Would this be completely totally impossible for a one-year-old to break through? I only work with fondant but I'm thinking I need to branch out, at least for this...maybe just a fondant wrapped border?

The invite is a very retro/abstract giraffe...so mom wants a 3-D giraffe for the main cake, and two smash cakes with little giraffes on top of them...isn't that too many giraffes?

She gave me creative license but I just can't picture an abstract 3-D giraffe..it would be so artistic for a one-yr-old's birthday party...

sorry, that was like 4 Q's...it's late..

lol, thanks

Fondant and one year olds isn't a good match. The smash cake is made for the kid to play in, get messy with and for "cute" pictures. The really "artistic" stuff should be reserved for the big cake. In my opinion anyway.

Besides a one year old can put a handful of buttercream in his/her mouth and be quite safe, not true for fondant. A handful of fondant in a one year olds mouth can be a choking hazard.

Is this a birthday party for twins? Was wondering since the mom wants two smash cakes.

i agree with mamawrombin. fondant for a one year old would not be good.
i don't think it would be too many giraffes. But if you do, then what would you put on the little smash cakes??

Here's a cutie.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pink_apron/3299778383/

Fondant on a smash cake is absolutely a choking hazard for a one year old!!!!!! Fondant is chewy and a one year old doesn't even have back teeth. I wouldn't even consider covering a smash cake with it. Be careful about using it even for a border unless it is removed before giving it to the baby. Like you, I used to do fondant only cakes because I could never get my buttercream to look better than a 5 year old could do. Then I bought Sharon Zambito's Perfecting the Art of Buttercream video. Last night I sold my first buttercream cake and it looked amazing. If you feel unsure about your buttercream skills I highly recommend the video. It truly makes a world of difference. If I showed you my before and after buttercream pics you wouldn't believe it.

For the smash cake, you could ice in bc, and do a frozen bc transfer, with a gum/fon #1 standing up on top. . Google "giraffe coloring book pages", find one that you like; decrease the size to fit your cake and print in reverse (mirror image). You can find the instructions under articles or it might be in a sticky in the "How do I or Cake Decorating" forums.

I did jumbo cupcakes for my ds's birthday last year as smash cakes - we had a playgroup party for 4 boys that were all due in Aug. But I pulled the fondant off after a quick pic and before they were allowed to dig in. The fondant I used was still soft tho - it was made to look like a cupcake wrapper around it, not a topper.

I think you could do the fondant topper but email and verbalize to her that it is a choking hazard and should be removed before the kids dig in. In fact if you do a contract I would have it in print and make her initial beside it. GL!

I can't speak highly enough of the DVD Perfecting the Art of Buttercream by Sharon Zambito. To see what I mean, check out my photos. The garden cake is what my buttercream looked like before the video. (After that cake I stopped doing buttercream because I sucked so badly!) The zebra cake is what my buttercream looks like after the video. Honestly, it looks like two different people make the cakes. Sharon Zambito rocks! I am so excited that I don't have to fear the buttercream anymore

I don't know if someone has already said this because I don't have time to read everyone's posts. I recently made a smash cake for a first birthday party for my nephew. I iced it with bc and made fondant animals (jungle theme). Anyway, I wouldn't recommend covering it with fondant because my nephew could not chew the fondant. He put a fondant snake in his mouth and it just became extremely gummy and we ended up having to take it out of his mouth because he didn't know what to do with it once it became that sticky/gummy, but he knew he couldn't swallow it. Plus, I think it would be very difficult for a one year old to "Smash" through fondant. Hope this helps with your decision!

I always do the smash cakes in buttercream. If I add any fondant decor, I always tell the mom to take them off before letting the little one dig in. Usually on the smash cakes, I just use colors schemes from the main cake with either the name or the number '1'. But as pp, you could do some fondant giraffe's and then just remind mom to snatch them off first.