Tips on How to Prepare

Preparing for

baby's cake smash

Babies reaction

Every photographer will tell you, not all babies will dig in! This is all true since the baby is still shy and exploring on new things – some they find interesting but most of the time it overwhelms them. It doesn’t help that we are all cheering, making weird faces and funny noises for them to smash the cake and they end up getting confused and scared instead. But this doesn’t have to be the case, we can make it easier for them by doing the following tips.

Practice at home

Weeks or days before the session, practice with a cupcake with buttercream/cream on top (preferably the same colors with the smash cake) and a same environment ie. everyone sits on the floor and cheers for baby. Let baby touch, explore and feel the texture of the cream and the cake. it’s not 100% guaranteed but most of the time, it helps!

Right time

Make sure your baby is well-rested and isn’t starving before the shoot: Yes, you want them to smash and eat the cake, but if they are starving, the are going to be grumpy. And if they are tired, they are going to be grumpy, too. You want your baby to be happy and smiling in the pictures! So if your baby has recently napped and had a little food, they should be good to go!

Choosing the right cake

I provide a classic naked cake as long as baby doesn’t have any known allergies.

Why naked cake? There’s nothing like a good old-fashioned Vanilla sponge cake — it’s soft and crumbly and easier to smash! It has the right amount of icing- not too much but still messy and fun nonetheless. Fondant is a choking hazard so it’s better to avoid it.

Since I let my clients use an outfit from my wardrobe collection, I also only provide a naked  cake to avoid stains.

Can you bring your own cake?

Definitely yes! You can choose to do so if baby has any allergies or if you just want a fancier cake. If you choose to bring a colored cake / cake with coloured icing, you can just bring your own outfit too. If you are bringing a cake with no coloured icing, you are welcome to use an outfit from my wardrobe collection.

What is the perfect Cake for a cakesmash session?

Size: I recommend six inch in diameter, just enough size for our little one and will fit perfectly on my cake stands. Lastly, please pick the colours carefully. I would recommend light or pastel colors that would match the cakesmash theme. With red icing, baby will look like he went straight out of Hotel Transylvania and brown can look like… well I’m sure you already know.

Type: It’s best to only use buttercream and not fondant for safety reasons as fondants can be a choking hazard. If you still choose to use Fondant, that’s definitely fine with me as long as you know the risks.

Things you will need to bring:

  • Masks for you and person/s you are with excluding 2 years old and below
  • Cake (unless provided by the photographer)
  • A few of your child's favourite toys in case the baby needs a break or something to get their attention
  • A change of clothes for the baby
  • A change of clothes for you and any siblings that may be coming (things can get really messy and I like to get the parents and siblings in photos too!!)
  • Small snacks like cheerios and puffs that we can hide in the frosting if needed!

Safety Precautions

  • Avoid putting choking hazards on cake
  • avoid running in the studio since the floor can get slippery with the icing and water (when doing a splash bath after)
  • call to reschedule when baby is sick