Cake smashes are so popular now – when I first started offering them 6 years or so ago, I had to explain what they were to most people. Now, folk are treating them just as normal part of first birthday celebrations.
Your choice of cake can be quite important to that as obviously it takes centre stage for quite a few of the photos. So here’s some help in choosing what to go for…
- You don’t need a professional cake to get great cake smash photos. Of course you can, and if you like the look of them or don’t fancy getting in the kitchen yourself (and you have a one year old so it’s not surprising if you don’t have time to get your Mary Berry on), then go for it. It’s a hassle free solution for sure but it’s not essential. Cake makers need to charge to reflect their time and talent of course, which does make them more expensive so don’t panic if that puts you over budget, there’s other options.
- Whoever is making your cake, buttercream works better than royal icing as it is much more smearable and easier for your little one to get stuck into and play with.
- Don’t use chocolate cake. Taste-wise it’s probably better (I think so at least!) but in the finished photo, it can look a bit like poo if I’m being blunt about it.
- Shop bought cakes are a totally great option for your cake smash but some of them can have stiffer icing as they need to survive in the store without smearing all over the box. There are however some great cakes in the supermarket that smash really well so just try and check for squish factor when you’re choosing.
- If you’re making it yourself, there’s a good chance that you won’t actually eat much of it after it’s been through the mill of a photo shoot so if you’re looking for a shortcut, then shop bought sponge is a great one. Cans of frosting are another one. Sprinkles always look great too.
- Buttercream however sets like rock in the fridge so take it out a good few hours before your session so that it’s not too solid for them to crack into.
- Candles and toppers are an optional extra – they can add a cute splash of colour and fun. They normally come with a spike in the bottom of some description so we usually end up having to take it out part way through the session to avoid any injuries but they can definitely look cute at the start but truthfully probably not worth a massive investment.
- Got a child that doesn’t like cake? That’s more common than you’d think. It’s likely to be a lot sweeter than anything else they’ve had before. It’s worth having a pot of familiar snacks with you so we can fake it if they don’t want to eat the cake. Raisins hidden in icing? No-one can tell it isn’t cake they’re eating.
- Babies tend not to actually eat a whole lot of cake in a session and if they’re really going to town on it, we will shoot really fast so they don’t gorge and get sick. Still, if you’re not keen on your little one eating a lot of sugar, fresh cream is a good alternative and you can blend fruit into it such as blueberries or strawberries to give it some colour.
- I have wet wipes and a bin at the studio but it’s a good idea to either not plan on going out afterwards or bring a change of clothes for yourself. No-one loves a cuddle more than an icing covered toddler!