My Top Ten Supermarket Cake Smash Cakes

When you book a cake smash photo shoot to celebrate your baby’s first birthday, you need to bring along a cake obviously.

A cake smash session is the perfect way to celebrate your baby’s first birthday, combining fun, laughter, and beautiful memories. If you’re planning a cake smash photoshoot, choosing the right cake is key—not only does it need to look great in photos, but it also has to be soft enough for your little one to enjoy smashing (and maybe even eating!). While custom cakes are a popular choice, supermarket cakes are a fantastic alternative. They’re affordable, convenient, and come in a wide range of designs. Here are my top ten supermarket cakes that are perfect for your baby’s cake smash photoshoot.

Why Choose a Supermarket Cake for Your Cake Smash?

Supermarket cakes offer the perfect blend of convenience and style. They’re readily available and often feature vibrant designs that work wonderfully for a photoshoot. Plus, you can pick one up as part of your weekly shop! Whether you’re after something fun and colourful or simple and elegant, there’s something for everyone. The key is to choose a cake that’s soft, easy to handle, and has a design that complements your chosen backdrop or theme.

However, when you have a one year (and possibly other children as well) time for baking can be a little bit hard to find. Professionally made cakes are fabulous but definitely not necessary for a cake smash (the clue is in the title after all) and so I’ve put together my top ten supermarket cakes that work brilliantly at a cake smash. I’ve tried to include some from all of the main supermarkets and for a range of budgets so there should be something for everyone.

Of course, you can choose any cake you want for your baby’s photo shoot but there’s a couple of things to know that can be helpful.

Don’t choose chocolate cake. It’s my favourite in terms of taste for sure but it can end up looking like poo in the finished images 🙂
You want the cake to be squishable, so steer clear of the type of cakes that have the smooth fondant icing as they don’t smear up so well.
Whichever cake you choose, don’t keep it in the fridge before your session or it will be too hard for your baby to dig into.

Tips for Choosing the Perfect Cake

Soft and Smashable: Opt for cakes with a soft sponge and frosting that’s easy for little hands to break apart.
Avoid Strong Colours: Dark colours like red or black can stain and be difficult to clean. Stick with pastel shades or lighter hues.
Size Doesn’t Matter: You don’t need a massive cake, small to medium is fine!
Think About Allergies: Always check the ingredients to ensure the cake is safe for your little one.

Where to Buy

You can find these cakes at popular UK supermarkets such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s, ASDA, and Marks & Spencer. Their bakery sections offer plenty of options to suit every theme and budget.

The best tip that I can give you however is not to worry too much about the cake. I can’t think of a cake smash where the choice of cake has spoiled it and I’ve done hundreds over the years. It’s much more about the interaction of your baby and the cake, watching them explore, having fun and occasionally eat some of it than it is about having the fanciest cake. Of course I’m not going to stop you if you really want to go for it cake wise but it’s just not something worth stressing about!

A supermarket cake is a fantastic option for a cake smash photoshoot. It’s budget-friendly, easy to find, and versatile enough to match any theme. Whether you’re going for a classic look or something a bit more whimsical, there’s a perfect cake waiting for your little one to smash and enjoy!