What is a Smash Cake?

What is a smash cake?

A smash cake is the cutest way to celebrate a baby’s first birthday. It’s a celebration of a milestone, baby’s very 1st year, 365 days of baby being here! Often it also celebrates a baby’s very first piece of cake, too. A smash cake is a fun way to document the milestone birthday of a baby turning one by taking photos of the birthday boy or girl with a birthday cake.

How a smash cake works is you get a few photoshoot items and party decor products to style a photoshoot setup, plus purchase a cake and cake stand. After, you set everything up place the birthday boy or girl behind the cake to see his or her reaction and document it by taking pictures. Will they smash it, play with it, eat it? It’s so fun to see what happens because every baby reacts differently to the experience. You’ll see in my pictures below how my youngest son Aiden reacted to his smash cake, he didn’t know what to do with the cake until we gave him a fork!

You can style the smash cake setup yourself or see my styled smash cake themes in the party store. They are fully styled and ready to ship! You can be your own photographer or hire a professional photographer to capture your smash cake photoshoot. Either way it’s the cutest first birthday tradition!

Items you need for a smash cake photo shoot:

Backdrop, preferably white and vinyl so you can wipe it clean - You can find quality backdrops from Backdrop Express.
Cake - I love Susie Cakes Bakery but any cake will work!
Cake Stand
Banners and Garlands
Cute Outfits, Costumes and Dress-Up, Accessories
Balloons
Additional Props/ Decor

Smash Cake Photoshoot Tips:

These photoshoots are fun, but messy, so only use a paper backdrop if you prefer to throw your backdrop away after the smash cake. With a vinyl backdrop you can wipe the backdrop clean and reuse!
Make sure to give yourself enough space for your setup and a large enough backdrop. I would use nothing smaller than a 5 foot x 7 foot backdrop but preferably a 6 foot x 10 foot, because part of your backdrop will be laying on the floor so you need it to be large enough to add your decor to the top and bottom.
The easiest way to photograph a cake smash is next to a window that gets natural light. If you’re doing this at home think of the rooms in your home that have the most light and the times of day where it’s the softest.

You can pick a theme for your smash cake or do a basic one with just a few decor items and of course the cake. I specialize in fully styled themed smash cake bundles with all the items you need to set up a smash cake photoshoot of your own. Find them in the party store. Below you’ll find my Super Hero Smash Bundle, which we did for my son’s first birthday!

Smash CakeS, A Sweet Tradition

A smash cake photoshoot is a sweet tradition you’ll remember forever. It’s a fun way to document your little one turning one and a fun experience for all — baby, parents and photographer!

If you need more smash cake inspiration check out all the smash cakes I’ve styled in the party store. And for more milestone fun and celebrating these little years follow me on Instagram @sugarmoonbloom!

Let me know in the comments below if you decided to honor this sweet tradition and how it went. How did your little one react to the cake and did you choose a theme?

I love hearing all about how you celebrate these little years and being part of all the fun!