Easy-To-Make Smash Cake For A First Birthday Party - Barbara Bakes

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This Smash Cake Recipe is super easy and perfect for a first birthday party! The cake is a four-inch chocolate birthday cake just the right size for a child’s little hands, grabbable and smashable!

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This smash cake is a perfectly-sized 4-inch cake that’s both beautiful and ideal for tiny hands to dig into. A super easy recipe for a fun and photo-worthy event!

The magic of this cake lies in its simplicity – it’s basically a chocolate cake that’s baked in a 4-inch deep cake pan rather than doing layers. It’s finished off with a basic cream cheese frosting and then decorated in whatever colors fit the theme of your birthday celebration!

Jump to:

• Why You’ll Love This Smash Cake Recipe
• Recipe Ingredients
• How to Make A Smash Cake
• Recipe FAQs
• Expert Tips
• Fun Birthday Cakes I Love Making
• More Cake Recipes to Consider
• Easy Smash Cake Recipe for 1st Birthday

Why You’ll Love This Smash Cake Recipe

• Perfect Size: 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. (See the recipe below!)
• Classically Yummy: Who doesn’t love a classic chocolate cake covered in cream cheese frosting? The definition of yum!
• Quick & Easy: This small cake preps in just a few minutes and then bakes quickly so you have more time for decorating or spending with family on this special day.

🎂 My friends and family all know how much I absolutely LOVE making birthday cakes so I am often baking up delicious recipes for wonderful people!

Recipe Ingredients

• All-purpose flour
• Sugar
• Cocoa powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Hot water
• Vegetable oil
• Vinegar
• Vanilla
• Cream Cheese Frosting — or a frosting of your choice

How to Make A Smash Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray a 4×2-inch round cake pan with baking spray.
2. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Whisk together water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla in a cup. Add to dry ingredients and whisk just until combined.
4. Bake 18 – 20 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Recipe FAQs

Can I make this cake ahead of time?

Yes! You can bake the layers up to 2 days in advance and store them wrapped tightly in plastic wrap at room temperature. The assembled cake can be made 1 day ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Just bring it to room temperature about 1 hour before the smash session.

How do I transport this cake to the party venue?

For safe transport, I recommend chilling the assembled cake for at least 2 hours first. Place it in a cake carrier or box that’s at least 8 inches tall to protect the frosting. Put a non-slip mat under the cake board, and keep the air conditioning running in your car to prevent the buttercream from softening.

What is the best icing for this cake?

I personally love to use a basic cream cheese frosting for these types of cakes, but a buttercream icing will also work very well.

Expert Tips

• 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.
• Bring all refrigerated ingredients to room temperature before starting
• Chill cake for 15 minutes between crumb coat and final frosting layer

Easy Decorating Ideas For Beginners

Start with a smooth base coat of white frosting using an offset spatula.

For simple yet effective decoration, try pressing rainbow sprinkles around the bottom edge of the cake or create a basic pattern with them on top.

You can also use a piping bag with a large star tip to make swirls around the top edge – just hold the bag straight up and down, squeeze with consistent pressure, and release gently.

A “1” candle or cake topper adds a perfect finishing touch without requiring advanced decorating skills.

Fun Birthday Cakes I Love Making

I have a collection of cakes to pull from when I need a birthday cake, and these are all tested and approved by dozens of adults and kids!

• Birthday Cupcakes are a go-to pick and I often make them on the side to go with the main birthday cake.
• An alternate to the cupcakes is this Birthday Cheesecake in a Jar. It’s a very fun alternative and everyone thinks it’s so special!
• When in doubt of the birthday boy or girl’s favorite cake flavor, I’ll make The Best Classic Yellow Birthday Cake with Chocolate Frosting because you just can’t beat a classic!
• And kids will always squeal with delight over this McQueen Birthday Cake although you can use the recipe and make it a different character or decor!

More Cake Recipes to Consider

• Easy Apple Streusel Cake
• Quick Chocolate Chip Mug Cake-Ready in 10 Minutes
• Gluten-Free Flourless Chocolate Cake
• Strawberry Shortcake Sheet Cake

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Easy Smash Cake Recipe for 1st Birthday

This Smash Cake Recipe is super easy and perfect for a first birthday party! The cake is a little four-inch chocolate birthday cake just the right size for a child's little hands, grabbable and smashable Prep Time10 minutes minsCook Time20 minutes minsTotal Time30 minutes mins Servings: 1 mini cake Author: Melissa Griffiths Cook ModePrevent your screen from going to sleep

Ingredients

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• 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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