How is it possible that my little baby is already one?! I struggled to find the perfect birthday theme for this peanut. So many adorable ideas out there but it seemed like everyone was doing the same ones. While searching on Etsy I found these precious cake toppers with animals wearing party hats. I was sold! We would have a party animal birthday party!
Decorations:
I wanted the decorations to be bright, colorful, and so fun! Most of the decorations are from Target, Amazon, and Dollar Tree with some DIY projects sprinkled in. Stuffed animals with party hats were also used to look like they were the ones throwing the party.
The Cake:
When it came to the cake I knew I wanted it to be paleo and naturally sweetened. Of course, Evan had to have his favorite fruit all around the base. He would go through a container of blueberries a day if we let him. The cake was decorated with my favorite sprinkles with no artificial coloring that can be found here. The cake toppers are here and just so precious!
Ingredients:
- 4 Bananas extra ripe
- 1/2 cup Applesauce (find one with apples listed as the only ingredient)
- 2 Tbsp Coconut Oil melted
- 3 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1.5 cups Almond Flour (this is my favorite brand)
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
Instructions:
- Mash the bananas in large bowl.
- Add applesauce, melted coconut oil and vanilla extract to mashed bananas.
- In a large bowl, mix together almond flour, baking soda, and cinnamon.
- Mix banana mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until blended.
- Line two 4 inch cake pans with parchment paper and pour batter until 1/2 to 3/4 full.
- Bake at 375°F for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting.
For Frosting:
I used Simple Mills frosting for this particular cake during the cake smash and it seemed too sweet for him to enjoy (everyone else loved it! He had just never had sweets before)
He liked the homemade coconut cream frosting much more. Just put a can of coconut milk in fridge overnight. Open up the can carefully (do not shake!) and take just the cream from top of the can and put in a bowl. Blend cream with hand mixer until desired texture. My kids love this frosting and you can add a splash of maple syrup if its not sweet enough. Great alternative to traditional frostings.
The cupcakes were Simple Mills vanilla and chocolate cupcake mix (gluten and dairy free) with simple mills chocolate frosting and sprinkles.
The cupcake toppers were sooooo much fun! I cut cupcake holders in half then wrapped them around in the shape of a party hat and sealed using a hot glue gun. Then I added a pom pom on top with another dab of glue. It was a super cute way to stick with the theme while also getting rid of all those cupcake holders we have hanging around.
Activities:
We had a lot of kids coming to the party and I wanted them to have something fun to do but I also did not want to take away from the birthday boy (who lets be honest…really just loves to crawl around and suck on toys). I found sticker activity pages that were birthday themed and thought they were just perfect for a party animal birthday party! Coloring pages were free online and paired with crayons for the perfect activity for little hands. Target even had a runner that could be colored on or used to write messages to the birthday boy.
The Menu:
After weighing the pros and cons of catering we decided that it was worth the cost so that I could enjoy the guests and not be in the kitchen during the party. We ordered from a local greek restaurant and it worked out perfectly.
- Thracian Chicken
- Rice Pilaf
- Greek Salad
- Fruit Platter: Grapes, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, pineapple, cantaloupe, and blackberries
- Veggie Platter: Carrots, peppers, celery, tomatoes
- Guacamole
- Roasted red pepper hummus
- Assortment of nuts: Pistachios, cashews, and almonds
Party Favors:
Adopt a party animal signs were customized from Etsy and the stuffed animals were from the Dollar Tree. I had matching thank you signs printed from Etsy and tied around each animals neck like a collar. Such a hit!
Overall:
Overall Evan had a great party animal birthday party and all his little friends had a blast! At the end of the party we opened up presents and all the kids jumped right in to help him play. His party was a total hit! If you are thinking of a party animal theme for your kiddos I highly recommend it! So so cute
Pin It:
MADE THE RECIPE?
I'd love to hear how you enjoyed it in the comments below ❤️
