Amazing Cake Smash Photo Shoot Insight & Ideas | 2021
10 Fun and adventurous cake smash photo shoot ideas!
Your little one is approaching their first milestone birthday at one year old, and you want to celebrate this significant part of their lives but how do you do it? Or you’ve heard about a cake smash photo shoot but aren’t too sure what this is or what it how to go about it?
Well, you are definitely in good hands with Renphotos!
A cake smash photo shoot can be one of the messiest and most fun ways to celebrate your child’s first birthday.
Below we are going to go through some amazing ideas and insights from what to expect from a cake smash photo shoot to some unique and fun cake smash ideas that you can consider trying out, décor you can get or make for yourself, and how to get the most from your chosen cake smash photographers in Johannesburg.
Not sure what to expect from a cake smash photo shoot?
Check out these adorable photos below and you a pretty good idea of what the result could look like, so sit back, relax and enjoy these classic cake smash ideas and photos from Athi’s cake smash photo shoot session that are sure to put a smile on your dial!
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10 ways to make your cake smash photoshoot amazing – tips and a bonus tip at the end!
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3 Cake smash Ideas and themes for inspiration – ideas for boys, girls, and gender-neutral cake smash.
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Healthy cake smash recipe to help you avoid any unnecessary sugar rushes!
10 ways to make your cake smash photo shoot amazing!
So you can see from the adorable photos above how having a cake smash photo shoot can give you a unique and fun way of celebrating your child’s one-year-old birthday and cherishing this milestone forever. But as many cake smash photographers in Johannesburg will tell you there is some preparation needed from mum and dad as well as communication between you and your photographer to make sure you get the absolute most from your cake smash photo shoot. Here are my 10 top tips to do exactly that!
10 top cake smash photo shoot tips.
- First of all, Make sure your child doesn’t mind getting their hands dirty. You can prepare them for this by making mud pies for instance and letting them play with that and seeing how they react to it. Some kids love it, but others do prefer clean hands.
If your child just does not enjoy being dirty then a cake smash might not be ideal for them – but the good news is you could consider a bubble bath photo shoot instead which can be just as fun and memorable!
Check out this link for a cake smash and splash combo photoshoot≫
- Make sure your cake smash cake is not made with hard icing that they won’t be able to smash. There are some beautiful cakes out there but often to get them looking like that requires layers of thick icing.
If your heart is set on one of these for your child’s birthday then maybe consider getting an ordinary soft cake to smash – As you might have guessed, it will end up in pieces.
Here is my top contact for creating either type of cake. Benoni: Pixie treats creations≫
- Be as patient as you can during the cake smash – To get the best and cutest results at Renphotos we allow an hour for our cake smash photo shoot because sometimes getting messy takes a bit of time. It can be tempting to push your child’s hands into the cake and get them messy for the photos but honestly, this often ends in tears so rather wait and let them slowly make their work of art.
- Bring along distractions and toys that your child already loves and that you don’t mind getting covered in cake. These can help to encourage your child to dig their fingers into the cake smash cake if they are hesitating – pushing something they love into the cake will often send them diving into it.
- Try not to have too many people come with you for the cake smash photo shoot – they can cause a distraction and make your child lose focus on the cake.
- Bring along a change of clothes for your baby as well as wet wipes and cloth. Cake somehow seems to get everywhere during this process and you will want to clean up once the destruction is over! I do have a baby bath and changing table in the studio which does come in handy for this reason specifically.
- Be prepared to get involved in the photos. Sometimes the children need you to show them what to do, which means getting your hand dirty. Or getting a smile from your child might mean standing behind the camera and making funny faces at them, or singing their favourite song to get them to smile.
- On that note –you may want to bring a change of clothes for yourself as well! Often parents need to get in there during the shoot and once your child is full of cake they tend to gravitate towards you with sticky hands and feet to be picked up and cuddled – so be prepared.
- Consider your child’s outfit for the cake smash – often less is more and can be less complicated with the cleaning. The cutest for me is normally a tutu for a little girl and suspenders and bowtie for a boy – these make some adorable final looks for cake smash ideas.
- Also, consider the décor you want in your background and how you want the final look to be – adding a little colour here or a theme that matches the cake and outfit also goes a long way, but try not to go overboard as this can distract from the final photos. Check out the next section for cake smash ideas for décor, outfits, and cake smash cake!
BONUS TIP – If you would like all your photos in time for the child’s birthday then it’s best to schedule their cake smash photo shoot for a month before the event to allow enough time for the photos to be edited and transferred to you.
Cake smash Ideas & themes for inspiration!
Planning your cake smash photo shoot can be a lot of fun and an exciting thing to do. Above all you want this to be a meaningful memory, whether you want to DIY it or get your photographer to get all the décor and set up for you. Below are some ideas with décor, cakes, and outfits to give you some inspiration for your cake smash ideas and get you started!
Cake smash for girls.
There are soooooo many ideas for a Cake smash for girls to think about. Here are some of my favourite ones from photo sessions I have done as a cake smash photographer in Johannesburg.
- Follow a character theme – There are lots of character themes out there for a cake smash for a girl like Frozen, Barbie or Princess Sofia, and they are all so adorable!
All it takes is a colour scheme with balloons that suit the theme, the cake can be decorated in that specific theme or colour, and some flags in the background with popular cartoon characters are normally fairly easy to find.
- Use a specific colour scheme – Having some uniformity just in colours with balloons, flags, paper decorations and cake to pull the photo together. Pink and gold for instance are a popular combination.
Other great colours for girls are turquoise and purple, peach and yellow etc. Renphotos can get this basic décor for you at an extra charge, but what can be added will depend on your budget and availability of the décor.
- Use something that your child loves as décor. For instance, if ponies are something they play with, then maybe use some of these toys in the background and theme your cake around something similar. Balloons etc. can also just have a similar colour scheme.
Cake Smash For Boys.
The ideas for a cake smash for a boy are similar to the girls except the themes and colours will change to suit a boy rather.
- Character themes to use for a cake smash for boy – Paw patrol, Batman, or mickey mouse are some popular ideas
- Popular colours for a cake smash for a boy are shades of blue, red, white and yellow, and even black. These can generally mix and match quite well depending on what you want to do.
- Décor themes to consider for a cake smash for a boy might be a nautical theme, cowboy theme or gone fishing can all be really cute cake smash ideas.
Gender-Neutral cake smash Ideas.
If you prefer to keep your cake smash photo shoot gender neutral here are some more ideas you can consider
- Timeless and classic cartoon characters like Winnie the Pooh, Dumbo the elephant and pretty much anything from looney tunes is gender-neutral and great themes to go with for cake smash ideas.
- Wild one theme – this is a popular trending theme at the moment and the good news is it can be used for either boys or girls. You can see more on this theme here
- Safari theme – This is also a popular idea to use in a cute cake smash photo shoot and you can go to town with stuffed animals and making it look like your child is in the savanna bushveld or deep in the jungle.
The best thing is the colours are quite neutral so they don’t distract from the actual cake smash. Why not Check out these great ideas for a safari-themed cake smash
- Some great gender-neutral colours to consider are green, gold, oranges browns and yellows, or greys and whites.
Healthy Cake smash recipe for cake smash photo shoot.
Many parents are concerned about a cake smash being unhealthy for their little one as there is so much sugar they are eating in a short space of time. To put your mind at ease, there doesn’t normally seem to be much eating involved, but usually a lot more playing with their food (the one time they can do that).
But If you are concerned about this then the good news is you can opt for a healthy baked cake with less sugar, just like this one!
As a final Bonus, we asked our favourite cake lady at Pixie Treat creations to send in one of these recipes. You can see it below if you want to try it yourself, or contact Pixie treats creations directly for other healthy alternatives!
Oatmeal Applesauce Cake Recipe - It's Gluten-free & no added sugars!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce -or- an apple and an electric pressure cooker.
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup water, milk, or your favourite non-dairy milk. I just use water.
- 2 tablespoons whole flaxseed. I prefer using golden flaxseed.
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 1/2″ slices, soft but not totally melted.
- 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats.
- 1 teaspoon baking powder.
- A dash of cinnamon, if your little one likes it.
- Full cream milk, plain Greek yoghurt for frosting. Make sure to get a brand without added thickeners or extra sugar.
- You can add some blended strawberries, blueberries, or bananas to flavour the frosting.
Cooking instructions!
- Preheat the oven to 180°C degrees.
- Grease an 8″ inch cake tin or two 6″ inch cake tins. I’ve made it with both 6″ pans and I think the 6″ is definitely the cuter option! And grease lightly with soft butter.
- Combine the eggs, water, vanilla, and applesauce in your blender pitcher. Blend to combine. This took me about five seconds, tops.
Sprinkle the flaxseeds on top and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes. - Add the butter and blend until it is combined and the flaxseeds are fully ground up.
- Add the oats and baking powder. Blend until the oats are fully incorporated.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. You may need to use a spoon or spatula to encourage the batter to the pan’s edges. Jiggle and tap the pan to level the batter out.
- Bake until a toothpick (or knife! I just use a knife) inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Ovens and pans vary, so keep an eye on your cake and pull it when it’s ready.
- Allow the cakes to cool for about 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cakes to help them come free, then carefully turn them out onto a wire rack. Once the cake has fully cooled, you can “frost” it with full cream milk Greek yoghurt, or flavoured frosting.
I allowed my Greek yoghurt to drain in a colander in the fridge to remove any excess moisture so the cake wouldn’t become soggy. Simply line a colander with cheesecloth and let it sit for a couple of hours! If you’re going to frost and serve the cake immediately, you can skip this step.
Just try to drain any additional moisture from the tub before using yoghurt. You can go for a cute semi-naked appearance, but you do you! Serve and watch your little one enjoy!
If You’re Making Your Own Pressure Cooker Applesauce:
- Peel & core a medium/large apple or two smaller apples and cut into small chunks.
- Place the apple chunks and 1/3 cup of water in your electric pressure cooker. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
- Once pressure has released, transfer the cooked apples to a large glass measuring cup. Use an immersion blender to puree the apples, removing any excess skin that doesn’t puree. And you’re ready to go!
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Final Thoughts
Whether you want to have a more simple cake smash photo shoot with the basics, or you want to go more elaborate. Be assured Renphotos will be with you all the way as your cake smash photographers in Johannesburg and we are ready to make the vision for your photo session a reality.
Just contact us with your budget and what you are looking for. We can take it from there. The base price is the same as for any one-hour photoshoot (see more in the links below).
From then on it depends if you would like Renphotos to put together décor etc. for you. Depending on your budget and what we can put together for you from that. You will also need to bring along the cake and outfit you want for the cake smash.
Are you ready to help create your child’s first wonderfully messy work of art for their milestone birthday? Then check out the pricing below, see more ideas for inspiration on the cake smash blog, and get in touch to arrange your cake smash photo shoot, it’s as easy as that!
- Cake smash photography pricing ≫
- Cake smash & splash pricing ≫
- Cake smash photography blog ≫
- Contact Renphotos ≫