I'm making a smash cake for a friend's photo shoot on Friday and I wanted to make a cake like this:

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1343445

I was planning on making the number one with fondant, but my question is, how do I put it in the cake? Would a toothpick be too sharp for a one year old? I don't want to hurt her kid. I also thought a spaghetti noodle might work. Anybody know a "safe" way to attach it?

Just remove it before it's eaten--like you would with a candle or any other inedible object.

Maybe just remove it before giving it to the child?

Well, it's for a photo shoot, so the point is to take pictures while he smashes the cake. Maybe take pictures with the one, then take it out while he smashes it?

if you're making it out of fondant, just make the straight part of the one longer so it sticks in the cake. I'm assuming you're going to let it dry anyways so it stands up, then it will all be out of the same material.

I would either do like the previous poster said and make the one so it can stick in the cake itself or use a lollipop stick.

Spaghetti Noodles are an edible options but still would be sharp for a baby.

If it has to stay in, what about extending the fondant/gumpaste down past the bottom of the one and sticking that into the cake? I wouldn't do it way in advance, but it should hold up for a little while before the fondant gets softened by the cake.

or make it fat (especially at the bottom) so that it is able to rest without support or attach it to a circle and allow it to dry...again so it needs no support...nothing to be removed due to it being sharp or small

eeehh I'd be a little nervous about having a 1 yr old near any fondant. They don't have molars and a chunk might be difficult for them to get down. I recall my kiddo getting really upset when she had a wad of white bread stuck to the roof of her mouth.

I's with metria on the fondant covered cakes for little ones.....I always to butter cream for the smash cake....it doesn't have to match the main cake exactly...as to the number if you do use a pick of some sort....noodles do work, a little delicate as to breakage could leave some in the cake for the little one to get a hold of.....best solution...put the fondant #1 on the side of the cake...no picks and can be easily removed before they dig in.

My smash cakes are bc too, no fondant or any other decoration that is hazardous

Hmmm, I hadn't thought about the fondant as a choking hazard. That gives me a whole new area to worry about! I like the popsicle stick and extended fondant ideas, though. I'll have to think about the fondant issue and run it by my friend.

The smash cake usually has a candle on top for them to blow out, right? Well, if the 1 is the candle, it's going to be removed before the child tears into it same with a fondant item...it's not like the child is going to be left unattended with it.

The fondant/gumpaste numbers, I usually place on the main cake since there's usually a candle (most times it's a number candle...would be redundant to put a sugarpaste 1 and a candle 1 on the surface of the same cake) on the smash cake.

Could you let the number air dry and attach it to the cake with royal icing? You would just have to prop it up until it dries and be vary careful during delivery.

An "action shot"?? What is this, the First Birthday Olympics or something? A photography competition to see who can capture the photo of the kid actually choking to death?

Sometimes I can't figure out parents. Tell the mom that as much as she wants this photo op for use in her kids wedding powerpoint, it's just not safe to let a 1 yr old dive into a cake with a non-edible item on it. (and if the kid has no teeth and can't eat it, then its non-edilbe).

geesh, did common sense take a vacation lately?

"Oh but if we take the Fourth of July sparkler shaped like a one off of the cake, then we won't know it's their first birthday! So let's just leave this pyrotechnic item on the cake and Baby Princess will look SO CUTE with fire in her hair and burned skin falling off of her hands! Because that's what's important to ME!! Ok, ready? GO!"

I talked to my friend, and she agreed to use melting chocolate polka dots instead of fondant, but we'll still have the fondant one on top. She'll just take it out before he tries to eat it. But I'm so nervous it won't look as good! I'm not sure I could do this professionally. It's so stressful just trying to get things perfect for friends!