As a Lehigh Valley photographer for 14 plus years, specializing in newborn and children photography, I have seen my fair share of kids at my studio. I have captured over 800 cake smashes and have put together a little diddy to help make your child’s first birthday cake smash a smashing success… (see what I did there ).

Here are my top ten tips for a successful cake smash:

1. Don’t let the day of your photoshoot be the first time your baby has cake. Back in the day, that was a thing… no cake til 365 days old… not in the age of cake smash photography. Babies who have never had sugar are more likely to be disinterested in the cake or, even worse, freak out and not allow you to get any pictures! 

2. For the love of everything… Take the cake out of the fridge. Babies will NOT eat a cold cake… and if they do, they won’t get messy from it. The harder the icing, the less the mess.

3. Which brings me to fondant: (think opposite of Nike) JUST DON’T DO IT! It looks cute, yes, but usually there is choking, gagging, and overall uncertainty when a hard piece of sugar enters a baby’s mouth… parents freak and rip it off anyway.. save your money, no fondant for the smash cake! The only exception to this for me would be like the sample photo. The candle is fondant wrapped around a wooden dowel, no chance baby can eat it! If you’re concerned about sugar or textures upsetting your baby, whipped cream icing is a great choice!

4. Bring reinforcements in the form of an extra person to help either make baby smile or making sure baby doesn’t fall off of a chair. This is especially true if baby is attached to one parent at the time. We have often needed to “kick a mom out” for a few moments to be able to get a clingy babe to smile for a few shots. (Of course, only ever a suggestion.. I would never really force a parent to leave me alone with their child!)

5. Feed your baby before you come. If your thought is “I’m not going to feed baby before we go because then they’ll be so hungry for the cake.” Let me rephrase that for you: Keep baby’s routine as normal as possible before you come, especially their food/milk intake, because hungry babies don’t smash their cake better… all it does is make them hangry for the entire session and by the time the cake comes out, they’re furious and often times inconsolable. Feed your babes before you come. Trust me!

6. Bring milkies and water. Baby’s not used to all that sugar yet, they might need a sip to wash it down.

7. Consider bringing your baby’s favorite snack to add to the cake in case they aren’t interested in it. This could be anything from fresh fruit to teething crackers and puffs! I usually have some puffs at the studio but you’re always welcome to bring some of your own!

8. Bring change of clothes for you and baby… yes for you. If you’re jumping in for a few photos with your first birthday cake smasher, you might be dressed up. Fast forward to the cake smash clean up, your baby is crying while you try to carry them to the sink… you’re going to be full of cake too! Bring a hair tie as well, you’re going to want to pull that hair up!

9. Bring a spoon: I keep a box of these at the studio at all times. I can’t tell you how many times I have been saved by having wooden spoons on hand. I bring one out before every smash and I have baby try to use it every time. Not only is it cute for a few shots, it also has changed babe’s minds about the cake. They might be more inclined to eat it if they are not having to directly touch it.

10. Don’t shove babies hands in unless you’re sure you’re satisfied with what you got… it will either be an epic Pat-a-Cake scene or Cry Fest, most times it’s a Cry Fest.

I hope this helps to make your first birthday cake smash a success and hey, if you’re in Northeastern PA and need a photographer, I’m your gal.

Follow for more tips and tricks on instagram @theLGphoto and www.lorigenerose.com