Almond Flour Apple Cake (Smash Cake)
on Apr 17, 2023, Updated Mar 17, 2024
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If you’ve been on the hunt for a simple-to-make smash cake recipe for your little one, look no further than this melt-in-your-mouth almond flour apple cake!
Most smash cake recipes use bananas as the base ingredient, but this smash cake is sweetened with applesauce for a subtle apple flavor. The almond flour gives the cake a soft and delicate texture that is perfect for little ones to break down. I love serving this cake topped with fresh berries or sauteed cinnamon apples to fully bring out that apple flavor!
Table of Contents
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What You’ll Need
Here is what you’ll need to make this almond flour apple cake:
- Almond Flour: I use superfine-textured almond flour for this cake. I love to use the Kirkland brand blanched almond flour!
- Eggs: Serves as a binder to help the cake hold its shape.
- Applesauce: For the main apple flavor in the cake. Make sure to use natural unsweetened applesauce.
- Maple Syrup: The main source of sweetness for this cake.
- Oil: Used to help moisten the cake texture.
- Cinnamon: Warm spice for added flavor.
- Baking Powder: Leavening agent for the cake.
Step By Step Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, applesauce, maple syrup, and oil until smooth.
- To the same bowl, add the almond flour, cinnamon, and baking powder and mix until it is combined and well incorporated into a smooth batter.
- Line the bottom of two 4-inch cake pans (OR one 6-inch cake pan) with parchment paper and spray the sides of the pan with an oil spray. This step is very important to ensure that the cake does not stick.
- If you are using two 4-inch cake pans, evenly distribute the batter between the two pans. If you are using a 6-inch cake pan, pour all of the cake batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake the cake for 30 minutes, or until the top is set and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely before removing it from the pan.
- If you are using 4-inch cake pans, place one cake on top of the other. Top with fresh berries or cinnamon apples and serve!
Ingredient Substitutions
- Eggs: The eggs may be replaced with a liquid egg replacer like the brand Just Egg. Flax eggs do not work in this recipe.
- Maple Syrup: The maple syrup may be omitted, but the cake will not be as sweet. though the unsweetened applesauce will still provide some subtle sweetness.
Storage Instructions
Once cooled, store the cake in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You may also freeze the cake in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
Recipe Notes
- If you want to make a mini smash cake like the one I have shown in the pictures above, use two 4-inch cake pans. I find that layering two 4-inch cakes on top of each other is perfect for a smash cake. If you prefer to use a 6-inch cake pan, pour all of the paper into one pan. If you’d like to make a larger cake, you can double the recipe and use two 6-inch cake pans or one 8-inch cake pan.
- I like to top this cake with fresh berries or cinnamon apples, but you can also frost it with some yogurt!
- Please do not skip the step of lining the cake pans with parchment paper and spraying the pan with oil! Doing this ensures that the cake does not stick to the pan.
Here are some other sweet treats that you may like!
Almond Flour Apple Cake
If you've been on the hunt for a simple-to-make smash cake recipe for your little one, look no further than this melt-in-your-mouth almond flour apple cake!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsweetenend applesauce
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp mild tasting oil
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 ¼ cups almond flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
- In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, applesauce, maple syrup, and oil until smooth.
- To the same bowl, add the almond flour, cinnamon, and baking powder and mix until it is combined and well incorporated into a smooth batter.
- Line the bottom of two 4-inch cake pans (OR one 6-inch cake pan) with parchment paper and spray the sides of the pan with an oil spray. This step is very important to ensure that the cake does not stick.
- If you are using two 4-inch cake pans, evenly distribute the batter between the two pans. If you are using a 6-inch cake pan, pour all of the cake batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake the cake for 30 minutes, or until the top is set and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely before removing it from the pan.
- If you are using 4-inch cake pans, place one cake on top of the other. Top with fresh berries or cinnamon apples and serve!
Notes
-
- If you want to make a mini smash cake like the one I have shown in the pictures above, use two 4-inch cake pans. I find that layering two 4-inch cakes on top of each other is perfect for a smash cake. If you prefer to use a 6-inch cake pan, pour all of the paper into one pan. If you’d like to make a larger cake, you can double the recipe and use two 6-inch cake pans or one 8-inch cake pan.
- I like to top this cake with fresh berries or cinnamon apples, but you can also frost it with some yogurt!
- Please do not skip the step of lining the cake pans with parchment paper and spraying the pan with oil! Doing this ensures that the cake does not stick to the pan.
Nutrition
Calories: 322.07kcal, Carbohydrates: 16.58g, Protein: 10.23g, Fat: 26.37g, Saturated Fat: 7.69g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.54g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1.25g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 81.84mg, Sodium: 138.47mg, Potassium: 65.42mg, Fiber: 4.01g, Sugar: 8.74g, Vitamin A: 123.96IU, Vitamin C: 0.16mg, Calcium: 158.66mg, Iron: 1.89mg
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!
Hi, I would like to create this for my daughter’s first birthday, but I have not introduced tree nuts yet as I have a severe allergy and have been a little fearful. Could I replace the almond flour with regular all purpose flour?
Hi Jennifer! Unfortunately all purpose flour wouldn’t work for this specific recipe, but I would recommend using this cake recipe that uses all purpose flour instead. You can bake it in two small 6-inch bake pans if you’d like to make it into a mini smash cake😊
I have been so happy with all of the recipes I’ve made from FTB, but this one “takes the cake” (oh no she didn’t). I made this for my baby on his first birthday and it was absolutely perfect. To my amazement and slight horror, he ate almost all of it, and the Just Egg as an egg substitute worked out perfectly! 10/10 recommend 🙂
Haha I love the pun😅 Thank you for sharing your feedback, I’m so glad that your little one enjoyed this cake!😊
This was a huge hit for my daughter’s 1st birthday! Since then I’ve made them into mini muffins for snacks and they never last long! Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so glad that this cake was a hit for your little one’s birthday!😊
Hi Lily, this looks amazing and I plan to make it for baby girls birthday. Is there something else I could use for oil for the pan? Butter or regular oil? Most sprays contain soy. Thanks!
Hi Kirsten! I usually use the chosen foods avocado oil spray can which is soy-free, but you can also use butter to grease the pan. I hope your little one likes this recipe if you try it out for her birthday!😊
Lily! This. Was. So. Good!! I honestly want to make a second cake just so I can have some of it. I only got a little taste as I missed greasing part of my pan and it stuck there lol Thank you for sharing this with us!
Haha I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, Kirsten!😊
I made 2 of these for my twins first birthday last weekend. It turned out so well! Very moist and tasty. I frosted with whipped cream and topped with berries. Thank you!
I’m so glad to hear that your twins enjoyed this smash cake!😊
Hi! Just wondering if this recipe could be turned into “cupcakes” rather than a cake?
Hi Brianne! Yes, you can definitely make these as muffins, I recommend using a silicone muffin pan if you have one, and if you don’t, just make sure to grease the pan well so that they don’t stick. If you’re using a mini muffin pan, I’d suggest checking for doneness around the 15-minute mark, and if you are using a normal muffin pan, you can check for doneness at the 22-minute mark, adding more time if needed. I hope that helps!
Hi Lily, wondering if mashed bananas would work instead of applesauce?
Hi Apoorva! I haven’t tested this out myself but you can definitely swap out applesauce for banana as long as you measure out and use amount amounts of mashed banana puree😊
Hi, this looks amazing! What can I substitute for the almond flour? Baby has nut allergy.
Hi Amina! Unfortunately for this specific recipe, only almond flour works, but you could probably use this recipe for banana nut muffins instead and just omit the chopped nuts included in the recipe😊
Amazing cake.. taste was amazing… my little one enjoyed it for her birthday.. thanks for the recipe in-fact all your recipes are hit in the house😊
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed this smash cake recipe!😊
Yummy cake for my niece’s 1 year birthday which was loved by the adults as well.
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed it, Laura!😊