In a whirlwind of spit-ups, late-night feedings and more TV than I’ve ever watched in my life, Lucy James turned 2 months old last Saturday. If you’re following me on instagram, you know that these monthly milestones call for cake. Not for her, mind you. Although, eventually, when she’s graduated from breast milk, I hope she’ll taste and bake them all with me.

Instead this series is a challenge for me to explore new techniques, recipes, flavors and have a some fun in the kitchen. Basically, it’s an excuse for mom to play with her food a little;) And this series is about me connecting with other mama bakers out there looking for fresh inspiration and cleaned-up versions of childhood favorites.

Given my recent binging on The Great British Baking Show, my mind has been swirling on sponge cake. (If you’ve seen the show, you’ll know what I mean.) So, I decided to play with some sponge recipes for an All-American Classic with this Banana Pudding Baby Cake with Homemade ‘Nilla Wafers.

This cake features a few different simple components (all worthwhile basic recipes to master in the Baking and Pastry world, if you haven’t already) that come together for a cute little baby cake without a ton of sugar and a pretty basic flavor profile that should appeal to tiny little taste buds. Brushed with simple syrup, the cake is super soft and moist, just like traditional Banana Pudding, and ideal for smash cakes and such.

You’ll need just one banana and a few easy components listed below, which I recommend prepping a day in advance:

Here is how to prepare it:
Instructions Next Page