How to Choose a Smash Cake
Size of Cake
How to choose a Smash Cake | Columbia Maryland Photographer. I often recommend a certain size and style of cake for a cake smash portrait session. This is because a few factors come into play when photographing the cake. A small size cake still looks big next to a 1 year old. The height matters if you’ll be using the high chair or if you are using a pedestal cake platter I provide in studio. If the cake is too tall it can block part of your baby’s face on the high chair table.
A 4″ or 6″ diameter cake is plenty big when compared to the size of a baby. If you choose a 4″ cake, I’d recommend 3 tiers. If you choose a 6″ cake, either 2 or 3 tiers will be fine.
How to Choose a Smash Cake | Color & Icing type
I recommend white icing. The semi-naked cake style is my favorite because it has a classic look. Another benefit is that the cake itself is easier for your baby to dig into. Fondant is too hard for a baby to eat, so I’d leave that out. Don’t make the mistake of chocolate or brown icing which can look not so great smeared on the floor in your photos. Food colors stain wooden surfaces, so I only allow white icing on the wooden high chair and platters. If you want to have a more colorful cake or cake design, I’d recommend soft or pastel icing colors. Or, consider cake toppers to dress up the cake. As part of your cake smash session, some basic decor is included. So when you fill out your questionnaire, you can request fresh flowers or fruit. I can creatively arrange flowers or fruit onto and around your cake. And I can also create a custom fresh flower garland or hanging flower designs as your background.
Other Thoughts
Parents bring the cake. You can make sure the ingredients are agreeable to you, which is especially important with food allergies and dietary restrictions. Also, don’t worry about your baby not eating much cake. Honestly, the cake is more for show, and usually only a small amount ends up in tummies. It is a rare occasion for the cake to be smashed completely. Most babies gingerly pick at them. You might appreciate the easier clean-up in this case. And since the cake is more symbolic of this 1 year milestone, it isn’t imperative that we let the smashing go on for a long time. You might even take your cake back home with you and eat it if it remains intact.
Sugar Free Options
Many parents don’t want their baby eating too much sugar or any at all. There are great alternatives to sugary cakes and icings. You can find recipes online. A banana bread “cake” can be naturally sweet, and you can use ingredients other than sugar to make frosting.
Practice Makes Perfect
If this cake smash will be the first time your baby tries a sweet dessert or cake, they may love it or they may not like it at all. Also, if they are used to eating a certain way, they might be confused as to why they are suddenly permitted to devour a cake all their own. My own 3rd child, looked at me like, “Wait, you mean I get to eat this cake?! It is just mine for the taking?” He, fortunately, was totally into it. While I have photographed some babies who looked confused and the “free-for-all” seemed to make them a little upset. So my advice is to do a test run at home a day or two before your session and see how it goes. I think it is good for us to have realistic expectations that your baby might just stare at the cake and barely touch it.
We can add little snacks that they are familiar with to hide at the back of the cake, such as Cheerios or Puffs. I’ve been using this trick for years during newborn sessions with older siblings. I say, “Hey, can you find the Cheerios on your baby brother.” Right as they lean down to pick up the Cheerio, I snap the photo. So for the cake smash, hiding their favorite snack on the back of the cake will make it easier for us to achieve some pleasant photos, by lifting up some of the pressure to eat cake.
How to choose a Smash Cake | Columbia Maryland Photographer
Whether you bake your own, order from a gourmet grocery store or bakery, a simple cake is best and looks the most timeless!
