This looks yummy!!! I am very new to the healthy cooking and was thinking about my daughters 1st birthday in Feb. Your recipe calls for honey or agave but do you thing pure maple syrup would be a substitute that would work. I know there is controversy over babies and honey (not sure why)
Can’t wait to try this out for her!!
Annie says
Maple syrup would work well but it may give a strong maple flavor. The other two liquids are more subtle. Most controversies about honey are because there are natural botulism spores in honey. But honey is actually safe for babies over one year. So first birthdays are accepted as safe. :) Let us know if you decide to try the maple. Thank you for the comment!
Jamie says
Thanks so much. I am going to make a test run and try the organic maple because I have a lot of it. I will let you know how it turns out. Excited to be starting this adventure of changing the way we eat!!
Jamie says
I made the test batch today and all I can say is WOW!! yum yum. I used organic maple syrup and omitted the orange zest because I wasn’t sure about that combo. I also used the maple in the icing as well. It wasn’t overpowering at all. It might be one of the best cakes I have every had let alone it being healthier. I will be doing this for her birthday in a few weeks for sure :) I took the one layer and made 2 small rounds for her smash cake and froze them today. Then used the others for us to taste and enjoy :) and now when her birthday comes all I need to do is ice her cake and bake another one for the rest of us to enjoy. Thx sooooo much. It is delicious :)
Annie says
Yay! So glad you liked it. What a fabulous idea to use some extra for a smash cake!! I am also really happy to hear the maple syrup turned out so well. I guess we will have to try it now if it’s as delicious as you say. :) Thanks for leaving a comment to share how the changes went and happy birthday to your 1-year-old!
Krissie - Pearls of Style says
Yum, great cooking girls! I’ve never baked with coconut flour before but I’m keen to give it a go now.
Carrie says
This is perfect! My baby is turning one next week! I am curious though, could these be made into cupcakes easily?
Annie says
Happy 1 year to your baby! That’s exciting! Cupcakes should bake for about 10-16 minutes. It would probably work great, but you’ll have to watch them closely since we can’t give you an exact baking time. GOod luck!
Jessica @ Desserts with Benefits says
This cake looks absolutely amazing!! The close-up pic of the cake kinda makes me want to grab at my computer screen… haha.
And congrats on making such a healthy frosting recipe. I have never seen such a lovely piping job using healthy, natural ingredients. It looks like it’s full of sugar and butter and food coloring but it’s not… I wish that was MY birthday cake!
Annie says
That’s so nice of you! It’s fun trying a “lighter” frosting recipe than most sugar and butter ones. And it goes really well with the light strawberry flavor. :) Thanks for the nice comment! :)
Jan @ Sprouts n Squats says
Wow what a pretty and delicious looking cake :)
Kelli H (Made in Sonoma) says
It’s so pretty!
Annie says
Thank you, Kelli!
Kelly @ hidden fruits and veggies says
I’m pretty intrigued by using dehydrated strawberries as a powdered sugar substitute! I always hate adding a bunch of powdered sugar. Definitely keeping this trick in mind!
Annie says
Yeah, we were excited to try it! Thanks, Kelly!
Guro says
hello:) Its my daughters first birthday tomorrow and I want to try this cake.
Can I use regular flour instead of coconut flour without changing anything else in the recipe?
Annie says
I am so sorry, but we have not tried it and I am not sure it would work. Coconut flour is light and very absorbent. It also requires more eggs than in regular baking – hence the 10 whole eggs! If you changed out the flour, you wouldn’t need as many eggs. At that point, it’s a whole other recipe, since the eggs make up for so much of the cake and we could not vouche for the results. I’m sorry! I wish I could even suggest another gluten free flour, but coconut flour is pretty unique. If you are not sure where to buy it, any health or natural food store will have it. Good luck! And Happy Birthday to your baby girl!
Annie says
Thank you, Britt! That is so nice of you and we’re happy you liked it!