Choosing the Perfect Cake for Your Cake Smash

Planning a cake smash to celebrate your little one’s first birthday? I’ve got all the tips for the perfect photo-ready cake for your baby’s portraits. Read on for more info, and be sure to save this post to have all of the tips handy when it comes time to order your little one’s cake smash cake.

baby eats plain white cake with gold “ONE” topper photographed by Saratoga Springs NY Cake smash photographer Nicole Starr Photography
  1. Opt for a smaller cake. 4-6” cakes are perfect for a cake smash.

If you go any bigger than that (a traditional 8” for example) and it’ll just look too big next to your little baby.

baby girl in pink dress licks icing off wooden spoon during cake smash photographed by Saratoga Springs NY Cake smash photographer Nicole Starr Photography

2. Triple layer cakes (instead of double layer) have that “wow” effect on camera.

baby girl with floral crown sits by naked cake with bunny ears photographed by Saratoga Springs NY Cake smash photographer Nicole Starr Photography

3. Skip the fondant and go for the buttercream frosting.

Buttercream is soft and easy for little ones to dig into. It makes a big mess, and it’s a lot of fun for them to play with. Fondant can be a choking hazard, plus it doesn’t make such a mess and it won’t give you that messy cake smash fun that everyone loves.

4. Opt for lighter colors of frosting.

Avoid red (looks like blood) and chocolate (looks like poo). Bright blue often stains babies’ skin, so a lighter blue is recommended. White, pale pink, pale purple, and any soft, light colors work best for frosting.

baby boy chews on wooden spoon during musical cake smash photographed by Saratoga Springs NY Cake smash photographer Nicole Starr Photography

5. Bring your cake to room temperature before the session.

Don’t pull your cake out of the fridge and come straight to the session. Your baby will not have any fun trying to smash a cold, hard cake. It’s easier if it’s at room temperature, so you can put it out on the counter for an hour or two before the session to let it warm up a bit. However, don’t keep it out of the fridge for too long or the frosting will get runny and you will risk the layers sliding apart before we even begin the session.

baby girl leans into white cake during beach cake smash photographed by Saratoga Springs NY Cake smash photographer Nicole Starr Photography

Looking for more cake smash tips? Learn about how to choose a theme here, and where to shop for cake smash outfits here!

baby girl in pink dress plays with cake for cake smash photographed by Saratoga Springs NY Cake smash photographer Nicole Starr Photography
baby boy plays with cake in front of navy and teal balloons photographed by Saratoga Springs NY Cake smash photographer Nicole Starr Photography
baby boy plays with spoon by naked cake for woodland cake smash photographed by Saratoga Springs NY Cake smash photographer Nicole Starr Photography

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Tips for choosing the perfect cake for your cake smash and inspiration shared by Nicole Starr Photography, Saratoga Springs NY cake smash photographer