One of my favorite birthday traditions are smash cakes. As much as I love the idea of traditions, I am awful at following through!
One tradition that I’ve maintained with each of our 4 kids is the first birthday tradition of the baby having a smash cake.
It’s always the highlight of our child’s first birthday party. When we had a celebration for Zeke’s first birthday we had the smash cake. While we each our kids had a smash cake at their first birthday, I learned that not everyone knows!
A friend of mine who is kidless was at Zeke’s birthday party. She was in awe of this fun birthday tradition!
Smash Cake 101 – Everything You Should Know About Smash Cakes
This got me thinking and talking to a few people who don’t have kids. Come to find out, they had no idea about smash cakes either!
Let’s fix this with a little smash cake 101. Here is a little 4-1-1 on the birthday smash cake tradition!
What is a Smash Cake?
A smash cake is typically a small cake (you can make this healthy if you’d like, but typically just a normal cake). A larger cake is served to the guest, but the smash cake is for baby alone.
Smash Cakes are a Recent Trend
Smash Cakes have become popular in the last 10 years. So don’t get all mad at your mom if you didn’t have one at your first birthday party.
Smash Cake History
The history of the smash cake is a mystery. Google can’t tell me who created this!
A smash cake is typically given to a baby on their first birthday. (Though, this is not a rule! Make your own birthday rules and traditions. We did a smash cake more than just the first year.)
Baby’s First Taste of Sugar
The idea of the smash cake is that it’s your baby’s first real taste of sugar, their first birthday cake!
Not All Babies Like Smashing the Cake
Not all babies go after the cake. Our first child didn’t care about it. Our third hated his hands messy! Some kids LOVE the sugar, and often this is their first taste of sweet.
In order to prepare for the potential mess that a smash cake can bring, put a disposable table cloth on the floor and strip your child down to his diaper. Yes, it will be a huge mess.
Have a towel, wash cloth and soap ready for the post smash cake clean-up! We just threw our youngest kid, Zeke in the sink right after he played and ate his cake. This is chocolate, not poo!
Smash Cakes Don’t Have to Be Just for First Birthday Parties
Smash cakes aren’t limited to first birthdays! I have a friend who had a 30 year old smash cake. These birthday cakes are fun for all ages, but are extra special for a baby’s first birthday!
We purchased a small cake for our 2-year-old Izaiah for his second birthday. He LOVED it, except for the most part, he used a fork.
Priceless Smash Cake Photos
Have your camera ready for the smash cake photos! The reactions and faces are absolutely priceless with these smash cake photos! (Also don’t forget these 7 birthday photos you must take!)
From our birthday memes, this smash cake screams HAPPY Birthday!
Mama, enjoy these years and yes, the smash cakes are an absolute mess. But mama, it’s worth it.