This may seem a little odd---- but I just started to think about this, of course AFTER I made the cake...

I made a Giant Cupcake Smash cake - using my standard frosting (2 sticks of butter, 1 cup of Crisco, 2 lbs powder sugar) - This crusts really well....

But for a smash cake -  now who knows if the baby will touch it, beings it hard!!! -  What could I do to convert my normal crusting icing,  to a more 'messy' non crusting, but still pipe-able icing??

Or is there a better recipe out there that I could use just for smash cakes??  Any input would be great!

Thanks!

I use a swiss meringue buttercream. It's delicious and does not crust as much. I use it under fondant ans buttercream decorated cakes.

I can't imagine that your crusting BC is so hard that a one year old cant get their fingers into it.  I wouldn't worry about the bit of a crust that a typical crusting BC gets.

That is a very common recipe for icing that crusts nicely but never *HARD* .  If yours is that hard something is wrong.  There should be NO problem w/the child playing in/with it if you are following a simple recipe using  2 cups of fat to 2#s of sugar.  He/she will do a *great!* job of getting messy!

BTW:  why such a *HUGE* cake for a smash cake?   Usually it is a very small cake that is for the child only, then a 'full sized' cake for everyone to eat.

A lot of people want a giant cupcake for a smash cake, it's cute for pictures.

Your regular recipe should be just fine, but if you are worried IMBC or SWBC stay nice and soft.

Thank you all! I adjusted the recipe I use and only used 1 lb instead of 2 of the powder sugar..it still crusted, slightly, but much softer...but also melty when working with the piping bag lol. But it'll work for the cake.  The recipe I use now crusts nicely, but still soft underneath, but thought for a cake like this it would be better to be no crust.

Does seem like a large cake for a smash cake - I baked just the top (which was about 2 cups of batter) and then just made the shell of chocolate for the bottom with no cake inside..but I do think it's more for the photo op then for the child to eat! lol

I just use my normal buttercream recipe but add an extra couple tablespoons of heavy whipping cream.  It's nice and creamy and messy, lol.