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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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