Friday, January 2, 2009

Food that's Bad for You, Disguised as...Food that's Bad for You

Friday, January 2, 2009

Some of you will think these are Sunday-worthy, but I find the concept of cake-as-greasy-meat-products just a wee bit wrecky. (And yes, that does make me a hypocrite: I confess I've made a pizza cake before.)

Here we have a nicely rendered cake-that-looks-like-a-corndog, wishing itself (or perhaps another corndog not pictured) a happy birthday. Um, my brain hurts just a little, Nicole E.
(Check out the
source for some nifty giant cakes-that-look-like-donuts.)

A lot of you have submitted various versions of the burger n' fries model:

Most of these are pretty well-done [smirk], but Sara B. points out that the greasy shine and red icing "ketchup" are, shall we say, less than appetizing.

Plus, Thomas M. shows us that there can be such a thing as too much realism:

Those are REAL sesame seeds on the icing bun there. Here's hoping they didn't get carried away and salt the "fries", too.

Of course, on the other end of the spectrum is Emily B.'s find:

On the plus side, no one will mistake this for an actual burger. On the negative side, no one will mistake it for a cake, either.

Nancy was kind enough to share her "yellow cake chocolate pizza CCC" find:

Crafting a triangle-shaped slice of pizza from round-shaped cupcakes? Yeah, that's a good call. And why is the "crust" made from poo swirls?

Here Mrs. L. found the lazy version: it's a little sparse on toppings.

Of course, given that the "meatballs" are just mounds of solid icing, I guess we should be grateful there aren't more toppings. The crust looks better on this one, too.

Continuing in the Italian vein, spaghetti cakes are also pretty popular, and often disturbingly realistic. There's a great CCC example over on Flickr, but since I like to stick to pro creations (as opposed to procreations) here on Wrecks, I borrowed Melissa's of Wild Cakes to show you:

Ingenious food impersonation? Or nefarious sugary impostor? You decide!

(Melissa, you let me know if you've changed your mind about that whole "use anything you want from my site" thing, k? And thanks for being such a good sport.)

Speaking of grease and sugar, there's always the ultimate in wrecky flavor combos: the Pork n' Tomato Stuffed Chocolate Iced Donut from Bompass & Parr. If you're starting a diet for the new year, I highly recommend you check that out. Your waistline will thank me.
The Courteous Chihuahua said...

Somehow, the corndog cake reminds me of the Norman Rockwell self-portrait
http://fs1.us.cyworld.com/data3/2008/02/06/152/1202307552677961_file.jpg

Because I'm mean, I think I'll make one of these hamburger cakes for my vegetarian daughter's birthday.

Anonymous said...

assuming that it was requested, the last one begs the question, is the customer really always right?

Boozy Tooth said...

Oh my god... the spaghetti cake!

Jen, you dig up some pretty putrid stuff, but this takes it all to a new level. Congratulations.

Alixandra Hice
http://casahice.blogspot.com

Vashti said...

These actually make me feel sick! There is no way i could eat them.

jengersnap said...

A couple of the meaty burger cakes leave me wondering "where's the beef". After the last one though, perhaps a meaty layer would be an overkill.

WV - wanatir. Reading Cakewrecks makes me wanatir up. Pass the kleenex.

Anonymous said...

i actually had a hamburger cake for my son's first bday and it was, dare i say, cute! the bakery even went a step further and made a pickle smash cake!

HorribleLicensePlates said...

a spoon full of sugar helps the corn dog go doooowwwnnn. in the most delightful way.

Anonymous said...

Oh gross. Those remind me of the Jones sodas that are turkey and stuffing flavored. Blech!

Angie (from over at www.HalfAssedKitchen.com)

Jennifer said...

I am so very very sorry I clicked the pork and tomato link this early in the morning. I may have to delay breakfast so my stomach can flip back over.....blech.

Anonymous said...

This is like that time that my mom bought me chocolate pudding made by Hunt's and all I could think of was "ketchup". Ew.

queenb said...

I have mixed feelings on cakes that look like food items, when the food actually looks like an appetizing version of the food it's impersonating I mean. Otherwise...yuck...

But you know that sense of disorientation you feel when you pick up a glass and take a drink expecting sweet tea, but get diet coke instead? Even if you like diet coke, it tastes disgusting because you were expecting sweet tea...so does something similar happen here? You take a bite, expecting cheeseburger, because you see cheeseburger, but get chocolate cake with buttercream instead...Even if it's the best cake in the world, wouldn't it take gross because it obviously isn't cheeseburger?

Am I thinking about this too hard? okay...back to avoiding doing any actual work...

~Bonnie B~

Amy said...

When I was a kid my mom made a hamburger cake for one of my birthdays. It was truly a work of art - think a Big Mac, made of cake and icing. It was beautiful. Truly, truly beautiful. I think it was three layers of round cakes under about a half ton of icing. It must have taken hours...

Unfortunately, all the frostings were different flavors, so it tasted wretched.

Amy @ http://prettybabies.blogspot.com

Michelle said...

I am thinking the second triangular "pizza" slice may actually be a slice of cherry pie?! Either way it is no good!

Anonymous said...

I am inclined to think the second "pizza" is actually a pie. Which begs the question - why not just make a pie? It would surely be tastier than that frosting glop.

Anonymous said...

That corndog cake just looks disgusting.

Unknown said...

I think my biggest issue with all of them (well, at least the well-made ones) is the incredible sugar/icing overload. Erghhh.

On a plus side, Melissa's WonderPets cake (on her site) brightened my day. That was incredibly well-made.

Unknown said...

One word. If it is a word:
EWWWWWWWW!!!

Amy B

Kahla said...

I guess that would be one way to really make yourself go on a diet... those were um, less than appetizing.

Katie said...

The third burger looks like the burger in the Double Dare obstacle course. I wonder if there is a neon orange flag hidden inside and what kind of prize you get if it is in your slice.

Anonymous said...

I have to admit that I would have never even thought to order a cake that look like food.

Kim said...

I like how the corndog cake has to tell you what it is....just in case you were wondering...

lynettepleasant said...

I think the first two burger cakes look pretty cool, actually. The corn dog, not so much.

JennaC said...

The second slice of pizza isn't missing anything. It's obviously Chicago-style! Not that it makes that amount of icing any more acceptable.

BreeAnn said...

Those meatballs make me sick to my stomach...

Anonymous said...

Note to self: read cake wrecks every day as part of diet plan.

Rebecca said...

I think these are my favorite yet.
I am truly amazed at how real some of them look and it can just picture the faces of people that recieve them.
Too funny!

fading in the sun said...

I totally bought a burger cake once. it was for a fourth of july cookout and it was a work of art that was also ridiculously delicious. the burger cake went over very well!

Anonymous said...

Dear god..

I can understand the burger cakes.. I can even understand the corndog(which that was a pretty nice looking one I might add) but.. pizza and spaghetti? No. Those should stay as they are, not be made into sugary items! Granted, none of these foods should be thought to be sweet with delicious buttercream icing.. but those last two just made my stomach churn. Urgh..

Congrats on making me feel ill before noon.. and I was going to eat pizza today for lunch. Now I'm not so sure I'll be able too.. *eyes oven suspiciously*

Anonymous said...

I think they look awesome, well, with the exception of the pizza slice with the lines of "cheese."

Anonymous said...

i think i've lost my appetite for ALL food...

(but never a good cake)

Unknown said...

ewwww that one pizza one..ewww. The spaghetti one was so realistic! Really well done, but I'd have a hard time eating a spaghetti cake, I think. That second burger cake was really good too..the fries look so real!

We wanna see your pizza cake!

kerrie said...

These are the first cakes I've ever seen that actually make my stomach queasy. Must be the combo of grease and sugar that I imagine.

Melissa aka Gabe's Gurl said...

Ok, in my part of the world for the most part, these are custom order cakes, but it appears that these cakes are in a bakery somewhere. That, in itself, blows me away! Love this blog- keep up the good work. :)

Melissa @ gabesgurlep.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

Oh my God! So TOTALLY disgusting!
(hurls into nearest bucket) :<

Anonymous said...

OMG, I think I have to make either the spaghetti or the pizza cake for my husband's birthday. He will LOVE it.

I remember getting a hamburger cake for my 9th? birthday, as a kid I was wild over it.

Scritzy said...

Thank you for today's cakes. Looking at them will make it easier for me to get back to my more controlled post-holiday eating.

(Says she whose birthday is in January and who is looking forward to some gooshy icing.)

EHoss said...

These cakes literally make me want to dry heave. It's about as bad as watching the Diet Dr. Pepper commercial when people are drinking cupcakes and other non-drinkable foods. ::shudders::

WM said...

The spaghetti, though beautifully executed, was really scary! ICK.
Pizza/Pie cakes...really ICK.

I did like the giant donut cake link...at least it is a bakery item. It must be tough to come up with new things to turn cakes into. There are some places you just shouldn't go...

Hysterical though.

Miranda said...

aaaaargh...OK, I am Italian. Every time I see a pizza or spaghetti cake, especially if it's done well, all I can imagine is this...

Me: Yum! Sketti!
*digs in*
*takes bite*
BLORGH! Ptui!

all that icing. omg.

Eternal Lizdom said...

The burger cake!!! I remember wanting a hamburger cake so badly as a kid... I thought it was hilarious! Now... ugh. No way. And the addition of fries to it... Now, maybe if they had some cake and frosting cole slaw...

Unknown said...

the spaghetti ccc on the flickr link looks like a star of david. maybe his birthday fell on a jewish holiday? oh and strawberry preserves for the meatballs? doesn't look right. ew.

i'm pretty much fine with cakes looking like non-sweet foods. as long as the cake is tasty and the look is properly executed.

Anonymous said...

Burger cake #3 looks like somebody frosted the sides of a large round of cheddar cheese. (Shhh. Let's not give someone ideas.)

ksaldria said...

Great, now I really want a corndog.

Mama H said...

Those look like the real thing!!! I agree that I couldn't eat a cake that looked like a corn dog or hamburger, though... If it's supposed to be sweet, it needs to look sweet... I love your blog!

Anonymous said...

I love these types of cakes. I remember the episode of Ace of Cakes where they made a hamburger and french fries in a picnic basket cake for someone's birthday. They're fun.

Anonymous said...

Food cakes make me think of meat cake - the ones made of meatloaf with mashed potato frosting. I'm not sure what's worse - cake that looks like food but tastes like cake, or food that looks like cake but tastes like food.

Anonymous said...

what you have failed to mention is the third burger cake submitted by me (emily b) is VEGAN. that was the whole point.

sendingtheclowns said...

What is the corndog's stick made out of, I wonder. It almost looks like the stem of an old corn cob pipe. Maybe the rest of the pipe is inside the corndog cake. Hey, that's not any grosser than the giant, sweet corndog concept, really.
What in blazes is up with that bright green stuff on the second cake? Is that supposed to be lettuce? Oh-radioactive lettuce, you say?
At least the kiddies will have fun after eating some of that; they'll get a big kick out of pooping in technicolor for a few days.

Suzanne Dargie said...

I HAD to go over to "Wild Cakes" to see how she did the spaghetti cake.....I feel a lot better now knowing the "meatballs" are those Ferraro Rocher chocolates. It actually looks quite delicious now.
But the pizza and hamburger ones........no.

Tegan said...

Oh geez! These look vile! Amusing though :D

fuzzandfuzzlet said...

I LOVE cake.
I LOVE burgers.

The cake burgers do nothing for me. Kind of gross actually. (the greasy appearance make me remember all of the reasons why I should avoid burgers)

Mrs.Naz@BecomingMe said...

That spaghetti cake is cool and gross at the same time...

Nat said...

Is it wrong that the cakeburgers are making me salivate?

W. A. Whipple said...

I've been making pizza cakes for my daughter for a few years now - she considers it a vital part of the pizza/birthday party. I even bake it in a deep dish pizza pan. :D Orangy-red frosting with pale yellow frosting chilled and crumbled on top like cheese. (Used to make pepperoni from flattened gumdrops - too sweet!)

Sarah Lynn Knowles said...

these are nuts!

Anonymous said...

*shudder* I cannot imagine eating that last "burger cake". It's like The Biggest Loser's worst nightmare....

Ridshadowfox said...

Am I the only one who sees the corndog cake as joke for someone's nickname?

There was a kid in highschool we used to hang out with and they called him "Corndawg".

I'm sorry but I find the corndog cake very cute and funny and sad to see how many people couldn't see it as the joke it was ment to be.

The pizza cakes, really I think a 3rd grader could make a better triangle out of cupcakes.

Anonymous said...

Bleck! The pic of the hamburger/donut makes me want to throw up everytime I see it...BLECK! I once watched Paula Deen do a version on her show it was equally wretched!

Diet starts now...

Erin said...

My husband and I read your blog and I just had to comment on this one. When my husband saw the 'spaghetti' the first thing out of his mouth was "Is that a mound of maggots?"

Upon closer inspection, it turned into a mountain of worms.

Caleb & Erin Nielson

Anonymous said...

The corndog one is amusing. But these kind of things always gross me out. I guess it's because they send mixed messages to my brain, and for me, cake-type food and hamburger-type food do not mix...

Nat said...

I am now officially highly influenced by this blog. I went and had McDonald's for lunch because of the cakeburgers!

Amy J said...

Are those boils on the first pizza cake???

Anonymous said...

Ok, I give up. How are the "french fries" done?

Katy said...

In Germany, and maybe other parts of Europe, spaghetti ice cream is really popular. It's vanilla ice cream put through a machine that makes it look like noodles, and then strawberry topping is poured over it with white chocolate grated on top to look like Parmesan cheese. It's quite delicious, and looks like the spaghetti cake here.

MichieGrl said...

My...my...taste buds don't know how to feel. So confusing...

Anonymous said...

I must admit...I have made mini hamburgers for my kids' birthdays from two vanilla wafers, a chocolate covered cookie as the 'patty', and yellow/red tinted frostings to glue it together.

Anonymous said...

These scare me. Like, A LOT. I'm not sure why, but something about the concept of dessert disguising itself as "regular" food is beyond gross. Ick.

Anonymous said...

The ketchup- and mustard-colored icing on the corndog cake is a wonderful touch. Reminds me of the opening credits for "Napoleon Dynamite"!

Anonymous said...

I was surprised to pick up a book on cupcakes at the bookstore and find the instrunctions for those spaghetti cupcakes (along with a number of other CCC wrecks you've posted).

Wild Cakes said...

Jen, are you kidding me? This is too much fun!

This particular cake was made for my own (spaghetti-obsessed) daughter. Once you cut it into slices, it doesn't resemble spaghetti so much, so there really wasn't any flavour confusion. As for the strawberry jam on top... it is regularly used as a filling layer in cakes so it really did taste yummy!


Karen... thanks! I'm not really sure what happened with the turtle's head but I am quite pleased with the rest of that one (thoug I still love the Grinch best at the moment! LOL)

Mel

Valerie said...

I'm with Beth - how WERE those "fries" done? The ones in the second version were actually quite good - they were very realistic! But based on the display cooler and the oh-so-fancy price labels, I'm guessing this was not a fancy bakery. And I've never seen a grocery store that uses fondant....so any ideas??

Unknown said...

I checked the comments just to see whether I was the only one who thought the second pizza cake looked like cherry pie, and I'm glad to see I wasn't! Still pretty gross though.

Anonymous said...

These remind me of the year my grandma made me a "Cheeseburger in Paradise" cake for my Jimmy Buffett themed party. I thought it turned out beautifully. By the time it was sliced up it didn't look like a burger anymore, so it went down pretty easily.

the ginabean said...

That corndog cake is amazing. I mean, "yuck," but it looks realistic. I also thought the hamburger with sesame seeds looked good. Made me want to eat a quarter pounder, ya know? -Aaaaaand then I kept looking. That last burger looked...I don't know, no appropriate adjective comes to mind. And those pizza CCCs looked awful. Especially that one that looked all bloody. Ick. On so many levels, ick.

Hunter said...

Oh wow, I saw this post just the other day, and I just went to a birthday dinner for a friend/family member (not sure which -- ahh, human relationships, you are always so cut and dried), and when the cake came out, it was the second to last hamburger. Complete with the sesame seeds.

Besides the weird factor, it was actually a pretty good cake; the frosting wasn't even too thick (which is often a problem with such novelty cakes). The sponge cake "french fries" were pretty stale, but really those were pretty much garnish.

The one thing we all noticed... the big pile of red frosting with the "fries" looked a little less like ketchup than the leavings of a very, very sick dog.

c. carpenter said...

i don't know if it was a new episode, but on ace of cakes the other night they celebrated duff's birthday with two meat cakes: a scrapple cake and a meatball cake. i can't seem to find photos, but it was interesting alright. -carla c.

kyooty said...

These would totally confuse my brain, I'd expenct to be bitting into a Burger, pizza or spaghetti taste and get sweet?

cins said...

hello...i found this today and i remembered you posted a hamburger cake before: http://www.flickr.com/photos/32406899@N07/3331745348/

love your blog :)

Dawn said...

Hello! This is the creator of the CCC on Flickr. First of all I'm totally proud to be referenced on this site, even if it isn't in the best light, I'm fine with that! I'm actually starting culinary school (going for a degree in Professional Pastry & Baking) on Monday, so soon enough I WILL be a professional and you can comment on my wrecks any day! I'm usually pretty darn harsh on myself anyway.

Also, this site has officially given me the courage to go forth into cake decorating professionalism because if THESE people can sell their cakes, so can I! (I'm not sure if thats a good thing or not)

Anonymous said...

The Spaghetti cake was clearly for the celebration of one of the holy days celebrated by the Pastafarians, who believe in the Flying Spaghetti Monster and His Noodle-y Goodness. Ra-men. (see www.venganza.org

Term Papers said...

I actually had a hamburger cake for my son's first birth day and it was, dare i say, cute! the bakery even went a step further and made a pickle smash cake!

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davidbieber80 said...

Crafting a triangle-shaped slice of pizza from round-shaped cupcakes? Yeah, that's a good call. And why is the "crust" made from poo swirls?
tava tea

gregsdad said...

Wow, that is an ugly cake.

Chhipa said...

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compa said...

They are veird to say the list. As if they have not had enough eating these unhealty staff everyday they want a cake looks like it? Only Mr McDonald would want a burger cake.

Anonymous said...

Actually, am I the only person to whom the spaghetti-cake looks like a cake version of the german "spaghetti ice?" Yummm.... The spaghetti ice, I mean...

-Μαρία Βάγκνερ