Healthy Birthday Cake
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Published Nov 03, 2021, Updated Jul 07, 2023
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The best healthy birthday cake that’s made with a combo of oat and almond flour and naturally sweetened with maple syrup. It’s fluffy, moist, gluten-free and a great healthier option for a birthday party or any celebration!
In honor of Liv’s second birthday, I wanted to share a healthy birthday cake recipe! I shared a smash cake recipe last year but I wanted to share a cake recipe that kids (and adults!) of all ages could enjoy!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This recipe is almost as easy as making cake from a box… almost!
- It’s made with just 10 simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry!
- It’s a great base recipe that can be customized with mix-ins and frostings.
- This cake is gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar free but still absolutely delicious!
Birthday Cake Made Healthier
In most traditional birthday cake recipes you’ll see white flour, white sugar and butter or vegetable oil, but in true EBF fashion I decided to make an upgraded birthday cake that’s gluten-free, dairy-free and free of refined sugars thanks to a few substitutions.
- almond and oat flour – to make this cake gluten-free I swapped white flour for almond and oat flour. The combo of the two results in super fluffy, light cake!
- maple syrup – I swapped white, refined sugar for my favorite natural sweetener, maple syrup.
- coconut oil – instead of using vegetable oil or butter we’re using coconut oil, which adds healthy fats and isn’t as processed as some of the alternatives.
Here’s What You Need
- eggs – make sure your eggs are at room temperature before baking this cake. I won’t get into the science behind it but it’s key for a fluffy cake! Also, if your eggs are cold the coconut oil will harden up when combined. I haven’t tested this recipe with a vegan substitute like flax eggs, so I’m not sure how the cake will turn out. If you decide to try a vegan version let me know in the comments below!
- pure maple syrup – the natural sweetener in this cake. I haven’t tried other sweeteners, but I bet any liquid sweetener would work as a substitute.
- dairy-free milk – any dairy-free milk works but I used unsweetened almond milk (make your own almond milk or use store-bought).
- coconut oil – make sure your coconut oil is in the liquid state. You can heat on the stovetop or microwave for a few seconds until melted if necessary. Feel free to sub with any oil of choice or melted butter.
- vanilla extract and almond extract – delicious flavor enhancers that round out this cake and adds that true birthday cake flavor.
- blanched almond flour – I recommend using blanched almond flour because the skins have been removed so you’re left with a fine-texture, light colored flour that works perfectly for cake.
- oat flour – you can make your own oat flour by grinding rolled oats in a food processor or you can buy oat flour from the store.
- baking soda – to help the cake rise.
- salt – to bring the flavors of the cake together.
- rainbow sprinkles – I used supernatural rainbow sprinkles. They’re free of artificial dyes and are gluten-free and vegan.
tip! I added sprinkles to this cake but chocolate chips would be delicious as well!
How to Make Healthy Birthday Cake
In a large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients – the eggs, maple syrup, milk, coconut oil, vanilla extract and almond extract. Make sure the mixture is fully combined and smooth throughout before moving on to the next step.
In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients – almond flour, oat flour, baking soda and salt. Mix well.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well with a rubber spatula until just combined and smooth. Try not to over-mix or your cake will be too dense. Gently stir the sprinkles into the batter.
Spray your cake pans with cooking spray or coat with coconut oil and then pour the cake batter into the baking dishes. Bake at 350ºF for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. You’ll know the cakes are done when you insert a toothpick into the center and it comes out clean.
Allow the cakes to cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then carefully remove each cake and place it on a wire rack to cool completely. Once the cake has cooled to room temperature, frost, top with more sprinkles and enjoy!
Using Different Size Cake Pans or a Cupcake Tin
- 8 inch pans: This batter will make enough to fill two 8 inch cake pans. If using two 8 inch pans, bake for 20 minutes until golden brown on top and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- 4-inch pans: If you want to make a mini cake using three 4-inch cake pans, you’ll bake for 20-25 minutes and you will have batter leftover! I used this recipe for my daughter’s birthday cake and was able to make three 4-inch layers for the cake and 5 cupcakes with the leftover batter.
- Cupcakes: You’ll want to bake these for 15-20 minutes in paper liners. The recipe makes about 17 cupcakes.
- Square pan: I haven’t tested it, but I bet you could also make this cake in an 8×8 or 9×9 inch square pan. I’m not sure about the bake time, but I’m guessing 20-30 minutes.
Healthy Birthday Cake Variations
As I mentioned, this cake is a great base recipe that can be customized with different mix-ins and frostings! I used rainbow sprinkles as a mix-in and for topping and frosted the cake with my healthier cream cheese frosting, but the options are endless. Here are some ideas:
- switch up the frosting – my vanilla buttercream frosting, strawberry buttercream frosting, healthy chocolate frosting or peanut butter Greek yogurt frosting would be delicious paired with this vanilla cake. If going the store-bought route, my favorite healthier store-bought frosting is Simple Mills vanilla frosting.
- swap the sprinkles – instead of sprinkles chocolate chips would be a delicious mix-in and topping! I bet mixing in fresh or frozen blueberries for a fruit-themed cake would also be delicious.
Can You Make This Cake Ahead of Time?
Yes! This cake can be made 1-3 days in advance. To make ahead of time, let the cake layers cool completely and store them in the fridge, covered until you’re ready to assemble and serve. Alternatively, you can frost and decorate the cake and store it covered in the fridge until ready to serve!
How to Store Leftovers
Store any leftover cake in an airtight container on the counter for 1-2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. I haven’t tried freezing this cake, but I would imagine it would freeze just fine either frosted or unfrosted. If you’re making this cake ahead of time for a special occasion and want to store it in the freezer, I would store the individual layers separately in an airtight container or bag (I love my Stasher bags). The day before you’re ready to serve, let the layers thaw in the fridge then assemble and decorate as desired!
More Cake Recipes to Try
- Grandma Miller’s Pound Cake
- 3 Ingredient Icebox Cake
- Vegan Coffee Cake
- Healthy Vanilla Cake
- Almond Flour Cupcakes
- Flourless Chocolate Cake
- Easy Berry Cake
- Healthy Vanilla Cupcakes
- Pumpkin Coffee Cake
- Sweet Potato Cupcakes
- Healthy Chocolate Cupcakes
- Oatmeal Carrot Cake
The Most Popular Dessert Recipes
- Birthday Cake Cookies
- Strawberry Quinoa Parfait
- Sweet Potato Brownies
- 5-Ingredient Vegan Graham Cracker Blondies
- Healthy Monster Cookies
- Pavlova
- Peanut Butter Banana Pudding
- Coconut Flour Cookies
- Healthier Magic Cookie Bars
Be sure to check out all of the dessert recipes here on EBF!
Healthy Birthday Cake
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- ¾ cup pure maple syrup
- ½ cup dairy-free milk, I used unsweetened almond milk
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 1 ½ cups blanched almond flour, packed
- 1 cup oat flour, packed
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup rainbow sprinkles, plus more for topping
Frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray three 6-inch cake pans with cooking spray or coconut oil and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together your eggs, maple syrup, milk, coconut oil, vanilla extract and almond extract until fully combined and smooth. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add your almond flour, oat flour, baking soda and salt and mix well. Set aside.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well with a rubber spatula until just combined and smooth. Stir sprinkles into the batter.
- Pour batter into prepared cake pans and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown on top and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool for about 15 minutes. Remove cake from pans and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cake is at room temperature frost it with your favorite frosting and top with additional sprinkles if you prefer.
- Cut cake and serve.
- Store cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the fridge for about 5 days.
Video
Notes
- 8 inch pans: This batter will make enough to fill two 8-inch cake pans. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown on top and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- 4-inch pans: If you want to make a mini cake using three 4-inch cake pans, you’ll bake for 20-25 minutes and you will have batter leftover! I used this recipe for my daughter’s birthday cake and was able to fill the three 4-inch pans and make 5 cupcakes with the leftover batter.
- Cupcakes: You’ll want to bake these for 15-20 minutes in paper liners. The recipe makes 17 cupcakes.
- Square pan: I haven’t tested it, but I bet you could also make this cake in an 8×8 or 9×9 inch square pan. I’m not sure about the bake time, but I’m guessing 20-30 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I want to say this cake looks incredible and definitely will try it.. I wanted to ask if I could exclude the almond extract not a favorite of mine or can I substitute?
Thank you,
Rebeca
You can skip it! 🙂
Hi from Ireland, thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe! I baked buns today using this recipe as a trial run for a birthday cake on Saturday for my very nearly two year old. They turned out really well. The texture is great and they’re very filling. I converted the recipe to the metric system as I had no measuring cups but even then it worked really well.
I iced it with the linked cream cheese frosting. The combination is perfection. Adult and toddler approved! My go to birthday cake recipe now.
Ah yay! So happy to hear this birthday caked was a success, Maria! Thanks so much for trying it out and coming back to leave a review and star rating. I so appreciate it!
Can I use Bob’s Red Mills egg replacer instead of eggs? Thanks!
Hey Lucy – I haven’t tried it so not sure how the cake will turn out. Let me know if you decide to try it!
I did this cake as a muffin version for my birthday last weekend and it was absolutely delicious 🙂
Oh yay! So happy to hear this cake was success and I love that you turned it into muffins. Such a great idea! Thanks for the review, Marina. I really appreciate it!
I made this for my son’s first birthday and it was a hit! I used butter instead of coconut oil because that is what I had and it turned out really well. I’ll definitely make it again!
Ah yay!! Happy to hear this birthday cake was a success, Kim. Thanks so much for trying it out and coming back to leave a review. It means so much to me!
I don’t have oat flour— only almond flour, regular flour and some cake flour. Can I substitute one of these options for the oat flour?
I’d maybe go with all almond flour. Let me know how the cake turns out if you try it. 🙂
could i omit the maple syrup or use mashed banana or applesauce instead?
Hey Deirdre – I’m not sure, that might change the consistency and texture of the cake. If you’re looking for a low-sugar option, I would use monkfrui maple syrup, which is sugar-free!
I stumbled upon this recipe a few days ago and was surprised to see I had most ingredients on hand. To be frank, I had low expectations of this recipe but let me tell you, I am loving this recipe. The cake was moist and flavorful, and even more so the next day. I also prepared the cream cheese and greek yogurt frosting which perfectly complimented this cake. Now I’m planning to adjust it to make it into a carrot cake or a spice cake and use the same frosting. Thanks for the great recipe!
hi! my little turns one in 2 weeks and want to make a cake but we haven’t tried almonds with him yet, and have given him organic flour in other recipes, what can I use instead of almond flour? can I just use all purpose flour? thank you!
Hey Megan – You could try subbing in the almond flour for all oat flour or all-purpose flour, but I haven’t tested it so I’m not 100% sure how the cake would turn out. I would worry that using all oat flour would result in a dense cake so maybe try half all-purpose? Let me know how it turns out for you and happy early birthday to your little one. 🙂
I haven’t tried this recipe yet but I love the idea! I was wondering if I could sub the flour in this cake for just all-purpose flour? I don’t have almond or oat on hand. Thank you!
Hi Meghan! I haven’t tested it so I’m not 100% sure how the cake would turn out but you can certainly try it! Let me know how it turns out 🙂
Hi there! Thanks for the delicious recipes! Can I serve the birthday cake without any frosting? No one enjoys frosting in our family.🙂
Hi, Divya! I don’t see why not! You could serve it with some fruit and whipped cream if you prefer!
I made this recipe for my husband’s birthday in May. I used chocolate chips instead of sprinkles, and made cupcakes. I used the chocolate frosting recipe from this website. The cupcakes were so yummy! My husband loved them. I highly recommend this recipe.
So glad you and your husband loved it! Thank you for leaving a comment and review, I so appreciate it.
Tried this for my first daughters 3rd birthday last month and it was a hit with everyone! Doubled it to make a taller cake.
Planning on making it for my other daughters 1st birthday this weekend. I don’t have all purpose flour or almond, just oats and whole wheat. Could I sub whole wheat or try to go for fully oat? Wondering if anyone did either and it it turned out well
Hey Bridget – I’m so glad to hear that it worked out for you! I haven’t tried subbing the flour so I’m not sure how it would turn out. I would probably recommend subbing the whole wheat since using only oat might make it a bit dense. Let me know how it goes!
I really wanted to like this cake. I did not use the rainbow sprinkles, perhaps as a result the cake was not sweet enough to me it tasted like a bowl of oatmeal. The consistency also looked like a whole grain batter and not a cake batter. I frosted it with the cheesecake frosting recipe which had to be doctored up and I put organic raspberry jam in between the layers. I’ll see at the birthday what guests have to say about it tomorrow. It definitely tastes healthy but that’s about it.
Hi DJ – did you change anything else in this recipe?
Hello! I just made this as a double layer cake sandwiched with your cream cheese frosting. We whizzed up the oat flour ourselves with gluten free oats and otherwise threw a handful or so of roughly chopped pistachios into the batter. It was divine!! We topped your cream cheese frosting with extra roughly chopped pistachio and chopped fresh strawberries. I only have the tiniest bit of the cake left. It was polished off by the whole party- 6 adults and 2 children. Thank you for a super recipe. We will use it again and again.
Yay! I am so happy that you and your guests enjoyed this recipe. The pistachios & strawberries sound like a delicious addition, that you for sharing! I appreciate you coming back and leaving your review + star rating, it means so much.
I made this using organic all purpose white flour in the place of the almond flour and it turned out amazing! The cream cheese icing was also a big hit. I made them into cupcakes and they took exactly 15 minutes to bake. I also topped them with some fresh blueberries and strawberries.Will definitely make this again.
Ah YAY! I am so excited to hear that this recipe is a hit, Linda. Thank you so much for coming back to share your review & star rating, I appreciate it.
This is so good! I made it for my son’s 3rd birthday and used the EBF peanut butter greek yogurt frosting recipe. I subbed almond butter so it would pair well with the almond milk and almond meal in the cake. It’s moist, rich, and so good! Everyone had seconds. I love that there’s a boost of protein and fiber with this cake combo too.
WOO! I am SO excited to hear that this recipe was such a hit, Sarah. Thank you for sharing your review + star rating, I really appreciate it!
So gorgeous .This healthy cake with the combination of oat flour and almond is so good. its really very tasty.
Yay! I am excited to hear that you are loving this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing your review + star rating, I so appreciate it!
Hi! Planning to make this tomorrow. Is it ok to use cow milk instead of the dairy free? Thanks!
Hi Clara – I haven’t tested this recipe with regular but, it would work fine. Let me know how it turns out. Enjoy!
Thanks for your response. I have it in now! I had to try twice to have my ingredients come up to room temp and the coconut oil still chunked up, so hopefully it turns out ok.
How did the cows milk work?
This looks like a great recipe! I have a couple questions though:
1. Does this cake rise well? Most almond flour cakes I have made are denser and appear shorter than a traditional cake.
2. Does this have a distinctive flavor such as vanilla?
3. Can I replace the coconut oil with butter and the almond milk with kefir?
Thank you!
Hey Olivia, This cake does rise well and it’s more fluffy/soft vs. dense since it’s a combo or oat and almond flour! And yes, it has a distinctive birthday cake flavor from the vanilla and almond extract. You can replace the coconut oil with butter. I’m not 100% sure about the almond milk being replaced with the kefir as I haven’t tried it, but it should work just fine. Let me know if you end up making this cake and what you think of it!
Thank you so much for your thoughtful responses! I’m making this cake later this week for a birthday and my LAST question is if I am using butter, is it better to cream it or melt it like the coconut oil? Thank you
I would use melted butter!
Does this cake rise well in 8 inch pans? I’ve made almond flour cakes with arrowroot in the past and they’ve looked shorter and denser.
They have for me and others. I would recommend sticking to the recipe and it should turn out great. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you! I’m excited to try oat flour with almond to see how it rises differently
Amazing recipe. I made with your regular vanilla frosting recipe and everyone loved it! I love cake, but sugar has been keeping me up. Can’t wait to make it again.
YUM! Sounds delicious, glad you’re loving this recipe, Antoinette. Thank you for your review + star rating, I really appreciate it!
This recipe is delicious! I had to double the recipe for two 9 inch cake pans and I tripled the cream cheese frosting worried it wasn’t enough but it was way more than enough so probably would just stick with 2x. Everyone thought the cake was great and surprised it had no refined sugars. Thank you for making a cake for those who are trying to be healthy but also want to celebrate. This is a healthier alternative! I enjoyed this! Also for the extra abundance of frosting we just dipped strawberries in it as a snack and it was yummy! 🙂
WOO! This is excellent, Grace. I am so excited to hear that you are loving this recipe and it turned out great for you. The strawberries dipped in frosting is such a great idea. Thank you so much for coming back and sharing your review & star rating, I really appreciate it!
Is there another sweetener that could be used instead of maple syrup? Do you think coconut sugar would work?
Hi Courtney – You could swap the maple syrup for any other liquid sweetener. Let me know how this turns out for you, enjoy!
This is my third time making it and it never disappoints!! It’s so easy and delicious. It’s perfect for when you are trying to eat healthier but you want something sweet and delicious. 10/10!
Aw yay! I am so glad you’re loving this cake, Florencia. Thank you so much for coming back and sharing your review & star rating, I truly appreciate it!
This cake is delicious and moist. Thank you! Have you ever added chocolate powder to make it a chocolate cake? My granddaughter wants a chocolate cake for her birthday
Hi Mary – I haven’t added chocolate, but this is a great idea. I need to work on a healthy chocolate birthday cake!
Hey was just wondering how many people does this cake serve?
it’ll serve 10!
This looks amazing can’t wait to make it! However seems small for the amount of people I need to feed haha. I have like 25 guests and 2 x 12 inch cake tins. How can I adjust the recipe to get enough for everyone please? Thanks!
Hi Maria – You might want to consider tripling the recipe and possibly making 2 separate cakes. I have a list of different ways to make this cake in the blog post above, including cupcakes. You could make one cake + double the recipe for cupcakes so you have both. Let me know what you decide and how this cake turned out for you!
Sorry I mean 10 inch
Hello! I am making a mini cake with this recipe. We are driving two hours with it to an indoor waterpark. How would you suggest I keep the cake temp controlled?
Hi Lely – If you have a cake storage container or airtight container, it should be fine to stay out at room temp. Hope everyone loves this cake!
Hello Brittany. Thank you for this recipe. I have just made it for my granddaughters 2nd birthday. Although I have followed your recipe to the letter, I have not achieved a rise in the cake. I used 2x 8” pans and they have risen to less than an inch each. Is that right?
I am going to make another one again to try and just do it using one pan of 8”.
I’d still like to know if I have done something wrong.
Would I be able to substitute oat four with self raising flour?
The cake should definitely rise. Have you checked to make sure your baking soda is not old or expired. Sometimes that can be the culprit.
Hello! This recipe looks great I am looking forward to making it for my son’s birthday. We cannot do oat flour though – do you suggest using all almond flour, or coconut flour in its place? I haven’t baked much with these flours I want to make sure it still rises and isn’t too dense. Thank you for any suggestions!
Hi Kat! I haven’t tested this recipe with any other flours, you could try subbing the oat flour with regular AP flour, but again, I haven’t tested it so I am not sure how it would turn out. Let me know if you give it a try!