Mixed Signals
September 19, 2008 Some cakes are hard to read, and for once I'm not talking about the handwriting:
A screaming baby paired with "congratulations"? Ah, that's subtle sarcasm at its snarky finest.
Here's a tip gleaned from years of family reunions: the second Mrs. Klass asks "What's that supposed to mean?", it's time to leave. Trust me.
Of course some cakes are more subtle, like this one:
"We'll wish you luck, but we don't have to be happy about it."
Or just baffling, like this one:
I'm not sure if this guy is supposed to look afraid of being eaten, disapproving, or in pain from his "shades" melting onto his face. Say, there's a bit of unintentional ironic realism for you: sunglasses melted onto the face of the sun. Heh.
If Mr. Future's-So-Bright's feelings are ambivalent, though, these cookies are clearly ticked off:
Poor angry cookies. At least their pain is my sugary gain - and I get the added bonus of talking smack to my food. "What, you lookin' at me, punks? Huh? How's about I drown you in some milk before biting your heads off, then? Yeah, not so puffed up now, are you, tough guys?"
And finally [smirk],
All that black - and black roses, no less! - makes this look more like a final retirement cake, if you catch my drift. It gets double Wreck points for the "Retiremet" misspelling, too.
Brittany M., Elizabeth G., Jessica C., Linda N., Monique R., and Jill C., many "thanks".
Reader Comments (113)
I love the first two cake, I don't think they're wrecks at all. They're well-done and hilarious.
I once made heart-shaped cookies for valentine's day with very jaded, cynical faces. My boyfriend loved them.
Looks to me like the baby was wearing a sleeping mask that slipped down!
And, YEAH I want some angry cookies!!
and um... BTW- AARRRGGHH!
No excuse---but was the "artist" trying to match the camo-hunting colors in the retiree's shirt to the piping on the cake??
And "congratulations" on the diaper--no wonder the baby is crying.
I see that Mrs. K's cake is supposed to be a ball and chain, and boy is that hilarious. That never gets old. Apparently.
But at first glance, I swear I thought it was a cartoon-style bomb (of the "Spy Vs. Spy" vintage. I guess that would be even more insulting.
Avast! I want yon pissed off cookies to give to many numerous people...
emocookies - LOL Arrgh mateys... too funny!
I love this blog, I check it often when I need a little pick-me-up! I think my favorite cake from this post is the baby. It also looks like it has something over its mouth! Funny stuff.
Re the sunglasses one, I have a theory/fantasy: The person who wanted the cake tried to write something to the baker in an online format, it was misconstrued as an emoticon, and got animated by the email programming code. Voila! Cake Wreck!
The baby cake is actually pretty cute.
Those mean face cookies are awesome. I need me some of those.
It took me forever to figure out that big black glob was supposed to be a ball and chain. I must be slow.
I found your blog via Judge a Book by its Cover blog and spent an evening laughing my butt off! You're hilarious, and the pictures don't hurt either.
I just discovered your site and laughed so hard I might need a new lung! I rarely order professionally done cakes and now I'm soooo glad.
I want to let you know that I linked to your site so others can enjoy your wonderful blog.
http://visitorsday.blogspot.com/2008/09/free-straitjacket-friday-now-with-cake.html
Is that supposed to be a pacifier in the baby's mouth? Why use black for a mouth or a pacifier?
Still making me laugh!! One of the funniest blogs I know!
I totally didn't think it was a crying baby. I thought it was a baby with a Tom Selleck Mustache
Greg
The baby reminded me of something out of Charlie Brown cartoons, like when they get frustrated and yell. That could be an infant Charlie Brown!! He's crying because he has no yellow and black striped shirt!
I really enjoy this blog - some friends told me about it and it has me cracking up almost daily!
I can't help it - I now want a screaming baby cake (I am 8 mo. preg) It's hilarious in a twsited kind of way ;) (I'll pass on those creepy, headless baby-butt cakes - yikes!)
Aye my suspicions be right about ye emocookies. Romanian writing n' one. Me lovely wench confirmed it, she bein' a Romanian beauty n' all.
Yarr!
Can't say I dun appreciate cryin' babe cake and Ms.K's cake .
Great. Now I'm going to have nightmares about furious/weepy cookies coming to seek revenge for all their brethren I've eaten over the decades.
Black frosting on cakes is a bad idea. A black frosting ball and chain on a wedding cake has to the one of the most appalling things I've ever seen done to pastry.
The "Retiremet" cake is actually a wreck because of the mis-spelling. Might even be worth it to send it off to another similar blog spot...FAIL!!
Yarrr! Methinks I will be a bakery wench this weekend and bake me some frowny cookies in the galley! It be me mood after a busy week!
Avast mateys! Have a good weekend!
that last one looked like "Hoppy" retiremet to me...
This blog makes my day better. Thanks for all the funny pics!
I think the baby cake is awesome!!
Are you sure that the ball and chain cake was done by a professional? There's aluminum foil on the board- not very professional!! :)
I would not want to be the one who ended up with the diaper part of the baby cake... especially if the case is chocolate :)
The baby is sort of cute. I like it :s
oddly enough a friend of mine is taking a trip to Romania next month with some friends. I sent him the link and he has promised to bring me back some! I will report back.....
My Romanian co-worker has confirmed they are indeed Romanian. She says even she doens't know why they are so unhappy though!
The baby cake (on top) looks like a sleeping eye mask is over the baby's mouth. It doesn't look like it's screaming. Weird.
The baby cake is kinda cute, other than that scary black mouth. I never got a retirement cake. Oh yeah, I fired myself twice before finally retiring! Love the cookies.
Celebrate Talk Like A Pirate Day
http://blackwordswhitepaper.blogspot.com/2008/09/aaaaaargh-ten-things-you-need-to-know.html
Noticed the vertical swipe on the ball and chain cake. You mean they fixed it and this is what they WANTED it to look like???????
I saw a link to your blog on another blog that I was reading and I couldn't stop looking at all the different cakes you have on here. It's just funny! I didn't know people actually made crazy cakes like this.
My 2 yr old just stared at the screen saying, "Sad cake. Sad cookie..."
I would have been quite sad if my retirement cake had black roses and black trim. How positively...funereal.
My coworkers did a beach theme for my party when I retired this May, so the cake MAY make you a little seasick, but here it is:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sheriava/2529447932/
I agree about the baby cake -- it looks like the baby's mouth has been covered with black tape! Maybe the baby is being held as a hostage...
That retirement cake looks like it was from Wal-Mart so no surprise that it was spelled wrong. I will never buy another cake from Wal-Mart after having my cake not get made last time.
Did anyone notify Cliff Huxtable that this man stole his sweater???
So why do Romanians enjoy weeping jam cookies? There has got to be an explanation!
I was thinking the "Jerry" cake was for Jerry on Big Brother 10.... And in that case, it's perfectly appropriate.
I have to laugh at the smiley faces, especially the frowns. LOL And I like the angry cookies. Where can I get me some?
Oh goodness, that baby cake makes me shudder. The mouth is bigger than the word "congratulations". With that much focus on the screaming, maybe the designer should add "and Good Luck!"
Those pissed-off cookies are the best. I know of a few birthday parties where those could be put to good use.
If they HAD to put a photo on that cake, you'd think they could have got one with the husband in something that looked a bit less like a road map.
Kat
i think jerry is getting a vasectomy.
Oh no. What is going to happen to Jerry?
Love Love love the baby cake!
If those unhappy cookies have chocolate in them I want them.
I think some chocolate ganache underneath the fondant diaper of the Sarcastic Baby Cake would be a nice touch.
Oh my gosh Jen! This one kills me. I'm laughing at all of them of course, but then I get to this one. I can't help it. The angry cookies?!?! And then the Retiremet cake?!
Hilarious. Thank you!!
Is it just me, or does the "a" of "Happy" look more like an "o"? Or am I raising more inappropriate questions by trying to figure out what a "Hoppy Retiremet" really means?!?
Nothing wrong with black roses.. i had a red rose that was spray painted half black when I graduated from high school.. it matched my dress perfectly!
I just have to say I found it funny that the ad at the bottom of the page (for me, at least) is for diaper cakes, which seem like a worse offense than a meat-and-sushi cupcake-cake made to look like a realistic baby with a misspelled inscription with unnecessary quotation marks. Seriously, why would you make something that appears to be a cake out of something that's not only inedible, but is going to end up with an unspeakable "filling"?!?