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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
Wednesday
Mar142012

Easy As Pi

Happy Pi Day, guys!

Yep, 3/14 is the day a bunch of nutty math nerds decided to celebrate the mathematical constant that is the ratio of any Euclidean circle's circumference to its diameter...

...mostly by doing stuff like this:

Mmmm. Pi pie.

And yes, the baker DID put the 5 on backwards so it looks like a 2. I'm sure s/he was just testing you, though.

What's that? You didn't IMMEDIATELY catch that?! Well, that just means you need to learn pi out to seven decimals, then!

And what better way to do so than with Cake Wrecks visual aids?

LET'S GO!!

 

Three...

Point...

(Thank you, uh thankyouverramuch.)

One...

(I know, I know; you thought that was number two, but no.)

[rim shot!]

Four...

(Yes, I know it's upside down. The question is, why didn't the baker?)

One...

[singing] "I'M lookin' at the NUMBER innn the mirra'! OW! I'M askin' it to MAKE a cha-hange!! HOOO YA! Sha-MOW! Uh-HUH!"

Ahem.

Where were we?

Let's see... 3.141...what's next?

Oh, right:

Five nine two...

No lie, you guys: I'm looking through your submissions for a number five, and I find this random cake someone found in a display case with the number 592 on it, and I check my pi cheat sheet, and the next three digits of pi actually ARE 592!! I mean, WHAT ARE THE ODDS? AND WHY AM I SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS?!

Don't answer that.

We all know why.


Ok, so. 3.141592...

Six!

(Yes, really. It's a six.)

So there you have it: you've learned pi to seven places with Cake Wrecks! Great job! Pocket protectors for everyone!


And for those of you whose day just won't be complete until you see some pie wrecks, a gift from John:

You're welcome.

 

Thanks to wreckporters Rachel W., Nasina G., Grahm, Maggie M., Gin D., Caroline C., Rebecca M., and Mike - and also to John for the most painful pun in the history of crockery. I knew I married that boy for a reason.

« Jen's Top Ten Sham-Wrecks | Main | Politically Correct Leprechauns »

Reader Comments (122)

Some letters on the first pie are upside down and some arn't.... Uhh.....

HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU POSTED THE PIE CONTAINER PIC!??


[Editor's note- Just the once last year. Jen only put it up again because it's my favorite joke ever. I know... it's lame but I love it. Hopefully everybody enjoys the many other pictures in the post. -john]

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterSilverbug12

OK, so why is Lightning McQueen driving on the grass? Me thinks the baker is not only upside down, but backward as well. Or would that be inside out?

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterJen BJB

Pie...wrecks... John, you are the master! I bow to you, oh pundit of puns. Happy Pi Day!

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterMichelle

Love the Pi pie!!

What the heck is that brown thing supposed to be on that blue swirl?? O-o

Pie wrecks!!!!!! That made me LOL!!

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered Commenteremmbeedee

Pie Wrecks!!!!!!! I scared my neighbors from laughing so loud. And I live on a farm.

Also, I thought that 1 made out of #2 had an awfully... shall we say... bulbous head?...

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterBuglady

Pie wrecks, Pyrex! Jen you are a genius (you too John, I'm SURE you thought of that, right?)

That 592 is going to haunt me all day long...was it the beginning of a phone number, an inside joke, a locker with a clue in it, WHAT?

Breaking the rest down (backwards! Just cuz I can! :)) The six looks more like an amoeba mid-mitosis, Eriyanna's "1" is kind of cute (makes me think of Minnie Mouse) OTHER than being reversed (and just HOW did they do that? Aren't there cake pans in the shape of numbers?) Kieran's 4 is cleary just an "H" that's having some identity problems, the "1" is obviously a poo-dong, the point makes me think of a misshappen baseball cap and the three has enough flotsam to choke a horse, not to mention a 3 year old!

Love the Pi pie though, looks yummy!

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterGrnEyes6

When my fiance and I were discussing wedding dates I mentioned March 14, 2015 (31415) and it just happened to be a Saturday!

We just couldn't wait that long, though, so we're doing 6/2/12 because 6 x 2 = 12 and we are dorks.

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterMegan

LOVE the Pi Wrecks!

I work in a lab and we are gathering for pie today at 1:59.

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterRoseAnn

That pie is AWESOME! And (with a few backwards and upside down exceptions) so is the concept of doing the numbers of pi in cake (execution may not, but we kind of expect that at cakewrecks)! You guys rock!!

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterMuria

pi-wrecks. ouch. scary.

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered Commenterlizziebeth10

Here's my favorite mnemonic for pi, which goes to 15 digits.
How I like a drink, alcoholic of course, after the heavy lectures involving quantum mechanics.

And I found this one to 21 digits that involves...you guessed it...PIE! (I don't really get it though.)
Now, I wish I could recollect pi.
"Eureka," cried the great inventor.
Christmas Pudding; Christmas Pie
Is the problem's very center.

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered Commentercatplumtree

Okay, am I the only one to notice that Sophia is written in Greek on the 3 cake?

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterAmy

The backwards fives really bugged me! I thought for a second I was remembering Pi all wrong!

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterHeather

Yay Pi Day!

My co-workers and I (a bunch of cool scientists) celebrate Pi Day every year.

"Age of the geek, baby!"

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterTrista

You GUYS! This is my favorite. post. ever.

I just LOVED the Pi pie. The border was my favorite part. I'm such a pi geek, I am saving up to buy the pi shirt, with a graphic-shaped pi that lists pi out to like a thousand. Or something.

Then I got to the last picture of the pie wrecks and laughed so hard stuff came out of my nose.

You guys are great.

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterLaura

The pun at the end is capitol "T" Terrible

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterJohn Downey

592 cake?!? 592? For WHAT occasion?!

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterViiriainen

I also spy a backwards 2 on that pie, in the lower left.

Maybe the "point" is supposed to be a grand piano viewed from above.

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterClassic Steve

Yay for pyrex! My daughter loves pi and is doing a report on the history of it. We are celebrating Pi Day by eating pie (of course), and now I will make sure she sees this post. She will be in geek heaven. All is right with the world.

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterDeirdre

I think the point cake also looks like a bad, and backwards Oklahoma. Which, when you think about it, is just about as likely as a bad hand CCC.

Best post in a while.

Happy Pi Day! It's also Registered Dietitian Day! (RDs, we're only slightly less geeky than Pi geeks)

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterKrista

Haha pyrex! I had a pyrex wreck once. I tried to heat something up in it on the stovetop in 6th grade while working on a 4H project. It exploded! Everyone was fine, except the container.

3.14 birthdays ftw! Me and Einstein...and Billy Crystal. Yay Pi Day!

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterStephanie B

PI and pie for my birthday!!!!!!!

(love the pi wrecks)

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterFluffy Cow

Thanks, GrnEyes6, for deciphering Eryanna's name. I thought it was Eryamma. My phonics skills dry up when frosting is involved.

Off to bake a pie in Pyrex for Pi Day.
The following has nothing to do with Cake Wrecks, and only marginally to do with Pi Day, so you can skip if so inclined.

(We once had a Cowboy Poet come do a program. Some of the staff members wrote haiku about cows. We turned them into a book entitled Cowpieku.)

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered Commenterdrgns4vr

Took me several moments, then my groans were monumental. Well done, John (the hubby of Jen), well done! *groan*

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered Commenterleorising

My sister made a whoopie pi. Here's the pic: http://rocksaltuk.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/x-079.jpg

I don't know why it's the wrong way round. It doesn't appear that way on her blog. Still, pretty neat, eh?

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterJoan

Had to say 'pie wrecks' out loud to get it. Hopefully my coworkers didn't hear me....

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterTrekkie Gal

Pie Wrecks...........I didn't get that for WAY too long.

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterMary Connealy

Is it sad that the first thing I noticed about the pie was that the 2 was supposed to be a 5? I mean THE.VERY.FIRST.THING.

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterMeghan

Pie-wrecks has made my day. Thank you!

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterShaunna

Pi gets all the love.
One day we'll celebrate e
with compound interest.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E_(mathematical_constant)

~~~

You guys are better than Valium. Also, I think you just straightened out the crick in my neck. Maybe it was the laughing, or maybe it was the twisting around I had to do to see the numbers. Either way, you're cheaper than a chiropractor.

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterHaiku Joy

Feeling so lame for not getting "pie wrecks" right away....Love the post, super smart!

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterKirstin

"Pie Wrecks"
Wait for it................. wait for it..................
Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha
theeeerrrrreee it is, ah yeah

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterMaureen

What are the odds? At least 3,141,592 to 1.

WHAT event was that cake FOR???

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterBea

Actually LOL'd at pie wrecks. :P My co-workers are used to my giggle-snorts at lunchtime, so no weird looks came my way. :P

And that is definitely a poo-Wang for the first "one". ;-)

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered Commenteranony mouse

I can't even conceive of what that first "1" was supposed to be commemorating, and that's probably a GOOD thing, in terms of my own mental health... O_o

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterBADKarma

Thanks Jen for mentioning about the backwards 5, as I too am a nerd and was scratching my head at it ... and unfortunately the "Pie Wrecks" at the end took me far too long to get too ! Well done all around !

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterSuzan

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterLarisa

I don't usually post a comment, but I just had to. This was a brilliant way to start my day! I love it. No one in my office understands the significance of Pi day though. I'm glad others do! :) Thanks again. This is one of my favorite posts!!!

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterMeganM.

The #1 that looks a little like #2 also looks creepily phallic. Just sayin'.

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterGeorgiePorgie

The first picture for "one" will haunt me all my days. As far as the backwards 5 on the first pie, I don't care. That Pi pie is too gorgeous to cut!

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterGinger

Pie wrecks...awesome!

Pi Day is cool, but as a Chemistry geek I'll be looking forward to Mole Day!

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterLara

Pie wrecks?!? Waaa wahhh!!! Well played.

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterDeanna

So glad someone mentioned the link between pie wrecks and pyrex. I'm going... 'huh?'

I blame it on pregnancy brain :)

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterShannon

592? Y?

(Why?)

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterElly

Oh I am off today ... it took me forever to get BOTH the "man in the mirror' lyrics reference and the final "pie wrecks" ... I heart you guys but please stop making me think so much!

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterJennifer

Am I the only one who thinks the jammy pi symbol on the pie looks like blood? *tubleweed* Just me then... #toomuchDexter

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterElizabeth

Only the text on the #4 is upside down. Turn the picture over!

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered Commentermatt

My son's Math Club had a fundraiser at Pollie's Pies in celebration of Pi Day.

It also happens to be my birthday! However, I've a feeling I will not be celebrating with pie or a cake wreck. Just some plain old cake from a box. Mmmm.

Happy Birthday to the other birthday Wreckies. Happy Pi Day to all the rest!

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterAndrea

They also put the two on backwards so it looks like a five. (bottom left of the pie, below and to the left of the pi).

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterEmily

Confusion...furrowed eyebrows....re-reading the pun...looking at the picture...the light, smiling, and laughter. Now I get it.

March 14, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterK

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