Smash Cakes...what Are They Exactly For....a Tinkerbell Them
Decorating By jenjens Updated 26 Mar 2008 , 11:59pm by Jayde
This might seem like a stupid question but a friend of a friend just made an order for April 26. She wants a couple of smash cakes (4) to go with the 14 in round 2 layer chocolate cake and the smash cakes in different flavors...now I felt really stupid when I said smash cakes ..sssuurrrreeee (without trying to sound like I didn't know what they were) but I of course don't. I'm self teaching myself through all these cake and cookie expeditions I've been on.
What would I charge for all that....I quoted her 90 for the chocolate cake but i don't know what to use for the smash cakes what size are they usually...round..any ideas would be great!!! oh it's a tinkerbell theme party and I am only doing a kinda flower garden and they are suppling their only Tink..I don't need any copyright issues.
TIA
A smash cake is a little cake, usually decorated in the same colors/theme as the big cake. You often see one at a first birthday party. It's the cake they serve to the birthday child to "smash" apart and have fun with. This way the kids has fun and guests get to eat cake the birthday child hasn't played with.
Pricing...I have no idea. Others will chime in with this info, though.
smash cakes -- a small (4" or so) cake for baby to smash to pieces, rub into hair, on clothes, all over face...aka -- make a total complete mess of everything within reach (tho' my nephew decided easier to eat the frosting and then dump the cake in mommy's lap!)
usually only 1 smash cake is made -- just for the baby and then a normal size cake for everyone else.
I give the smash cake as part of the deal. but i'd charge extra if she wants four (what she wants 4x the mess to clean?
I always thought a smash cake was a small cake a child gets on their first birthday. They just get to dig in with their hands and it usually ends up all over the place, face, walls, floor, mom and dad. Am I wrong?
OH smash cakes I get it.......Thanks AC! Still I don't think she exactly knew what they were either. she called and said it was for the grandparents to take home hence the different flavors I don't think a 6 year old girl would smash her cake though.
I'll wait for info on pricing I'm sure others will give me an idea....
I usually make the smash cakes out of the cake scraps that I cut off of the cake. I usually shove the cake scraps inside of a 4 inch cake pan and freeze for a bit, just so it sticks together and then frost. I've acually done the tinker bell smash cake and if I were I you I would definitly go with the flower theme. I usually give them away for free too. But usually just one, maybe charge $5 or so each?? Good luck!!!!
Well to be honest I don't think think i've ever seen a smash cake at parties here in Miami LOL. I have 3 kids from 9-1 and I've never actually let them get that messy with any on their cakes. Besides sticking their fingers into the frosting lol.
Our pricing here is a little different then other regions. Since there are bakeries in every corner, home bakers usually just set a general price not to compete with big guys. Or the biggest PUBLIX....whose buttercream frosting is like crack. I still haven't been able to copy it. Delicious!
OH smash cakes I get it.......Thanks AC! Still I don't think she exactly knew what they were either. she called and said it was for the grandparents to take home hence the different flavors I don't think a 6 year old girl would smash her cake though.
I'll wait for info on pricing I'm sure others will give me an idea....
in that case do this:
You should price it per serving. If you do a six inch round according to Earlene's Cake Chart that would feed approx 8 people.
based on the $90 you're charging for the 14" which serves 65 according to Earlene's chart and 78 according to Wilton...you're only charging between $1.15 and $1.38 a serving.
so a 6 in cake would be between $9 and $16 dollars depending upon where you set your per serving price (higher!!!!) and the # of servings you say a cake has (wilton - higher! = more profit!)
OH smash cakes I get it.......Thanks AC! Still I don't think she exactly knew what they were either. she called and said it was for the grandparents to take home hence the different flavors I don't think a 6 year old girl would smash her cake though.
I'll wait for info on pricing I'm sure others will give me an idea....
Bet you dollars to doughnuts that someone told her "Oh ask for a smash cake! most people throw them in for no charge!"
I had never heard the term before I came to CC. (I actually hate the word "smash" when it applies to food. Drives me nuts when I hear the term "smashed potatoes"! What? They threw them against the wall? 
)
Anyway .... never in my 50 years of living have I ever seen a mother give the WHOLE CAKE to a one year old to dive into, THEN cut that very same cake up for the guests. A piece of cake is cut for the kid and the kid dives into that one. Why they need a whole separate cake is so beyond me! 
Bet you dollars to doughnuts that someone told her "Oh ask for a smash cake! most people throw them in for no charge!"
ITA! Why would a 6 year old need a smash cake? 4 no less!! I would definitely charge her per serving for smaller cakes if she'd like them. Although, I would probably explain to her what a smash cake was and ask if she'd still like them. 
My little guy will be 1 in less than 2 months.
He'll end up with 3 parties since all the grandparents are coming at different times...
But I just planned on giving him a CUPCAKE at each party to play around with and let all of the grandparents take their pictures while he does it.
I don't see why he needs a whole cake to play with...but I know he'll have fun with his little cupcake!
I am so glad someone brought this up. I had no idea what a smash cake was either. I have never heard of one before. I was just too chicken to ask lol.
My little guy will be 1 in about 2 months.
He'll be having 3 first birthday parties so that all of his grandparents can celebrate with him.
I plan on making him his own cupcake to go with each cake.
But I don't see why he needs a WHOLE cake to play with. At least with the cupcake all of the grandparents can still take their pictures and he can have a little fun 
Both my kids had smash cakes when they were little. Actually 'till they were about 3 yrs. I have had several moms order smash cakes for kids from 1 to 5! If they have an order over $30, I only charge $5 for the smash cake. Usually just a 1 layer, 4" round w/icing that matches the larger cake. If they want anything other than Happy Birthday, they either supply it (toys) or I charge more for it.
I am so glad someone brought this up. I had no idea what a smash cake was either. I have never heard of one before. I was just too chicken to ask lol.
Sas,, Like i tell my kids there are no stupid questions, just stupid answers. It never hurts to ask otherwise you will never learn.....
If they order the b/day cake to , I charge 5$ extra for the smash cake ! I just use extra batter and icing from the main b/day cake ! But since I have to supply a box /board etc I charge the 5$, I make them 4in they match the cake . I have 1 posted from a few weeks ago in my pic,s If they want anything fancy its more $$ . If she wants more then the 1, I would charge at least your reg base cake price or more for the other 3! I charge my reg price for my 6inch cakes !No smash cake prices there !
I charge $5 for mine. I usually make mine vanilla with vanilla frosting, so it covers the extra amount of supplies. And they are so cute! I hope CC doesn't edit this, but this is my now 4 year old son with his smash cake I made him, looong before I started making cakes!
summernoelle.. JUST ADORABLE ! Im sure he still is !
Ohhh I just love smash cakes-can you say UPCHARGE?!?! I had NEVER heard of them a year ago and now-I swear I get about 10 first birthdays a month, and they all want smash cakes, I don't promote them and have no clue how these mom's know what to ask for but they do! If they expect it to be heavily decorated, I expect to be heavily paid But I like them because they can push a first birthday order up $10-$20.00, usually they just match the cake. I do 90% children's parties, and this has been a big seller-its win-win! If you are a baker that offers this 1) You have a customer from age 1 and up (Can't get them any younger than that!) and 2) They are quick and easy! I use the little Wilton pan-Tasti-fill?? And just load it up with icing because I do so many in a month! I will post a pic!
My daughter is now 8, I don't have the picture on here it was before digicam's were in our families lol.... but she didn't have a smash cake for her 1st bday, she got a big piece of cake the whole corner and a scoop of ice cream and dove in! My sister helped her make a total mess and she smeared it all in her hair and all over her highchair... there was chocolate in her ears and everything! lol
As for the pricing, price per serving on them, since she's already told you they are for the grandparents don't give freebies or discounts on them.
Here are a couple smash cakes I've done recently.
you can thank walmart (i think) for this phenomenon. I didn't know there was any such thing as a cake all for the the b-day kid until my oldest turned 1 (he's 6 now) and this was before i was doing cakes, so i ordered a b-day cake from walmart and when she realized it was his 1st b-day she says "oh, he'll be getting a smash cake, too! we always give one free for the 1st birthday. would you like it chocolate or vanilla? we'll decorate it to match the other cake" i was a little surprised and thought it might be a regional thing, but apparently its just something new & trendy. i don't get it. but i'll gladly make 'em and charge a little extra
She wants a couple of smash cakes (4) to go with the 14 in round 2 layer chocolate cake and the smash cakes in different flavors...
she called and said it was for the grandparents to take home hence the different flavors
Okay, 4 smash cakes in different flavors. Does this mean each a different flavor, or all one flavor but different from the big cake? Unless these smash cakes are to be additional cakes, not cupcakes, I wouldn't make them all different flavors. What do you do with the rest of these batters? That's wasteful for me because I don't get orders for a lot of different flavors, so I'd have several flavors of cakes sitting in my freezer.
What do you busy bakers do when someone wants several flavors in one order but you won't be using what's left? Not sure I put that just right.
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