Sunday Sweets: Cartoons with Character
March 7, 2010 I'll be the first to admit I don't recognize all of today's characters, but boy are they cute!
Amanda of Bluebird Cakes tells me this is Plex from the kids show Yo Gabba Gabba. I've never seen the show, but with robots this adorable, I may have to check it out.
Wallace & Gromit are looking dapper:
To be honest, I'm not sure how much of this Strawberry Shortcake is actually cake (she may be all gumpaste), but she's so cute-tastic I couldn't resist including her:
(Sub'd by Erin S., made by Elizabeth's Cakes)The bonnet! The kitty cat! The itty bitty strawberry!
[collapses from cuteness]
Here's something you don't see too often: hand painted cakery!
(Sub'd by Robin G., made by Natasha of Amelie's House)This was inspired by Beatrix Potter's Tailor of Gloucester. Isn't it awesome?
(Baker Unknown)This Thomas the Tank Engine cake finally shows us an acceptable use of edible image printing:
(Made by Irene Likokas at Sweet Irene)And lastly, the sponge everyone hates to love or loves to hate:
(Made by Kevin of K's Cakes)I've seen a LOT of Spongebob cakes, guys, and this just might be the best. Kudos, Kevin.
Update from John- Thanks to everybody who corrected us on the whole Hattifattener/moomin thing. I'm sure it's still wrong but we tried. Also, thanks to Rebecca's three year old who pointed out that Thomas is actually a tank engine. I bow to your superior knowledge young Jedi.
Reader Comments (151)
@Chris Partida--
Thanks for speaking up for Yo
Gabba Gabba-- I think that show is just about remembering the free inner spirit we all are supposed to have as children, and it's lots of fun to watch!
Oh do I really love that Strawberry Shortcake doll cake. I loved her as a kid and still do. Wow what talent. Almost makes up for those insane cake wrecks lol.
I am stunned, STUNNED!, by the Gabba hate here! I'm gonna have to assume anyone brushing it off as acid-fueled strangeness doesn't understand children. It's the type of stuff toddlers and preschoolers crave. My two year old is thrilled when it comes on. With the musical guests, songs, DJ Lance, dancing, it's fun to watch at any age.
Dont waste those minutes watching yo gabba gabba. You'll definatly discover that you could have done something a million times more interesting dureing that time and those minutes you'll never get back. thank goodness my son does not like it.
They're all so gorgeous, especially that Beatrix Potter one!
However, that Spongebob cake?!? Ick!!! I thought you were throwing in a wreck; I was utterly shocked to see this as a wreck. I DO love his little spongy holes, much better than just drawn little circles. The decorator was creative, but...meh. He looks a little, er, "special." And even moreso than usual.
I've never posted on CakeWrecks before, but I'm a long-time reader, and think this site is hilarious and wonderful! Just had to say...
I can't believe you haven't discovered MOOMINS yet (and yes, I know everyone's been saying that)! They are adorable and very worth looking into.
You simply must go out and get ahold of one of their books, either the comics or the novels. Comet in Moominland is excellent, as is Moominvalley in November (lovely characters). Moominmamma is a very comforting character to know, and will give you solace in times of trouble, I promise. :)
(And Sniff is hilarious)
Moomins! Wheee! And that Wallace and Gromit cake is gorgeous!
Yo Gabba Gabba is fantastic! My toddler is completely in love with foofa. He can hear her voice from across the house and comes running. His daddy even has a Gabba tshirt to wear when we take him to the stage show! Looks like the perfect cake for his 2ed birthday party :)
Oh, I LOVE the Beatrix Potter one!
And Moomins are awesome. I got a book in a book exchange once called "The Comet in Moominland" or something and it was wonderful. Not epic literature or anything, of course, but fun and whimsical. I read it while I was on an archaeological dig, so it was nice to have something light and happy for the downtimes between all the digging.
I used to have nightmares about the Moomins. They were terifying!
Moomin cake!!!! Squeeeeeeeeeee!
Don't listen to the Yo Gabba Gabba haters. That show is MADE OF AWESOME. Their 3rd season begins today with new episodes all week on Nickelodean. You should try to see it - even people without kids dig it - really! It's made by a bunch of cool people who wanted to make something amazing for their kids. Just this first week, the guest stars include Sarah Silverman, Weird Al Yankovic, Black Kids, Jack McBrayer, Paul Scheer, Weezer, Anthony Bourdain, Of Montreal, Mos Def, Devo, The Aquabats, Mark Mothersbaugh, Biz Markie and a special remix by Travis Barker. Okay, I'll admit I'm a little obsessed with the show - you need to see it and you'll understand why! LOL!
Wow. All that anti Yo Gabba Gabba. I'll admit, I was a bit leery of them when all I had seen was "Party in My Tummy" as one of the songs between shows on Nick Jr. (It's on You Tube. Go look it up.) But...the three year old really likes it. And it teaches him stuff, like "don't bite your friends." And it's more intelligently made that that awful purple dinosaur ever was. And I can usually get a hug out of my active kid if I start singing "Hugs are Fun" to him. Now if only they would do a topic about potty training.....
But horray for the new season starting in 20 minutes!
I love love love the moomincake! I want that for my birthday this week.
Here's a great Spongebob cake. I think it is better than the one above. http://www.flickr.com/photos/chocolatemoosecakes/4340550901/
For some reason the moomintroll series (which I grew up with) are very popular and loved EVERYWHERE in the world EXCEPT the US. There's even a theme park in Japan based on them. Why this is the case I don't know.
Moomins! I have an online friend from Finland so I knew exactly what those were! =)
The rest are adorable. Yay for the vintage Strawberry Shortcake!
"I'm gonna have to assume anyone brushing it off as acid-fueled strangeness doesn't understand children."
Oh, I understand them. I have two myself - a 5 year old and a 1 year old. It's not that I don't get the allure to children it's that I think it's creepy and weird and acid fueled (I don't care WHAT the creators say) and I'm not about to put that stuff on in my house. I'm tortured by plenty of other children's TV shows. I draw the line at Yo Gabba Gabba.
I'm not saying you have to agree. But don't accuse me of not understanding my kids just because I'm not a fan of a particular show.
And this will be my last comment ever on Cake Wrecks. This is a great silly blog and I don't understand why we have to accusatory here. So I'm out and I'll read the posts and ignore comments from here on.
Yay for Plex! I can't believe how much anti-Gabba there is here. Yo Gabba Gabba makes me feel the way Pee-Wee's Playhouse did when I was a teenager. It's fun to be silly sometimes, you people need some Yo Gabba Gabba, seriously!
What the world needs now is more hand-painted cakes! That cake is just amazing!
Also, if you ever get to Gloucester, England, there is an adorable Beatrix Potter Museum downtown...right next to a darn fine pub (for the food, people, the food!) just nearby.
Jen,
In the name of all that is holy, PLEASE do not subject yourself to watching even a second of Yo Gabba Gabba! It is one of those shows as mind numbing to adults as Barney or the Teletubbies. Please, save yourself!!!
Don't say I didn't warn you! :)
Laura
My daughters were delighted over the Yo Gabba Gabba cake....and, yes, that show is a bit odd but my girls love it and my 4 year old eats better foods, now, thanks (in part) to that show (There's a party in my tummy....so yummy, so yummy!).
Its the guest appearances that are the most bizarre.....Frodo and Jack Black, to name a couple.
Great cakes.....I think the Sunday ones are my favorite!
Great post, CW! :) Meh to the "Moomins"; I have a gaggle of friends *directly from Finland* and I've never heard of the things in my life. I can't actually argue the Yo Gabba Gabba hate, because YGG is sweet, but it's in a super-sacherine sweet, someone-call-the-dentist-or-psychiatrist because my teeth/brain/eyes are about to fall out kind of sweet, if you see what I mean, and I. Know. Children's Shows! AGH! :)
Strawberry Shortcake is SO CUTE! Unreal! And yes, it *is* Thomas the "Tank Engine". I have no idea what it said before, but thank you for updating that; there are millions of preschoolers (who know how to read?) that are reading this blog that would be terribly dissappointed if you hadn't. Faugh! ;) JK
My favourite post ever!
Moomins & Beatrix Potter? Love love love.
I absolutely love the mouse cake. You just can't go wrong with cuteness.
OH GOD! The mouse cake is amazing! As the mum to 9 spoiled rotten pet rats, I want that cake so badly. Just make mine vegan.
Must send link to SO.
Adorable!
Love the Moomin cake! I too loved those books as a child, and their wonderful illustrations. They are rather strange, melancholy and wonderfully tolerant of inexplicable oddity. The hattifatteners were these silent beings who were shaped like upside down test tubes with eyes and tiny hands on their sides, who spent their lives traveling for unknown reasons and to unknown lands. It was all very Miyazaki.
I adore the Moominfamily! I read them all when I was in 2nd or 3rd grade, and then rediscovered them a few years ago. The books, comic books, and TV series (which I didn't even know existed!) have all been reissued recently.
I watched part of Yo Gabba Gabba the other day, and although I don't have kids, I can understand exactly why they love it, and the songs I heard were surprisingly catchy. I would think that anyone that loves creative cake decorating would love the brilliant colors and odd imagery on the show!
These are seriously awesome cakes. I aspire to such greatness someday!
I was so excited to see the Moomin cake on here! The Moomin series were my favourite books as a child (my mother is from Finland)... I even have a couple of Moomin character tattoos. They're something of a national icon in Finland :)
My toddler loves Yo Gabba Gabba, and I find that I can have it on the TV without barfing from inane writing. Really, it's not actually more trippy than vintage Sesame Street.
I'm of the opinion that way too much children's programming is "sanitized pablum"— stuff that adults THINK children should like as opposed to what they actually like.
Mandatory disclaimer: I like Edward Gorey, vintage children's books that involve topics that modern books shy away from (heck, Betsy-Tacy has a serious discussion about a BABY DYING between five-year-olds— who were, incidentally, encouraged to go out and play without supervision), and original fairy tales, which are SERIOUSLY dark. So you can take my views on Yo Gabba Gabba with the proverbial grain of salt.
However, I will state that I saw one episode of Teletubbies and could almost feel my brain dribbling out my ears. Yo Gabba Gabba doesn't have that effect.
I actually own that particular Strawberry Shortcake doll! I scrolled down and nearly melted when I saw it. What a perfect cake!
I'm with the others who said they wouldn't want to cut into it!!! (although I can just smell the strawberry now!) It brought tears of joy to my eyes!!!
Coming from a Scandinavian background,I was also going to weigh in on the Moomin cake- But It looks like everyone already has!
And all are as befuddled as I was at how you don't know what they are,
But I guess it makes sense they aren't that well known here:)
Yo Gabba Gabba is a very interesting and cool kids show despite being strictly sweet and pleasant. The creator is a DJ and wanted to use interesting music in the show to expose children to it. If you watch the show and are into music, you can tell that's exactly what he did. They use weird tunings and funky minor chords in their jingles, which is something you definitely don't get a lot of on TV normally. The fact that cool musicians (Cornelius, The Shins, MGMT, Hot Hot Heat) have stopped by to contribute should say something! I love the idea even though I don't have children (bit young for it yet!) because expanding your mind to interesting musical ideas at a young age really contributes to your level of art appreciation when you're older. I'm all for what YBB is doing.
Also, to add, I grew up loving Moomins, even here in the US!
Hi, I just wanted to let you know that the adorable Moomin cake was made by JILL ( she's a cake decorator from Japan ) and you can see her fabulous works here on flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/30324326@N03/sets/
I don't know what these people are talking about Gabba Gabba is GREAT!!! The music is amazing, the Roots have a great song on there called "love my family" (i think that's the name of the song), The Ting Tings have a GREAT happy birthday song they did on there. It's "hipster" music done kid style, my kids love the show and I love it too! Give it a chance.
Like a number of people here, I was delighted to see the Moomins. Yes, the little things around the sides *are* Hattifatteners; they are more like aspects of nature than people, so it's hard to characterize them as good or evil. Previous contributors have correctly identified the Moomins up top as Moomintroll, his beloved Snork Maiden, and Moominpappa and Moominmamma. Tove Jansson's books about the Moomins are rich and strange--full of odd creatures, indeed, but exhibiting a richness of characterization and growth from book to book seldom paralleled in what is ostensibly children's literature.
To read more about the Moomins: http://www.moomin.fi/eng/
Wallace and Gromit! they are the hilarious British duo of a funny older man who loves cheese and his smarter-than-thou doggie.
the Beatrix hand painted cake is lovely...!
Strawberry Shortcake almost looks like it's just the doll sitting there with her cupcake. that's how crazy-amazing that gumpaste figure is.
Oh my goodness. The Tailor of Gloucestor is my FAVOURITE Beatrix Potter story, and that cake is exquisite.
Right behind it is the Strawberry Shortcake entry, which might be all gumpaste but it is adorable! I was a big fan as a little girl.
Yo Gabba Gabba is not a cartoon, Jen. It's a great show, but changed it to a learning experience....
AUUUUUUUGH!
The Moomin cake is really cute. I love that show! It made my day to see the characters on a cake. =D
I don't know what the English translators were thinking, but the Norwegian and Swedish (and possibly Finnish) word for one of those white little fellas is hattifnatt. The name is not meant to suggest that they are fattening (to hattis or anything else). Of course as cake decorations containing sugar and/or fat they probably are fatten ing, but not originally...
The Moomins are wonderful. Some of the characters in the boos are modelled after my family's older generation members' friends.
Looking at that colour scheme on them, it suggests they're based on the Japanese cartoon version, as it's a Japanese thing to colour the white Moomins blue and yellow per gender. According to the original books, the snorks change colour based on mood, but that was discarded in the cartoons. :)
An interesting scrap of information, btw. The day when the news of the author Tove Jansson's death hit the world, Disney called Tove's niece and asked "how much". They declined, and I'm forever grateful for that!
The stories teach kids that there are scary things in the world and that children need to learn to compromise and not always get everything they want in a happy ending. That's why they're exceptionally good children's stories. They mirror life in a way that doesn't hasten the growing up process, but doesn't provide too much proverbial padding, either, as sadly so many modern children's stories do.
I wouldn't call the later Moomin (Mumin in the original Swedish) books children's literature: it's not just that they can be read by adults as well, they are probably better suited for it. But yes, if you haven't, you really ought to read them. They're wonderful.
(And I found it rather amusing that the captcha wants me to write ruotssi to post this.)
//JJ
You don't know Moomintroll? They're from a series of books written by a Finnish writer, Tove Janson. Moomintroll is the main character, and the others who look like him are Moomin Mama, Moomin Papa, and the Snork Maiden. The Hattifrattners are from the first book, Finn Family Moomintroll.
You're spot on with the Moomins! You'll see things featuring them all over Europe... When I went to Poland they had a show on TV and a comic book series. :]
The original novels featuring the Moomins have been translated into English, the animated show was dubbed in English as well... sadly it never really caught on here in the USA.
It really is an adorable kids franchise though!
http://hellointerloper.blogspot.com
I make every year one or two Moomin gingerbread house/houses. Gingerbread Moomin house is very popular in Finland. Look here http://ebetys.com/blog/category/Piparkakkuty%C3%B6t
and here
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=piparkakkutalo%20muumi&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi
The Moomin cake was made by Jill's Sugar Collection--which I discovered when clicking through the flickr link from the May 2nd Sunday Sweets! She does some really amazing work.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30324326@N03/3103068265/
Oh god I want a Moomin cake for my next birthday more than anything in the world.