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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
Jun132010

Sunday Sweets: Inspiration

As much as I love themed and sculpted cakes, I'm still a huge fan of the "just plain gorgeous" style. Perfect colors, flawless design, bows so clever you'd swear they're made of ribbon - they get me every time.

You know, like this:

(I believe this is by Slice of Cake, but the site doesn't seem to exist anymore.
Let me know if you have a url for them!)

I literally "ooooh"ed at this cake. Heh. It's the perfect "something blue" for a wedding, don't you think?

I'm in love with this modern tropical design, and not just because it's in my favorite color:

(Submitted by Nikki N, made by Cake Lava)

It's like a ceramic art piece - the sheen is perfect.

Another great design from Rick & Sasha of Cake Lava:

Love the hibiscus pattern! (Someday I want to try a custom stencil pattern; it's hard to believe anyone can get edges that crisp!) Also, how perfect is that fade from red to orange?


Some of you may remember this next one: it was in the background of Ryan I.'s Mario groom's cake that we featured a while back:

By Terri Grow of Sweet Nothings

Darling dots and daisies! Such a fun color combo, too.



This Eiffel tower is made of sugar, believe it or not:

By Wrecks reader Leah K., who - get this, guys - is NOT a professional. (!!)
[Update: see more of Leah's cakes on Cake Central here.]

Also, look at the roses, the stripes, the diamonds - even the varying sizes of the ball borders. See how perfect they all are? That's talent. I can't tell you how many otherwise great cakes I've seen spoiled by wonky harlequin patterns or uneven, crumbly-edged stripes.

Or how about something Mondrian-inspired?

Sub'd by Seanna L., made by Cakes to Remember

Tidbit for the day: Piet Mondrian was a Dutch painter who developed an art form called "Neo-Plasticism," which consisted of a white background, black grid work, and the three primary colors. (Thank you, Wikipedia.)

And if you want to go the extra mile, you could even have a Mondrian homage *inside* the cake:

Sub'd by Isara, made by Caitlin Williams for the SF MoMA's coffee bar

Wow. Seriously. How cool is that?



Confession: I will never get tired of Topsy-Turvy cakes, so long as they look this sweet:

By CC member Eneq

Ah...perfection. It's like the Cat in the Hat's baby shower cake!
(Take a close look at those bows, too - I seriously need Eneq to give me lessons on bow-making.)



And as always, I saved my favorite for last:


If I had to do it all over again, this would be a top contender for my dream wedding cake. I think it's the flowers. And the pattern. And the round/square tier combination. But really, does love need a reason? ;)


Have a Sweet to nominate? Then send it to Sunday Sweets (at) Cake Wrecks (dot) com!

Oh, and speaking of things I love: one of my favorite charities, Give Kids the World, is participating in the Pepsi Refresh Challenge right now. If they get enough votes, they'll be given $250,000 to renovate the villas in the GKTW Village. (Woohoo!) GKTW is an amazing organization that provides children with life-threatening illnesses the vacation of a lifetime right here in Orlando. (Check out some of the photos on their site; this place is awesome.) They host, feed, and entertain an average of 7,000 families a year - all at no cost to the families.

For a whole week, these boys and girls can be pirates, princesses - or just plain kids! - while enjoying the GKTW village and local theme parks like Disney and Universal.

The Challenge ends June 3oth, and you can vote every day. GKTW is currently in 11th place. Ahead of them are things like weight rooms and a horror film festival. So please - please - vote.
Set a reminder, like I am, and vote every day! If you already have a Facebook account, it's a simple click: ten seconds, tops. (If not, some sign-up info is required.)

You guys know I don't do this very often; it's just that important to me and John. So thanks for reading this, and thanks in advance for voting - 'cuz I know you are just awesome enough to help GKTW win this thing. :)

« Just Beachy | Main | We Learned Good! »

Reader Comments (99)

Is this the URL for A Slice of Cake?

http://www.asliceofcake.com/

June 13, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterScott

Love your site! Just wanted to point out that Green isn't a primary colour on that grid cake. Still way cool...the creator just messed up or the colour is off on my monitor.
Thanks for bringing smiles to us :)

June 13, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterAnonymous

These cakes are gorgeous! I have nothing bad to say. I love the topsy-turvy cake... it's sooo cute!

check out my blog: nikkiscakery.blogspot.com

June 13, 2010 | Unregistered Commenter~Nikki~

Those are fabulous! Aesthetic and perfect in all ways...and Mondrian *inside*??? WOW, man, just wow... I bow down to their skill!

June 13, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterMiranda

Ah, beautiful. Just beautiful. Thank you. Now we are refreshed, renewed, and rededicated to view the wrecks again with fresh eyes...

sometimes I feel like the poor English teacher grading papers, and wonder if all has been for naught.

Too pretty to eat?!

June 13, 2010 | Unregistered Commenterjoyce

I managed to vote and I'm from Australia - if you don't use the facebook login, and sign up for a 'pepsi account' instead, it never checks your nationality or location.

June 13, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterSofie Bird

All of these are just so gorgeous.. I adore the first one though. Beautiful blue coloring and the bows are so nice. I want that cake lol.

June 14, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterArlene

You can find Slice of Cake on deviantart aswell!

http://sliceofcake.deviantart.com/

:)

June 14, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterEtty

I was so excited until I read that voting was only for US residents =( This is a cause that's close to my heart. I really wish I could help out.

June 14, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterSarah

Wait, scratch that. I just voted! Canadian residents can vote, too =)

Also, the neo-plasticist (is that it?) cake was amazing =) Especially on the inside.

June 14, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterSarah

STOP THE PRESSES! Voting is NOT only open to US residents! Residents of the UK can also vote! I repeat, Brits can also vote for this! If you're from the UK, go and vote your asses off!

June 14, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterFalcon Whitaker

Oh for Piet's cake!

June 14, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterTrixie61

Until today, I had not voted for any of the Pepsi things, but, for fellow Princess Bride lovers, I just did.

June 14, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterRikkiTikki

They are all so inspiring.

June 14, 2010 | Unregistered Commenterandreanna glamasaurus

The hibiscus cake looks like it's done with appliques (fondant, maybe?), not a stencil. You can see a tiny little bit of dimensionality to the white bits.

June 14, 2010 | Unregistered Commenterkayk

I've never been as over-the-moon in love with a cake as I am with that Mondrian cake! LOVE IT!!! Thanks for showcasing it!
-Sue, Canada

June 14, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterAnonymous

What fabulous Mondrian cakes! I just wish the first had gotten the colors right. I called my son in to show it to him. "Cool, but he didn't use orange and green. And when you post that in a comment, make sure you tell them your son told you this." Bright and humble. I'm so lucky.
--SueBE

June 14, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterSueBE

My younger brother had brain cancer and GKTW gave my entire family a vacation that we'll never forget. This organization not only gives kids the world, it gives the child's family so much more. Some of my fondest memories of my little brother were made on our trip to Orlando. I will always be grateful to this wonderful organization.

June 14, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterSarah

I hate to disagree with you, Jen, but I'm going to have to go with the Mondrian cake as my favorite - inside and out!

June 14, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterEsty

This is a question--Is it customary to put a thin or thick layer of actual edible frosting under fondant? The only fondant covered cakes I have encountered have had only enough frosting to adhere the fondant to the cake, which makes it virtually impossible to remove without also pulling off all the frosting. I understand the allure of the pretty, but I have no desire to actually eat any of there tours de force. Please, someone, tell me these cakes are edible!

June 14, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterCatherine

I voted because the cause really hit home for me. I had Lymphoma when I was a teenager and was granted a wish from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which is very similar to the GKTW program.

It is a great cause and it really does help families and kids struggling with debilitating disease. So, I voted, and I'll vote daily.

I just wanted to point out though, that I read the other "ideas" and a lot of the ones ahead of GKTW are really worthy causes as well. You seemed to be a bit down on a couple of them because, I guess, they didn't seem AS important or worthy to you. I think if any of these great causes wins, it'll be great.

I probably read it wrong, but it's not right to be negative about people who are trying to get their charities or causes funding to help people, no matter which kinds of people and in what way they want to help them.

Just my $0.02.

ari from australia
(oh, dear.)

June 14, 2010 | Unregistered Commenterari from australia

By the way, as my name obviously suggests, I'm in Australia and voted with no problems.

ari from australia
(voting master)

June 14, 2010 | Unregistered Commenterari from australia

I was lucky enough to volunteer at GKTW during my Disney College Program internship back in 2001. I was so scared that it would be depressing, but it was one of the most uplifting experiences ever! I hope they get that money, and I will vote for them everyday until the 30th! I only wish I'd heard of this sooner, so I could have voted more.

June 14, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterAmanda M.

Hey Ari,

I totally agree. There are a lot of amazing causes on the list and I would encourage you to vote for them. Honestly, though, I think the fact that a weight room and launching careers for horror directors winning over aids research and sick kids is kind of silly. I guess I think that some needs are more important than others. Just saying...

Have a great day and thanks for voting!

john

I, too, had the Mondrian cake at the SF MoMA! My husband and I went there during our honeymoon last September, and it was truly fantastic--I couldn't resist it because I've always been kind of primally fascinated with his work. We had Mondrian cake and cappuccinos with little heart designs in the froth, and we ate just outside the cafe, where our view was a ~10-foot set of nesting mosquitoes (in iron, I believe). It was a completely fantastic trip!

June 14, 2010 | Unregistered Commenteremily

Canadian voter here! I just went direct into the Pepsi account, rather than through FB based on the advice here.

The orange "ceramic" cake is gorgeous. Orange isn't my favourite colour (purple is) but that cake is enough to make anyone love orange :)

The hibiscus one is probably my fave of this bunch-- and that was a tough choice, there were some great options. And I'm wowed by the skill of that "non-professional".

I was one of the ones who saw the Mondrian and thought Frank Lloyd Wright. Nice outside, but what MoMA did with the inside-- WOW! I've seen instructions on how to do that with cheesecakes, but didn't realize it could be applied to regular cake. I'm now feeling an itch to experiment ;)

As for the fondant-haters... I seem to recall that when a friend decorated a cake I made for another friends wedding, she flavoured the fondant to match one of the flavours of the cake. I remember the whole thing being delicious so am a bit puzzled by why people are saying fondant is inedible. But, it's been five years since that wedding, so maybe I'm just forgetful.

June 14, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterAliza Rudner

Oh my gosh. I just looked over the other ideas for the pepsi challenge and some of them seem very worthy. I'm beyond appalled that in first place is a weight room for Bedford High School in MI. I know this area and this is NO school in need. We are NOT talking about an inner city school struggling to get by. Oh no, this is a huge school with plenty of opportunities for extra-curricular activities for its students. Of course this is Michigan so there are parents struggling with layoffs but for the most part this is a very well off area. I know these kids and their parents and they have money to spend on their own kids athletics. I hope people will vote for a cause that actually needs the money. The people of Bedford will be just fine without it.

June 14, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterAnonymous

Love the Mondrian cakes! Truly awesome.

June 14, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterDanielle

GKTW has been voted for, shared on my facebook page, and I am going to suggest to my company they donate to GKTW. Every other Friday we have a corporate dress down day, and everyone who wants to dress down donates $5 to whatever charity is being given to that week. Im going to suggest that we even include GKTW's Wish List of needed items in our email annoucement and maybe instead of donating the $5 we could opt for bringing in one of more of the needed items.
Such a wonderful organization! Thanks so much for sharing. This is the first time I've ever commented on your blog even though I laugh over it everyday. Thanks again for being so caring. And hilarious :)

June 14, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterKaty

Something tells me that Mondrian may have gotten his inspiration from other sources...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ndebele_house_painting

June 15, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterAnonymous

I love the 'Tiffany' blue cake. Classic! The sugar Eiffel tower is amazing and the color combo is adorable (though I'm not sure my DH would have let me have a pink cake! LOL). The Mondrian is mind-blowing. If someone handed me a slice I'd really have a hard time eating it!

Gorgeous!

June 15, 2010 | Unregistered Commenterladyrazorsharp

To your comment "does love need a reason?" I ask "Do you think True Love happens every day?" and I say, "wuv, tru wuv, will fowow you foweva."

June 15, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterJeffrey

OMG! These cakes are amazing!! Also, Give Kids The World is an amazing place. My little sis just went this spring. I have never seen her so happy. It was the perfect way to celebrate her beating Cancer.

June 15, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterAnonymous

That orange flowered wedding cake is just gorgeous. I'd choose that in a second.

June 15, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterMichelle@TastyThailand

Holy mackerel! I just got an email saying "your Mondrian Cake is on Cakewrecks!" and I nearly died. of. horror.

But, it's Sunday Sweets! And there's my Mondrian cake from the SFMOMA! Unbelievable!

Thank you so much for featuring it, what a perfect surprise and amazing badge of honor!

June 15, 2010 | Unregistered Commentercaitlin

My jaw literally dropped when I saw the slice of the Mondrian cake! That is the coolest thing. I love the tiered cake too, but the idea of a multi-colored cake (what a surprise to cut into) is the coolest!

June 15, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterJoy

I looove give kids the world! My niece made her make-a-wish there last summer and we all enjoyed seeing the joy that place gave here (and banana splits at 7am on her birthday). Thanks for sharing the love for them!

June 16, 2010 | Unregistered Commenteremedoodle

Voted, posted it to FaceBook. Thanks!

June 16, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterDawnmaire

I've set this up in my blog favorites to remember to vote daily. You should remind your readers via FB and twitter and this blog to vote. The money goes to awesome things, not someone's pocket. They've moved up to 10th, the top 2 wins. Shower everyone with reminders to vote to help this get up there. It's a great cause.

June 16, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterRhonda

I found two links for "A" Slice of Cake: http://www.asliceofcake.com and http://www.asliceofcake.org. It looks like both sites are for UK bakers. Don't know if one of them made this cake. It's not in either gallery.

June 16, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterDiane

That first cake is pure genius. That wrap style would be so much easier than trying to get smooth fondant over a square cake.

Clearly the red and orange cake is for a big trader joe's fan.

June 16, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterRhonda

I can't believe a WEIGHT ROOM for ONE school is at the top! That's absurd!

Even if it gets built, it'll probably just be for the football players and everyone else will get kicked out, anyway.

Yeah, that's certainly a great use of money.

June 17, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterTwirly McSwirl

Thanks for promoting GKTW's Pepsi Refresh thing. I've been voting every day too - I think my friends and family are tired of me bugging them to vote all the time. (Up to number 9! Exciting!

June 17, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterAmy Goodwin

I love them all, and want none of them as a wedding cake.

Well, no, I don't love the Tiffany blue one. Color is nice. Not my style.

The orange ones are awesome though.

June 18, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterJenna

Wow, I can't believe how amazing these cakes are!

Nothing like Sunday Sweets to make a rough day at work not-so intolerable.

Thanks, Jen!

June 18, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterAli

my daughter receiver a make-a-wish trip last year. It was AMAZING...the staff was unreal and went the extra mile to make our stay the most memorable time of our lives.

We got to stay in one of the newer condos...it was an absolute dream.

June 22, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterJulie

Is this the URL you're looking for?

http://www.asliceofcake.org/default.html

July 7, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterArchena

The bows and wrapping paper on that first one are just plain gorgeous. I think I have cake envy :)

January 18, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterRuthie

awww....so pretty! that Mondrian one BLEW ME AWAY! what did YOUR wedding cake look like, Jen???
-Madmadmadi

March 7, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterAnonymous

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