CAKE smashing is the US import that parents just can't get enough of.

The recipe is simple. Take one 12-month-old baby, a few props, and a gooey cake – and let them dig in.

A photographer is on hand to make memories from the messy mayhem.

Parents can pay hundreds of pounds for a session with a professional photographer, with packages including framed prints and albums as keepsakes.

But some families are having a go themselves for a fraction of the cost – and just as much fun.

Sophie Eleanor Gibson is just one of the many York photographers offering a cake-smash shoot. She did one herself for her daughter Marlie-Rose to mark her second birthday, although most parents book a shoot for their child's first birthday.

She said: "America did it first, as with most things! It's a really cute and fun way to mark a baby's first birthday. A lot of people do it at home, but you do get the full experience in the studio. I supply the cake, and design it, and get it made for them as well as provide lots of different outfits for the babies to dress up in.

"After the baby has smashed into the cake and made a mess, there is usually about half a cake left, which the parents can take home.

"I definitely think it is a trend that is at its peak. Many photographers in York do it because so many people inquire about it. It has become the thing to do. For a first birthday, parents get really excited and want to mark it."

Shoots are designed for both girls and boys, with different colour themes and p York mum Hayley Jones booked a cake-smash session with York photographer Tim Heward to celebrate the first birthday of her daughter, Ivy-May.

She'd seen lots of photos of the craze on social media and thought it looked great fun.

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"We went into the studio and it was really relaxed. They asked if we wanted to have any props, then put the cake down in let her do what she wanted to do. It was great fun to watch too. We have a video of the whole thing as well."

Parents can often pick a theme or a colour scheme as well as props, costumes and backgrounds for their shoot. Hayley had a clear vision of what she was looking for. "Ivy-May had a Fifties-style swimsuit and some curls, a head band and some pearls. I am really into vintage and it looked fantastic. We spent a lot of time – about two hours – and didn't feel rushed."

She loves the results and says it was worth the £180 cost. "It's all very natural and I love the picture of her with her head in the cake. It's what attracted me to the idea in the first place – it shows their personality through the photographs."

Photographer Tim Heward started offering cake-smash shoots after taking his own child, Emilia, to one. "I saw how much my own daughter enjoyed it. We had a group of friends with children of a similar age so decided to start a business, beginning with offering the service to friends."

York Press:

ON TREND: Tim Heward and wife Laura with some results of their cake-smash shoots they do at their home studio in York

It's very much a team effort, says Tim, whose wife Laura helps with each shoot. The venture is a supplement to his day job as a retail manager. He did a degree in media production and is a keen photographer, so the business has allowed him to return to his creative roots.

He works from a studio at his home, where parents can select a choice of backgrounds, props and costumes and he orders the cake from a local business.

He thinks one year olds are the perfect subject for a cake-smash shoot. "They are just discovering food and are really inquisitive. We don't coax them. We just be patient. Every baby we have had has gone for it. You just have to wait and be ready to capture it. Some just dive in from the start."

Ryedale mum Lisa Kneeshaw loved the cake-smash trend too – but decided to stage her own at home for daughter Isobel.

Granddad Peter Gore volunteered to make the cake and Lisa took the photos.

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DIY FUN: Little Isobel Kneeshaw (and Derek the dog) enjoy a cake smash at home

"He made a Victoria sponge with jam and cream, covered in buttercream and red and green sprinkles. My daughter wore a pink, flowery dress. We did it in the living room – and I put down a plastic sheet for the mess, although the dog did a good job of cleaning up!"

Lisa said Isobel thoroughly enjoyed it – as did the family onlookers. "We sat her down in front of the cake. She wasn't too sure what a cake was, but once she saw the dog eating it, she realised it was edible and had a really good time.

"I thought it was nice we did it home. We were very relaxed. As for the mess, well, that cleans up. We all had such a good time, I am going to do it every year."