Air Fryer Smash Cake — Every child’s first birthday is an exciting time for parents, grandparents, and other family members. The day that you brought your little one into the world should be celebrated mainly! One tradition that has stood the test of time is smashing cake into their tiny face. If you’re looking for some inspiration on how to celebrate this milestone event in style, here are ten fun ideas to get started!

This small chocolate cake is perfect for your one-year-old’s first birthday. With its easy-to-make and straightforward instructions, you can have this dessert in no time!
A small smash cake will be an excellent treat to celebrate with the little ones on their big day of celebration – we know they’ll love it because our cakes never last long around here (that’s how good they are!).
Then again, who doesn’t like anything more than sweet treats?
Ingredients Needed For Air Fryer Smash Cake
- All-Purpose Flour
- Granulated Sugar
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Hot Water
- Vegetable Oil
- White Vinegar
- Pure Vanilla Extract
How To Make Air Fryer Smash Cake

Start by spraying your baking pans with non-stick cooking spray. Then, mix the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. In another bowl, mix your wet ingredients. Slowly fold in your dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mix well.

Pour your cake batter into the prepared baking pan, about 2/3 way full. Set into the air fryer at 310 degrees F, air fryer setting for 8 to 10 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Pro Tips:
- Use a smaller pan that you are used to, today I used these, which are perfect for a mini-cake or smash cake
- Check on your cake frequently during the cooking process; since every air fryer is slightly different, the time will vary by a few minutes.
- Use a toothpick and stick it in the middle of the cake to ensure it’s perfectly cooked. If you find that the top is b growing too much and the inside is still raw, cover it tightly with aluminum foil.
- These cakes can easily be frozen, ahead of time, then just frosted and decorated, on the day of serving.
What Is A Smash Cake?
When a baby turns one, it is time to celebrate with a smash cake! A smash cake is a small cake made for babies to destroy. Smash cakes are typically decorated in bright colors and contain no added sugar. The idea behind the smash cake is that children get an opportunity to make a mess while celebrating their first birthday because they can’t eat regular-sized cakes yet.

Smash Cake vs Normal Cake
Do you know the difference between a smash cake and a normal cake? A smash cake is made for your baby’s first birthday. It’s smaller than a traditional birthday cake, and it has no large decorations on it.
How Do I Store A Smash Cake?
Store your smash cake at room temperature for best results if you’re frosting it with buttercream, but make sure the fresh cream layer stays cool and fresh. The treat will stay good up to 3 days in fridge (or 5 hours out of it).
More Air Fryer Cake Recipes:
- AIR FRYER WALNUT CAKE
- AIR FRYER FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE
- EASY AIR FRYER LEMON CUPCAKES
- AIR FRYER RED VELVET CUPCAKES
- AIR FRYER ICE CREAM CONE CUPCAKES

Air Fryer Smash Cake
Description
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup hot water
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanillla extract
- 1 cup frosting
- sprinkles
Instructions
- Start by spraying your baking pans with non-stick cooking spray. Then, mix the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. In another bowl, mix your wet ingredients. Slowly fold in your dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mix well.
- Pour your cake batter into the prepared baking pan, about 2/3 way full. Set into the air fryer at 310 degrees F, air fryer setting for 8 to 10 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Decorate, plate, serve, and enjoy!
Equipment
- Air Fryer
- Mini Baking Pan
Nutrition
Share this recipe
We can’t wait to see what you’ve made! Mention @forktospoon or tag #forktospoon!
DON’T FORGET TO PIN:
