Recipe Review

This Healthy Apple Cake Is a Great Recipe to Make with Kids

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apple cake with frosting on cake stand

This healthful apple cake is intended as a “smash cake” for a baby to destroy with their tiny toddler hands for cute photos on their first birthday, but it’s also just a very good afternoon project to do with older kids. It’s easy to make, relatively healthful, and it tastes like fresh apples and cinnamon, with a tangy, maple-yogurt frosting. 

This cake is particularly kid-friendly because the recipe does not involve much cutting. One apple needs to be diced, but otherwise the cake is mainly made by stirring, which even small kids can handle without making a mess. 

One note: you might want to make the frosting ahead of time. The cake can be made in just a short time, but the frosting has to sit overnight in the refrigerator to thicken up into a good frosting consistency. Otherwise the frosting is very easy and only requires three ingredients: Greek yogurt, vanilla, and maple syrup. Letting it rest overnight in a strainer lined with cheesecloth or paper towels gives it a thick, spreadable consistency that it’s easy to spread over the apple cake.  

This recipe is easy to modify, too. If you want to make it dairy-free, use coconut oil instead of butter and look for non-dairy yogurt for the frosting. To make it totally vegan, leave out the egg and add more apple sauce. You can also substitute your favorite gluten-free flour blend to make a gluten-free apple cake that’s still moist and full of fresh apple flavor. And if you just want to make it look even cuter, add sprinkles or some natural food coloring. 

Get the Recipe: Healthy Apple Cake from Yummy Toddler Food

Credit: Izy Hossack

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