Search

My Other Blog

What's a Wreck?

A Cake Wreck is any cake that is unintentionally sad, silly, creepy, inappropriate - you name it. A Wreck is not necessarily a poorly-made cake; it's simply one I find funny, for any of a number of reasons. Anyone who has ever smeared frosting on a baked good has made a Wreck at one time or another, so I'm not here to vilify decorators: Cake Wrecks is just about finding the funny in unexpected, sugar-filled places.

Now, don't you have a photo you want to send me? ;)

- Jen
Sunday
Oct262008

Sunday Sweets: Autumn Awesomeness in Atlanta

Today's Sweets are brought to you by Highland Bakery in Atlanta, Georgia. The folks over at Highland routinely churn out the most jaw-droppingly gorgeous creations the South has ever seen, and I'd be hard-pressed to pick a favorite. So instead, I just chose some season-appropriate lovelies.

Doesn't this look like a giant Hallmark figurine? (I mean that in a good way.)

The cobblestones, the twisty vines, the gnarled posts! There's so much more to this cake than the cutesy mice. (Although the mice are pretty darn adorable, I must admit.)


I don't think I've ever seen sugar art looks so much like porcelain - just look at those leaves!

Mmm, sugary mushrooms...

Next up: a perfect pumpkin:

I just love the simple design and creamy colors. I think cakes overall should use more orange, too, don't you? Year-round, I mean: orange is just underused.

Many thanks to Karen and the gang over at Highland Bakery for the lovely work, and for not hanging up on John when he said he was calling from Cake Wrecks. ;)

« Ghosts with the Most | Main | Great White Snark's Top 5 Awful Dalek Cakes »

Reader Comments (105)

It's so beautiful I don't know if I could bring myself to eat it. I love every bit of it and the mice are just too cute ^.^

October 26, 2008 | Unregistered Commenterksaldria

I have just spent a sick sunday in bed, looking at each photo and entry of your blog. I must say, thank you for making a sick sunday a little more bearable! I will now be on the lookout for cake wrecks.

Thank you!!

October 26, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterAnonymous

This is my local bakery! I am so excited to see it on Cake Wrecks! My husband and I go to breakfast at Highland Bakery at least a couple of days a week. Their bagels are just divine. I've seen these cakes in person and they are so pretty!

October 26, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterReddH

I remember my mom and dad told me that there wedding cake was a wreck! They asked to have the cake made to look like the place they were getting married, with layers built up to make a hill. Well the people made the layers out of icing! So there was like 4 inches of bright green icing that all melted and sagged down making something so far away from what they wanted! It is sad that they didnt take a picture then!

thenakedhorseblog.blogspot.com

October 26, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterNakedHorse

How can you want to eat that? It looks so purdy! The mice so cute!!!

I have a feeling these cakes are the kind of cakes that peopl take tons of photos before even making a dent in the icing/fondant/cake.

October 26, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterMad Izatie

Please. The comment about orange being under used is going to be taken out of context. Think woman! You have to use you (super) powers for good and not evil.

October 26, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterElliott

these are gorgeous! I have to say I love your blog and even got my husband hooked. we were in the grocery store today and as we passed some particularly sad looking halloween cakes in the bakery--he remarked--"you should take a picture of those and send it to Cake Wrtecks"!

October 26, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterRenee

Wow, that is an absolutely gorgeous cake!

October 26, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterTattingChic

OMG Jaw dropping beautiful!! ITA about orange being under used.

October 26, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterAngie

Gorgeous picks for today! I love when you post your wrecks, but Sundays are great too to show off the cakes that ARE good! :)

October 26, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterAmy Lee

Ar bloody mazin

October 27, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterDonna

Wow! Those are amazing! I've never seen anything like that. They're too pretty to eat.

October 27, 2008 | Unregistered Commentercorilee

hahaha to anna (above poster)
thanks for the laugh on this otherwise very sweet sunday ;)
much appreciated!

October 27, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterAnonymous

gorgeous! This is why when I pass Pood Network and they have a cake challenge...I stop and am entranced!

October 27, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterWendyburd1

If I hadn't seen this on your site, I would have thought it was a figurine. It is amazing!

www.goinggreenaccidently.blogspot..com

October 27, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterEric

they are so beautiful!!!

greetz Tanja

October 27, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterAnonymous

I wouldn't have a fridge big enough for that one! Huge and very ornate - a shame to eat.

October 27, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterLeo

Yes, that is what pumpkin stems and tendrils are supposed to look like: graceful curves and spirals, not flat, icky wormlike squiggles!

And those 'shrooms look exactly like the crispy cocoa-dusted meringue creations my grandmother used to make. I'd be swooping down on those first if I was presented with this cake.

October 27, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterSleepwalker

Thank you all for the kind comments! And thank you John, for featuring my stuff! Can't wait to send links telling everyone I made it to Cake Wrecks (but in a good way!)
I have loved this site since the first time I saw it. People have walked in to my office to see what I'm laughing so loudly at.
Cheers!
Karen Portaleo
Highland Bakery

October 27, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterKaren Portaleo

I love highland bakery. Their cakes are beautiful and their food and sweets are yummy. If you are ever in downtown Atlanta, hit them up. Be prepared for a long wait during brunch hours though. oh and the jalepeno foccacia is the best bread ever!!!!

October 27, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterStephanie

They have a bustier cake.... xD

October 27, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterThe Hatter

It IS gorgeous, but how much of it is actually cake?

October 27, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterAnonymous

These look absolutely delicious! I honest to heaven do not understand "not being able to eat the art". If Monet/Dega's works were as tasty as these cakes look we'd have no museums because of people like me. I mean, cake...

October 27, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterTobias

Gorgeous!! The only wrecktastic part of a cake like this is something my sister once said about fondant: I can only imagine how much this was TOUCHED by other people. Yum

October 27, 2008 | Unregistered Commentermrs. q.

This is one of the most beautiful cakes I have ever seen!

October 27, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterTheresaXXX

I don't have to eat it. The cuteness is enough to give you a sugar rush. How adorable are those mice!?

:D

October 27, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterRamblingDreamer

that is fantastic!! I wonder what they do with cakes like this when they're done, surely thy don't eat them?

Aw, I would buy that sad looking ghostie cake just because I felt sorry for it! :-)

October 27, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterAutumn

ZOWIE! These are lovely, just spectacular! What is it about pumpkins/gourds that are so cheery? Call me weird, but fields of pumpkins or pumpkins/gourds and harvest corn in festive displays always bring a smile to my face.

These cakes are works of art! I am speechless! Wonderful stuff!

October 27, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterMaryO

This bakery is fantastic. My sister lives in Atlanta and knows it well

October 27, 2008 | Unregistered Commenterheartafire

Dear Lord - THAT is one BEAUTIFUL cake!

October 27, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterAnonymous

Went to the website to see some more beauty and found a groom's head cake mixed up within the mounds of gorgeous - check it out.

October 27, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterAnonymous

I live in Atlanta but have never visted this bakery. When in the Highlands, I typically go to Alon's but I will definitely check it out!

They are gorgeous! Almost too lovely to eat...but who am I kidding? I'd eat them anyway! The mice are so cute....

October 27, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterAnonymous

What a charming cake! I particularly like the mice, and the red shawl on what I assume is the mama mouse.

There is a wonderful kids' film, "The Secret of Nihm" with the most beautiful animation! The mother mouse wore a red shawl, and the cake falls into the same style as the movie.

So, there might be an influence, which is a Good Thing. ;-)

October 28, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterConstance

Holy 987598746 pounds of fondant, Batman!

What a gorgeous creation!

October 29, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterMellykat

This is absolutely amazing! I would never cut it! I'd just preserve it!

October 29, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterJenn

Those are just AWESOME. So cool.

October 29, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterTanya

OMG...that is not a cake, but a work of art!

October 29, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterCaroline

Such beautiful detail! OwO

I love insanely (and tasteful) detailed cakes~

October 30, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterKristen

Oh I absolutely adore this cake. :)

October 30, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterCarmen

Amazing!! I have never seen anything edible like it. Just beautiful!!

October 30, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterCarla

This post was just pretty! what a lot of work and detail for a cake!

October 31, 2008 | Unregistered Commenterkyooty

What a gorgeous cake!

I've been to the Highland Bakery, and it is FABOO!

Becky

November 2, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterAnonymous

web tasarım web tasarım

November 3, 2008 | Unregistered Commenterweb tasarım

I'm not eating mice no matter what they're made of!

November 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterAnonymous

my boyfriend works at this bakery! this cake was amazing in person and so was watching the staff keep kids from poking their fingers in it :)

November 11, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterAnonymous

Thank you very much for this useful article and the comments.

June 20, 2009 | Unregistered Commentertravesti

I would not eat that....I wold get it sprayed with those food preservative sprays...and keep it for a center piece every year.

March 13, 2010 | Unregistered Commenterweb tasarım

I would not eat that....I wold get it sprayed with those food preservative sprays...and keep it for a center piece every year.

May 28, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterMedyum

This is quite possibly the most beautiful thing I've ever seen! I'm obsessed with mushrooms, punkins & all things fall. In fact, the only things on this cake NOT tattooed somewhere on my body are the mice. And that's only cos I didn't see this before...

(That's right, I said "punkins.")

June 1, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterSpacegeek Nat

PostPost a New Comment

Enter your information below to add a new comment.
Author Email (optional):
Author URL (optional):
Post:
 
Some HTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong>