"Cake" Cruelty
August 17, 2008 Ladies and gentlemen of the cake community, I come to you today with a matter of grave concern to us all.
Allow me to present exhibit A:
These seemingly innocent "cakes" are instead a threat to all the sugary goodness we hold dear. Observe:
Once sliced, you will note that these "cakes" are not cakes at all. Instead, they are layers of various meat and mayo-based salads, bread, and then - here's the worst part - "iced" with cream cheese. Note how the creators of these twisted impostors then push the deception even further by decorating the "cakes" with little roses, vines, and piped borders.
I ask you, fellow carb-lovers, are we to allow such cake defamation to stand? Will we sit idly by while our children and grandchildren are subjected to cakes that are not cakes? And if so, what next? Liverwurst doughnuts? Tuna-filled eclairs? Meat pies? (Oh, wait...)
Nay, I say, nay! We shall rise up, and as one declare that our butter cream icing must remain unsullied, our baked goods pure in sugar. Join me, and together we can make our world a place of fat, sugar, and dairy-based products for all!
Melissa P., thanks for calling my attention to this adjusted unjust injustice. (Seashell-Selling She, eat your heart out.)
Reader Comments (232)
WHAT?! That's just not right. It's a travesty I tell you!
Ehm, this is a dish, not a dessert.
Sometimes this blog and its readers cross the line of poking fun at the unfamiliar and just come off as very smallminded and closed off from the rest of the world. Like with the Japanese poo cake.
All trickery aside, that does look pretty cool. Of course, for my 12th birthday, I had an ice cream cake that looked like a pizza, so who am I to judge.
Ewww. I don't like anything that surprises me. This would surprise me because I would expect it to be sweet. I'm pretty sure I would vomit a bit.
I can't help but go straight to the pictures when I visit this blog, which is why my first reaction was, "What's wrong? These don't look like 'cake wrecks' at all."
Then I read the commentary. And I fainted.
Ewwwwww.
Oh, blech! I'm a vegetarian, so that sickens me always, but still that's pretty nasty!
I stumbled upon your blog today and have read every single post already. I have laughed so hard that I am crying and my 3 year old daughter just said, "what's wrong, mommy?" Ok, time to step away from the computer.
This is awesome and I will SO be back.
Kudos, my bloggy friend.
These look disgusting, but I've seen a meatloaf cake covered with mashed potatoes that looked pretty good. At least if people knew what it was first. Taste cognitive dissonance is just plain cruel. I'd never want to eat cake again!
OMG - I was just sitting here thinking that I was getting mighty hungry, and then I saw that. It is foul, vile, and wrong on so many levels that I have lost my desire to eat lunch. Grrreat.
EW.
I think this is a fabulous concept - especially in a scenerio where a lot more cake is served (perhaps at a themed occasion). Like a terrine, it has the potential to make for really great plate presentation, great colors, and varying textures. I would, however, think the "frosting" decorations would be more creative - more appropriate for the filling or something.
Then again, I have been known to make a batch of eclairs and fill 3 or 4 with mayo and pickle relish or mustard...
I think this looks awesome and I want to know where you find one! Although I admit, if I thought I was getting actual cake and I got this instead I'd probably toss my cookies. I've never seen meatcakes before but in college they would serve this evil decepticake that we called Chocolate Surprise because when you bit into to it, "Surprise, it's raisin!" Post traumatic cake syndrome, indeed!
I have to try the breakfast cake someone linked to, that looks awesome! (Only I'd use tomatoes instead of red peppers. Love the site, thanks for keeping my laughing!
If people want meat cakes, okay, fine. It's probably not that weird, if you think of them as a sandwich with the spread on the outside. (Personally, I think they look like they belong in the Gallery of Regrettable Food, but we all have our own taste.)
It's the flowers, though. The flowers mess with your head. If I'm looking for a bite to eat, I'm not usually also looking for a side of psychological experiment.
One cannot have light without darkness. I assume these cakes are in response to some other cakes you highlighted previously: http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/2008/06/i-think-this-needs-whole-new-category.html
Personally, I would like to have the meat-cake as an entree and the meat-looking-but-real-cake as dessert :)
Apart from the design, not too bad. But, then again, where I'm from this isn't that big of a deal. Sweden and Finland seems to inhabit the biggest fanbases for these oh so lovely creations. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smörgåstårta for reference.
. . . funny, for me that's just normal. : D I'm like "What's up? o__o I had once of those for my birthday party..."
Here in Finland those kind of cakes are just normal. They are served at weddings, birthday parties, anywhere.
They are called 'sandwich cakes'. I find them delicious.
Man I love this blog. It just keeps getting better and better.
That is disgusting to say the least.K
We used to make these in Home Ec in Junior High - gosh 40 years ago! I agree with the Euro poster, tho' - you're supposed to decorate it so you know what's inside it. But they can be very tasty!
that's just gross.
Imagine thinking that it was a torte, and then taking a bite. @___@
I maybe biased because I HATE mayonnaise, and the thought of eating egg salad makes me want to cry, but that description honesly made me sick to my stomach. Who are these sick people creating these things?
This cake should come with a warning! Also, talk about false advertising!!!!!!!!! If this isn't a crime it sure should be! How grossly unfair - to expect a piece of sweet cake and frosting and get a mouthful of..... BLICH!!
This is so very wrong on so many levels as numerous other fans of your blog have pointed out. I agree. Off with their.... ?? Heads? Hands? Whatever!
Ay carumba.
Whatever happened to finger sandwiches? We need to frost deli salads with cream cheese now?
I have no problem w/the idea of meatcake...just tell me that's what it is before I bite into it
This reminds me of the time I went to serve up my sister some vanilla ice cream, but in just the spoon I put a scoop of mashed potatoes. I handed her the cold dish of very innocent ice cream, she put the spoonful o' spuds in her mouth, which was immediately proceeded by opening her mouth and letting it just fall out... into my quick reflexed hand.
It makes for a good JOKE, not something you'd really serve! What's the purpose of making meat/cream cheese, etc look like a baked good? Just nicely present it as what it is so there's no question! SICK.
No! No! No!
I say let your sweets be sweet and your savories be savory. And NEVER the twain shall meet!
Regardless of my enjoyment of both, I do not want a sandwich that looks like a cake; nor do I want a cupcake that looks like spaghetti or mashed potatoes. (They're out there, people!)
What is this world coming too?!?
Argh!!!! I think of all the cakes here, this is the one that will haunt my dreams the most...
I physically cringed when I realized what was in it. (shudder)....
I think the smashed up baloney meat thing is the thing that scares me the most...
i cannot come up with a word stronger than vomit for what was going through my head when i read this post.
WHY on earth would this be appealing? OMG
I am with you!! Long live fatty, wonderful, sugary goodness!!
The "Save to del.icio.us" link is often snicker-worthy in this blog, but especially on this post!
Actually, these things are pretty great. My mom made them for a bridal shower (natch), and I thought they were fantastic. But I love cream cheese. Anyway, they seemed to be a hit with everyone.
That makes me want to gag.
oh my.... this hurts my feelings.
I was subjected to one of those monstosities at my friends bridal shower. I could'nt get past the icing part, I kept expecting it to be sweet. Chicken salad and buttercream, uck!
Oh gross!! I love meat.....and cake is alright....but a MEAT cake that looks like a regular cake, is just wrong. And whats with the cream cheese "frosting" cream cheese does NOT go well with meat.
I think http://www.azstarnet.com/ss/2008/08/13/l252397-3.jpg" REL="nofollow">this should be added to your front page collection. The Dog looks stoned. Or a night of the living dead zombie.
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/food/252397.php" REL="nofollow">Here is the story that goes with the cake.
This bothers me much more than frog herpes. I feel a little sick.
I... I would eat that.
http://www.azstarnet.com/ss/2008/08/13/l252397-1.jpg" REL="nofollow">This one is pretty scary too. Has the eyes of the abdominal snowman (after the taming) in Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.
She has an http://www.cakeboutiquearizona.com/page/page/3800004.htm" REL="nofollow">interesting gallery.
Oh, these were really popular in the 70s. My mom, the gourmet cook (seriously, no sarcasm) had an entire cookbook full of these kind of things. A particular favorite was a salmon mousse that was chilled in a fish-shaped cake pan. Then you'd make the eyes with a green olive (with pimiento). I had nightmares about fish for years.
This is the most upsetting "cake" I've ever seen. How could you serve this disaster to anyone without it being a straight up joke. This shames desserts everywhere.
For the love of all that is good, why?
aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. disgusting.
Gross. When I see cake, I want to eat cake, not something else.
Props to the Cake Failure blog for the text too? (Or props to whoever the Cake Failure blog stole that from)
Seriously - what's with all the hating? Like some fellow Nordsmen have already pointed out, smörgåstårtor/sandwich cakes can be gobsmackingly delicious and are generally considered to be quite a treat.
It's just like a big sandwich, with lots of filling, and you eat it with a fork. You people like sandwiches, don't you? Hmm? Don't you?
And as for the whole "eww! Gross, meat cake!"-thing, the vegetarian ones are just as nice.
Although, they normally don't look like dessert cakes. That is properly wrong.
Ever see Dinner Impossible? Season 2 they had illusion food just like this "cake".
Example: Trompe L'oeil Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes and Cauliflower with Poached Tomatoes – Served as Chocolate Layer Cake a la Mode Cherries Jubilee Topping
I used to love it when my mom would make these though she would never try to pass them off as a sweetened cake. I think they were always "decorated" with carrot flowers with sliced olive centers. Very 70's and surprisingly good.
It looks cool, but the fact of the matter is... If I had walked over to a cake and sliced it thinking I was getting cake to discover meat once I'd laid it on my plate, I would have been a very unhappy party goer lol.