Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky have sparked a debate over the way they marked their son's birthday. She playfully pushed her son's face into the cake, with the dad grinning in amusement at the trick.

Hemsworth posted the snapshot on Instagram, captioning it:Happy birthday to my two sons! You can only eat cake one way in this family - and that's by having your head shoved into it by mum! "Mum, I prefer vanilla cake - not chocolate" "Oh yeah? How about now?"

Pataky's actions of pushing a kid's face into the cake were viewed by fans as both "violent" and into the cake caused disapproval from fans, who deemed it to be both "violent" and "absurd."

While Hemsworth and Pataky have yet to comment on the criticism, other admirers have rushed to their defense. "A bit of fun?," one supporter commented, and another stated, "Just a bit of basic humor... they appear to be having a good time together." "Those kids are going to grow up able to take a joke and not be some fragile soul who believes having their head dipped in frosting is violent," a third added.

Since their nuptials in 2010, Hemsworth and Pataky have become parents to daughter India, aged 10, and twin boys Sasha and Tristan, now 9.

In the November issue of Vanity Fair, Hemsworth discussed taking a break from acting after learning of his genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s disease while shooting “Limitless.” The actor declared he needed time away from his career.