Styled by Laura of Laura Olsen Events, I am so excited to share this cutie pastry Chef Cake Smash with you today. I mean, is there a better way to kick off the week than with photos of cute babes covered in gourmet cake from The Dessert Room? If you said yes, you’ve gotta be kidding me!

Sweet Em joined me for a session to celebrate, a couple of weeks before her birthday so Mom could gift the images to her doting family members as part of her party favours. She was one of the most relaxed, happy babies to photograph and totally obliged us with all the fun we had planned for her morning in my home “studio” space (aka: my naturally-lit kitchen to allow for ALL the mess).

Have a scroll down for some Monday sweetness, top tips for a successful smash AND some recipe love from The Dessert Room if you’re feeling adventurous ahead of party planning (or craving cake like I now am!)

pastry chef cake smash

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5 tips for a successful smash:

  1. Keep an open mind and an eye out for fun, alternative backdrops relatively inexpensively in the material sections of craft stores. *Spoiler alert: The one we used here was actually a really retro, fun tablecloth*

pastry chef cake smashcakesmash_0023cakesmash_00242. Let them be little. Keeping props and styling simple allows space for the littles to explore, make a mess and have fun with the theme of the day.

cakesmash_0014pastry chef cake smash

3. Be ready for the mess. I always have lots of wipes/towels available for any pauses we need to take. Some littles like mess a lot more than others so it’s also important to go with the flow. Bonus tip: Book your session in the morning so there is enough time for the sugar rush to wear off before bed time!

cake smash styling4. Don’t clean up too quick, half the fun is standing back and soaking the smash in! The details make for some super fun elements to add to albums later on too.

cakesmash_00255. End off the smash with a splash. Because a baby splashing in a tub is JUST as cute as one covered in cake!

cakesmash_0026cakesmash_0027cakesmash_0028Want to give this beauty of a cake a go from the comfort of your own kitchen? Marcia of The Dessert Room shares her naked cake & butter frosting recipe with us below:

first birthday cake smash

Recipe Love from The Dessert Room:

baking recipe

Vanilla Bean Cake
  • 1/2 c. butter, unsalted
  • 1 c. sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 c. flour, sifted
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp. baking soda
  • pinch salt
  • 1/2 c. buttermilk
  • 1 scraped out vanilla bean pod
Beat butter, sugar and vanilla beans together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Combine all dry ingredients and add half to butter mixture. Add your buttermilk and mix to combine. Scrape your bowl and then add remaining half of dry ingredients. Mix until just incorporated. *careful to not over mix – it leads to a dense and tough cake. Evenly distribute into three 6″ cake pans or one 8″ cake pan. Make sure to grease your pans fully with cooking spray!
Preheat oven to 350F  – bake for 30-35 minutes – test with a toothpick to make sure no wet batter sticks!
frosting recipe
Vanilla Frosting
  • 1/2 lb of butter, unsalted
  • 1 lb of icing sugar, sifted
  • pinch salt
  • 1 vanilla bean, scraped out
  • 1/4 c. whipping cream
Beat butter and vanilla beans until creamy, then add spoonfuls of your icing sugar and your pinch of salt. Add these slowly so it doesn’t come flying out at you and make a mess! In between icing sugar additions, add your whipping cream. Whip for 3-5 minutes, until it’s light in colour and fluffy!
Once your cakes have cooled, flip out of their pans and continue to cool until cold to the touch. Once they’re cold – place on a cake plate and spread your icing on top. Add your cake layers on top and spread icing between each layer. Using a spatula, spread remaining icing on the tops and sides of your cake. If you’d like a pretty texture on your cake – use the back of a spoon to create a swirled design in the icing around the sides and top of your cake. Top with a flower and enjoy!
Cake Smash CollectionLet’s celebrate your little turning one! Contact me to reserve your 2018 cake smash date (now booking Feb – April)

Chris

xx

 

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