I’m in two minds about using sugar in a cake made specifically for a baby. On the one hand, it’s their birthday, and the only time they have cake, so a little bit of sugar isn’t going to do any harm. But on the other hand, they’re a baby, they don’t need, want or crave the sugar so why get them hooked on it?
I think this cake is a perfect compromise. The dates are nice and sweet, so it doesn’t taste like you’re missing out on anything when you have a piece, and everything in the cake is good for babies, so you don’t have to feel guilty if they eat the whole thing. This cake is ideal for smash cakes, or a healthy cake for your baby’s 1st birthday, or any other time.
I made up this cake to use as Roman’s Smash Cake. It is based on a recipe from Gill Rapley’s Baby-led Weaning Cookbook. The cake turned out really well and tasted even better the next day. The dates had melted into the cake, so it just tasted like a regular, sweet and delicious carrot cake.
Sugar-free Carrot and Date Cake
makes 8″ cake or 12 cupcakes
200g plain flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cinnamon
130g dates, stones removed, and finely chopped
50g shredded coconut*
110g butter, melted
110g sultanas (golden raisins)
1 cup grated carrot (about 1 large carrot)
2 tbsp milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
whipped cream and sprinkles to decorate (optional)
Preheat oven to 150°C (300°F). Lightly grease an 8″ round cake tin** and line the bottom with baking paper.
Sift the flour, baking powder and ground spices together. Give it a good stir to make sure it’s evenly combined. Stir through the dates and coconut.
Combine the melted butter, sultanas, carrot and milk (I use the saucepan I melted the butter in). Add to the dry ingredients and mix gently until evenly combined. You should have a very thick mixture. Add the eggs and give it a good stir.
Spoon into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 45 – 60 minutes (about 30 mins for cupcakes) until done when tested with a skewer.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack, removing the baking paper, to cool completely. Store in a tin or wrapped in foil until ready to use. Decorate just before serving. The whipped cream is a great frosting if you’re using this for a smash cake. It can be tinted to any colour, and is much better for your baby then buttercream or fondant.
*I prefer to use shredded coconut as I think it doesn’t catch in your throat the way desiccated coconut does, but feel free to use desiccated coconut if that’s what you have.
**I used a 6″ round tin and also make a few cupcakes with the extra mixture.
Jesica @ Pencil Kitchen says
Your baby look absolutely adorable! And this cake looks moist and yummy!
Angie Tee says
Lovely pictures, your baby is so adorable. I feel like pinching his cheek!:D
thingsforboys says
Thanks ladies – his cheeks are very chompable!
Anonymous says
I just made this cake for play group and got asked for the recipe 3 times- it was yummy!!!
thingsforboys says
great!! Glad to hear it turned out so well!
Chris says
I was looking for sugar free cakes as I enjoy baking but lost interest when I was diagnosed with diabetes and couldn’t eat the things I wanted as easily as I used to. Having just made this cake I can honestly say it’s as good, if not better, than a carrot cake made with sugar!!!
Jenni Moo says
Fab recipe, they are really tasty!
Stacie says
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! I’ve been searching for a “baby friendly” cake recipe for my little guys’ 1st birthday coming up. Cannot wait to try it!
jools2605 says
Can I use wholemeal self raising flour in this recipe instead of the plain flour and baking powder? Am making this for adults.
thingsforboys says
Yes you can. Simply use 200g wholemeal self raising and 1 tsp baking powder or 200g plain wholemeal flour and 3 tsp baking powder
jools2605 says
Thanks so much for your reply! My cakes have turned out perfectly and have a lovely light texture and flavour. I made the topping from cream cheese, zest of an orange and some drops of vanilla extract. Yum!!!
Jane says
Ooo, thanks for the alternative topping. I’m making this for my son’s 1st birthday and I wasn’t keen on the whipped cream. 🙂
thingsforboys says
The topping sounds delicious!
Erin Johnson says
This recipe sounds great! I’ve been looking for a sugar free birthday cake for my one year old. Are you using dried or fresh dates? I’m in Canada and I’m pretty sure what I bought are dried ones (the pit is already removed). Should I soak them first? Also, have you ever doubled this recipe and how did it turn out? I want to make a two layer cake.
abby says
I used fresh dates, though I think dried ones would be fine. Soaking them in hot water for 15 minutes first would soften them up, but if you don’t have time they will still work. I haven’t tried doubling it. Because it’s a carrot cake and somewhat dense, I would mix up a double batch, but cook it in two separate tins. If it was all in one tin I would worry about the middle setting without drying out the edges. Hope that helps!
Pippa says
Just to say that I’m making this cake right now (second son’s first birthday tomorrow!) and I’m needing to soak the dates; I put them in to soak first and it’s taken me 15 mins to prepare all the ingredients…Perfect!
abby says
great! Hope your son enjoyed the cake!
Pippa says
Unfortunately mine came out only about 2cm high too, too flat to serve as a birthday cake so I ended up having to make an alternative cake as the guests were arriving at his party!!! I think the problem is that I live in Italy and of course, in many cultures, the hardest things to find equivalents of abroad are baking products. That I’ve discovered so far, there’s no such thing here as ‘plain flour’, only very hard flour or overly processed white flour which is very, very fine, too fine, and no baking powder. So the closest I’ve found is a pre-made pudding flour which is a less refined white flour with raising agents already combined. So that could be the problem. Ruben just gobbled a slice of the cake down for seconds having wolfed down a slice of eggy bread so I know it’s going to make a great snack/pudding for him and his brother this week! It was very interesting serving up the alternative cake (banana and blueberry cake) to Italian children; their parents had never come across baking sugar free fruit cakes for children, surprisingly sugar is one thing that doesn’t worry parents here. They micromanage every other part of their diet and then freely dish out fruit juice and sweet treats, quite extraordinary really. Anyway, that’s enough from me, sorry!
abby says
what a shame! Yes, finding baking substitutes would be quite difficult. Glad to hear your son is enjoying the cake anyway!
jen says
Just wondering if you think that the coconut would be missed if I omitted it?
abby says
it’s only about 1/2C of coconut, so I think it would probably be fine. Please let me know how it works out if you try it!
Kanchan says
Did you use fresh shredded coconut or sweetened/unsweetened shredded coconut in bag?
abby says
I used the dried unsweetened coconut in a bag.
apcro says
Have you subbed coconut or almond flour for the white? We’re grain free here. But other than that, this looks great! I’m excited to try it.
abby says
I haven’t tried using different flours. I would think if you’ve used coconut/almond flour as a substitute in other recipes without trouble, then it would work here. At worst, I think it will turn out flat, then you can just tell people it’s a slice 😉 It’ll still taste delicious.
APCro says
I haven’t done subs just gone with recipes that are already made for alt flours. I’ve heard they can be tricky to work with. I’ll update you if/ when I try it.
Thanks for getting back to me!
abby says
you could also try the flour subsitution as cupcakes. They don’t take as long to cook so are less likely to be dry.
Zarith says
Hi, I just made a trial cake using this recipe for my son’s birthday in a couple of days. It tasted delicious but the only thing is it didn’t rise at all. I don’t know if I did anything wrong. Maybe too much mixing? I don’t bake much so really don’t have much experience or knowledge about baking. I did used a 9″ cake tin as that’s the only one I have but I will buy a 6″ tin tomorrow and hopefully that will work? you used a 6″ cake tin for the cake in the picture right? By the way your son is gorgeous!
abby says
Overmixing may have been a problem. If your baking powder is very old it may have lots its rising power. Using a tin bigger than the recipe will also cause a cake to rise less. For the cake pictured I used a 6″ tin and I also make a couple of cupcakes with the extra mixture as the recipe is designed for an 8″ tin. I think with all those 3 things combined it may have been enough for your cake to not rise. Hopefully your second one will be perfect! Thanks, I think he’s pretty cute though my opinion is slightly biased 😉
Katie says
Hi there!
This cake looks wonderful! I’m hoping to make a vegan version. How would you recommend replacing the milk, butter and eggs?
abby says
Hi Katie, I’m not too sure, perhaps have a look into aquafaba, which is a miracle vegan ingredient.
Emma Marshall says
What an amazing find! I wanted to take something sweet, but not full of refined sugar, on holiday this week for my daughter and myself and this is perfect. I baked it in a Bundt tin as I always have trouble cooking the middle of carrot cakes and it’s turned out perfect! I swapped the raisins for chopped nuts. Thanks……will be trying your other recipes soon. Lots of love from the UK!
abby says
thanks for commenting. So glad you loved the cake.
Ilana says
Just made this as a trial for my son’s 1st birthday cake and it is DELICIOUS!!! Alas it didn’t rise at all – don’t know why… I used an 8″ tin and I think my baking powder isn’t old… my dates were extremely moist when I chopped them up and made a kind of thick paste that I really had to mix in vigorously in order to get it evenly combined. Maybe that was the problem??? Will try refrigerating the dates first. Not that it matters- I’m sitting here gobbling it up while the boy naps!!! Thanks for the recipe!!!
abby says
Sorry to hear you had trouble. Not sure what the problem may have been. Did you leave it for some time before baking? It could have been your vigorous mixing. Glad to hear it was enjoyed regardless.
Jo says
I just tested this recipe for my daughters first birthday! I’ve wrapped it in foil and left in on the counter top. It’s winter here in Ireland and the heating is on a lot so the kitchen is about 23dC. how long should it last? Can you also recommend another topping that isn’t whipped cream as I hate cream but really stuck for an alternative!
abby says
Honestly, I’m not sure how long it would last…it doesn’t stick around long here. I would guess it’d be fine for a few days. Any longer than that, and I would personally freeze it. You could try cream cheese frosting but it would need some sugar.
K says
I just trialled it for my daughter’s first birthday. It tastes amazing. I used flax egg instead of eggs and it turned out fine. I might try to soften the dates before using next time, but still, an excellent recipe! Thanks for sharing it!
abby says
thank you. Glad to know a flax egg works in this recipe too.
Ann says
I made this cake for my sons first birthday but it didn’t rise at all and it broke apart when I took it out of the tin. I bake a fair bit so I am not sure what may have caused this.Do you think I should add a bit more milk next time? I will also try not to mix as much..It tasted really yummy though so am going to try again tomorrow 🙂 any tips would be great
abby says
Hmm, that’s a shame! I wouldn’t think the milk would effect how it would rise. Could your baking powder be old? Did you use fresh dates or the dried ones? I’ve only ever made it with fresh dates. Perhaps dried dates change the texture? A splash of extra milk could help. Let me know how you go!
judy says
This sounds fun. I was wonderning if I can make this cake without baking it. Can I make it by steaming it? We dont have an oven and I would like to try ang make this one for my sons 1st bday.
abby says
Hi Judy, I have never tried steaming it myself, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work…the ingredients are very similar to a pudding. I hope it works for you and your son loves it!
Camilla says
I made this cake for a first birthday and it was nice but really dry…should i have soaked the sultanas and dates first? Could there have been something else I did wrong? Tasted great regardless!
Abby says
I used fresh dates when I made this, and I’m wondering if you used dried dates? That may be a reason. If using dried dates, I would soak them in hot water for 15 minutes first to soften them up,
Another thing may be that your oven runs a bit hot?
Sab says
the recipe looks delicious. can i check the purpose of the shredded coconut? is it to add additional flavour? 🙂
Abby says
The coconut adds a bit of moisture and flavour. You could probably leave it out if needed.
Rachna says
Hi
Have you tried the same recipe for gluten free version ?like oats or almond flour ? Also is the shredded coconut fresh ? Or the dried shredded coconut you get at grocery stores ?
Abby Rudakov says
I haven’t tried this recipe with gluten free flour. Here in Australia, I’ve had good success using the White Wings Gluten-Free flour as a substitute. The shredded coconut is dried. In a pack from the supermarket. It is unsweetened. Happy baking!
Laura says
Hi, followed the recipe to a tee (fresh dates too). Used a scale to get precise ingredient volume, but it came out pretty dry. I so wanted a moist carrot cake. Any suggestions? I even used an extra tablespoon of milk when the mix still had visible powder prior to Bali f. Was thinking I could soak the carrot, maybe add some grated zucchini or applesauce? I really want to use this as a first birthday cake on Saturday but worried it will be too dry for the birthday fellow. Any help is appreciated!
abby says
Hi Laura,
Does your oven run hot? Maybe you need to cook it for a shorter time. I think adding some applesauce may be the best of the options you’ve listed. Good luck and happy birthday to your little one.
Thanks,
Abby
Jennifer Gibson says
made this for my son’s first birthday in a vegan form. topped with almond yogurt- huge hit. its now what my husband wants for his birthday
thanks for a new favorite
abby says
so glad everyone loved it Jennifer. Happy birthday to your son (and hubby!)
Thanks,
Abby
Jane says
I love this recipe so much! For my son’s 1st birthday last year I made it as a smash cake as well as cupcakes. I used a blender to mix the butter, dates and sultanas together before adding the other ingredients and it turned out nicely. My son loved his smash cake and the people who tried the cupcakes said they were really yummy. Now we have his 2nd birthday coming up and I’m going to make the cupcakes again as a sugar-free option. This time I’m going to try a cream cheese frosting. 🙂
Abby says
that’s fantastic Jane! So glad you and your son love the cake. Thanks for commenting.
Sarah says
I made this for my son’s first birthday last January, and he loved them. Somehow i forgot to save the recipe, but just found it again and an so excited to use it for this holiday season! thank you for a wonderful recipe!
Sarah says
Quick question- when you made cupcakes, food you use paper liners or just grease/flour the tin?
abby @ thingsforboys says
I would imagine either will work. Happy baking! So glad you like the recipe.
Sarah says
The batter is pretty gummy, and i don’t want the paper liners to stick. I was wondering what others used when they did the cupcakes, and how it worked out for them.
Abby says
You can buy paper liners that are a bit waxy feeling. They would work better than the regular paper ones. Otherwise I would go with the greased/floured cupcake tin as you suggest.
Jasmine says
How did you tint your whipped cream? And what about the blue on top? The 7mos thing that comes to mind for the yellow is saffron, but I’m not sure it would be as vibrant…
abby says
Hi Jasmine, I used natural food dyes that I bought at a health food store.
Laura Lee says
I’ve made this a couple of times as a cake & it is gobbled up so quickly. Would like to try as cupcakes now – how long do you cook the cupcakes for?
Abby says
I would think about 25-30 mins. Happy baking!
Ashley Carter says
First “run through” cake I made turned out dry. I used a 9” pan and I don’t think I mixed it well enough. Second go I used two 4”pans and my stand mixer. Delicious!!! Turned out moist and so flavorful. 🙂
Nate says
I first came across your recipe back in 2017, looking for a sugar free cake option for my son’s first birthday, it was delicious. I was searching high a low for your recipe to make it again for my daughter’s first birthday tomorrow. Luckily a tinybeans blog post linked your post and I was able to find it. Today I made the cake with my now 6yo so we’ll be having it tomorrow. So special! I thought I’d share the story with you and thank you for posting it for us all to enjoy. 🙂