It is fun to have a smash cake for a first birthday. Enjoy some great moments of your baby and capture some beautiful photographs while he smashes and enjoys playing with it freely. Making a smash cake at home is really easier than you think if you go with a simple design. Here is what we did.
When we were planning our son’s first Birthday party, I saw beautiful photos of first birthday babies with smash cakes. I want to say that this idea is not Sri Lankan. But, we had a smash cake for him and he enjoyed smashing it. That will be a good memory for him once grown up.
I baked this cake using a Betty Crocker cake mix. It was really easy to bake the cake and taste was good too. Last minute, when we were running out of time, it is great to go with a cake mix than doing it from scratch.
On his Birthday, we used another small cake as a smash cake. But we didn’t allow him to play with the cake much. He was bit tired and sleepy too.
Instead we planned next day for him to smash a cake and enjoy his first Birthday. I decorated it with a simple and easy way. I followed the package instruction of Betty Crocker cake mix to bake the cake. Then I baked a small round cake as a smash cake and used the remaining batter to bake another square shaped cake. I didn’t go for a layered cake. Instead, it was a small round cake for him to play and smash. Just a baby size cake!
Here is how I baked and decorated this simple and easy smash cake.
Ingredients
eggs,water and vegetable oil as called in cake mix
For icing: Butter cream icing with orange and green colouring
Method:
Bake the cake
For the cake, I followed the package instructions.
As mentioned in the cake mix,for a white cake, it only requires the egg whites. As I didn’t have any intention to decorate a layered cake, I used both egg whites and yolks.
After mixing all ingredients, I baked as per given instructions. Because this is a small cake, I baked another cake using the remaining batter.
Decorate the cake
To decorate the smashing cake, I used buttercream icing. It is simple and quick. More importantly, we usually like the taste of butter cream icing. I thought it is good for my son’s taste buds too.
For the crumb coat, I used orange colour butter icing. After keeping the cake in the fridge, I applied another icing layer to the cake.
Then using drop flower method, I simply decorated the cake with a ‘number one’ in the middle of the cake.
For the final decoration, I selected the colour green because of the jungle animals theme.
This is a really simple and easy cake idea for a first birthday. I guess this is also good for the Birthday cake if I baked a bigger size cake. Any beginner can do without failing.
My thoughts on using Betty Crocker cake mix
I really loved it and glad I decided to use a cake mix. That saved me time and cake was so soft and moist too. It is a good idea specially when it is a special occasion.
Decorating the cake with a Cake Bunting
Few days before baking the cake, I made a bunting as a topper. My idea was to hang this cake bunting as a topper using a drinking straw. But lately found my smash cake is bit smaller and the cake bunting will not be nice on top of the cake. Instead we used the simple cake as it is with a candle.
However, making this cake bunting topper is super easy.
All you require is some colourful papers and letter stickers.
Finally I hanged this bunting on photo backdrop.
For the backdrop, we simply pasted few green colour tissue papers using double sided tape. That created a beautiful background for the photos.
To match with the Animal theme, I used few rubber toys to decorate the table. Anyway, he touched the sides of the cake when I was trying to capture few photos of the cake. Can you see the sides of the cake? Not neat and can see what he did! 🙂
He enjoyed his smash cake leisurely. No one was around, only his mama and papa. He was in good and playful mood and was ready to smash it. Here are some pictures.
If you are also a beginner and look for a simple decoration idea, hope this is good.
Below are some helpful tutorials on how to decorate a cake with buttercream icing.
Do you have any memories with smash cakes? What is your idea? Is it funful? Please share your memories and ideas.
15 comments
I must try the cake mix too. Seems really easy to bake such a nice cake. Your little one looks so adorable.
thanks Nava,yes try a cake mix.You’ll love it.Specially when you dont have much free time….
Lovely cake.. love the idea of a smash up cake .. ur lil one looks soo cute..
thanks Sona.Yes it was nice to watch how he ate alone while making a mess! 🙂
cute cake
thanks Shama
such a beautiful cake 🙂 pass me the slice dear
thanks Monu…Ah,I’d like to share with you 🙂
Beautiful cake dear.. You have done this so well.. He’s so cute.. Loved the last pics…
Thanks Gloria,He had a good time playing with the cake before eating…. 🙂
Your prince looks cute, Your baking adventure is success as little one love it that what moms need. Lovely cake.
Thanks Swathi….
Betty Crocker cake mix is a classic! What’s there not to like? 🙂 #productreviewparty
that’s really true….thanks for the comment…
Great cake! Both of my daughters did not have first birthday smash cakes and I really wish they did. #ProductReviewParty
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