The PERFECT Cake (to Smash)

5 Tips for the perfect (smash) cake

Here at thesmashcake.com we are constantly scouring the internet looking for new trends and because of that we see hundreds of great smash cake photos. We also see hundreds of smash cake fails as well, and those fails have prompted today’s blog.

One of the biggest recurring mistakes that I see in smash cake photos is not getting the cake right. So today I want to go over some of the rules that we have learned the hard way when it comes to designing the perfect smash cake set. So whether you’re a professional photographer designing a set for a client or a parent wanting to DIY a perfect smash cake, here are some guidelines we go by.

Size: How big should a smash cake be?

This is a great question to start with, because it’s the most common mistake made in smash cake photoshoots. When you think of smash cake photography you no doubt think of Instagram-worthy, elaborately designed cakes that defy gravity and will blow your mind. But, in the world of cake designing the more elaborate the design the bigger the cake gets. All of those fondant unicorn heads and extra frosting could easily turn a small cake into a giant tower that will dwarf the baby. Let’s not forget that a smash cake photoshoot should always be about celebrating the baby’s first birthday and not about showing off your photography set design skills. So I recommend using no larger than 8 inch cake pans and going no bigger than 3 layers. (We actually prefer two layers) This gives the cake good visual impact in the photo, without dwarfing the child.

Not too dense. You, or the cake.

This next one was a problem we never thought to address until we had to switch bakeries. Our first bakery made light and fluffy cakes that made a delightful mess when manhandled by a baby. But then we switched bakeries and didn’t think to mention that we wanted our cakes light and fluffy. I just thought they came that way. So the first time we used our new bakery, we got a cake that required a jack hammer and 7 union workers to break apart. If you want to really make a baby mad give them a cake they can’t break apart. They get super frustrated and then the angry tears start flowing. Photographers have a similar reaction.

No cakes with fondant.

This is really just an extension of the not too dense guideline. Fondant looks amazing and creates a great foundation to build an elaborate cake on. I’m pretty sure given enough time you can build a house out of fondant and because it’s so incredibly strong you might even get a bank to finance it. Which is why I don’t recommend it for a smash cake. Kiddos just aren’t strong enough to get through the bulletproof layer of sugar cement covering the cake. So as a rule, my studio skips fondant with the exception of using it to create cake toppers and small embellishments. If mom shows up with a fondant cake, take a couple of pictures and then help your little client by tearing a hole in it for them.

Don’t keep it chill.

For the same reason we like to skip dense cakes and fondant we don’t chill our cakes. When exposed to cold frosting turns super hard. For that reason the state of Wisconsin uses frosting to fill their potholes. I swear! Google it.

Watch your colors.

This is a smash cake mistake that you only have to make once before you learn. Be mindful of the cake and frosting colors your chose. I once took what I thought was a beautiful picture of a babies bottom covered in cake. The cake was chocolate and the parents were quick to point out that it looked like the diaper had leaked. In fact, the whole photo set we produced that day looked like a total diaper disaster had taken place. Needless to say once you saw the chocolate as a leak, you couldn’t unsee it. Really brought down my sale that day.

Much in the same way that chocolate can look like something that shall not be named, red frosting or jelly often looks like blood. This is perfect for horror movie themed smash cake sets and clients with an “interesting” sense of humor. But for the rest of the world pictures of what look like mortally wounded infants really don’t play well. So keep your colors in mind when designing your smash cake.

One more quick color note - some dyes will stain your babies. Talk to your bakery about choosing dyes/colors that won’t leave a color residue.

I really hope that this helps you design your perfect smash cake. If you have any tips that you had to learn the hard way I’d love to hear them. Just post them in the comments section below.

As always, thanks for reading and I’ll talk with you next time,

Daniel Troutman

And, look here for awesome, unique (and not so unique) cake smash cake stands.