Let them eat cake! Whether it’s your birthday, your anniversary or you simply survived a tough day, there’s never a bad time to eat cake. And while we all know that there are dozens of delicious flavor combinations that can be used to create scrumptious cakes, there are apparently endless options when it comes to decor as well.
Below, you’ll find some photos of the most creative and brilliantly executed cake designs from all over the internet. From hyper realistic treats to the cutest little creations we’ve ever feasted our eyes on, enjoy scrolling through these delightful desserts. And be sure to upvote the ones that you simultaneously want to admire and devour!
#1 My Take On The Gelatin Island Cake. It Is Inspired By A Little Spot where we used to go fishing as kids. What A Joy It Was To Make
Image credits: Retha_Joubert_Studio
#2 Can You Blame Him?
Image credits: kakebydarci
#3 Cartoon Cake Slice. Inside Is A Banoffee Cake With Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream And Filled With Dulce De Leche, Biscoff Spread, And Biscoff Biscuits For An Added Crunch To Each Bite
Image credits: Single_Disaster_2856
Regardless of what your favorite dessert is, it’s almost impossible not to like cake. There are endless possibilities with it, after all! You might want a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting or a lava cake paired with vanilla ice cream. You can make a pumpkin spice cake for fall and a lemon blueberry cake in the springtime. You’re obligated to eat cake on your birthday, so perhaps you’ll opt for a funfetti masterpiece. And during Mardi Gras, you can enjoy a classic king cake.
Personally, when I’m eating a dessert, the only factor I’m concerned about is the taste. We’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, right? But nowadays, bakers have come up with incredible ways to up their cake game, one of which being coming up with incredible decorations. When I was a kid, the most impressive cakes I ever saw were those with photos printed on them or those with Barbie dolls in the middle where the cake made up her “dress.” One year, I even had a gorgeous, sparkly ruby slipper cake for my Wizard of Oz themed party.
#4 Inspired By Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” And “Sunflowers”. Dear Universe, Please Send Me More Art-Inspired Projects Like This
Image credits: _leslie_vigil_
#5 “Under The Sea” Cake
Image credits: gene_yus
#6 For A Plant Lover From A Plant Lover. I’m Usually About Minimal Effort For Maximum Impact, So I Stay Away From Piping. This Was Worth The Extra Time
It’s a lot of fun; if you’ve ever wanted to have a try at piping flowers, do it! This was my first go, and I’ll be back for more.
Image credits: moletoes
Today, however, bakers have turned cake decorating into an art. And the trend of hyper-realistic cakes has taken the internet by storm. If you’re familiar with the Netflix series Is it Cake?, you’ve seen this trend before. Cakes that look shockingly like plates of nachos, toilets or roller skates are only a few of the creations that have graced my television.
But aside from the bakers featured on this show, there are plenty more creating content online and being hired every day to provide customers with amazing desserts that look like anything but cakes. According to Inverse, we can’t get enough of these hyper-realistic sweets because they confuse our brains.
#7 A Koi Pond Mousse Cake For Father’s Day
Image credits: petrichoro
#8 Mirror-Glazed Mousse Cake
Image credits: ragsy1224
#9 I Made This 80’s-Inspired McDonald’s Cake For A Birthday
Image credits: andreaortizfuentes
“I think we’re fascinated by the quality of the illusion [of hyper-realistic cakes] — and there’s the strange dissonance brought on by perceiving things in two ways,” Rolf Nelson, professor of psychology at Wheaton College, told Inverse. He noted the famous example of the “rabbit-duck” illusion, which also captivates many people due to the fact that it can be seen in two ways. “In the cake example, we have a conflict of perceiving it as a face or as a cake. Because the face looks so realistic, it takes us a second to reconcile these two things,” Nelson explained.
#10 I Made My Own Wedding Cake
Image credits: timanthaaa
#11 Here’s The Completed Snow Globe Cake! A White Chocolate Chiffon Fresh Cream Drip Cake, Butter Cookie Decorations, And A Crystal Sugar Dome That Took Years Off My Life
Image credits: petrichoro
#12 Castle Cake
Image credits: sweet_homemadebykb
According to Tasting Table, however, these hyper-realistic cakes often lose sight of one of the most important aspects of why we love cake: the flavor! They explain that many cakes that focus primarily on aesthetics rely on fondant to look so special, and fondant isn’t always the most delicious decoration to eat.
“The fondant used for these cakes is essentially just sculptable sugar-paste made with corn syrup and gelatin,” Tasting Table notes. “It’s very malleable, dyeable, and can be stretched over whole cakes or molded into decoration, but that gives it a strange texture and virtually zero flavor, which obviously can be off-putting in a cake.”
#13 Little Dino Cake
Image credits: spring.bloom.cakes
#14 Here Is The Full Shot Of The New Capybara Cake, They’re Just Chilling
Image credits: rinsforest
#15 Hand-Painted Turtle Cake
Image credits: Jimachi
To avoid using fondant that will negatively affect the final taste of a cake, pastry chef and “Ace of Cakes” Duff Goldman recommends substituting it with marzipan instead. Marzipan has a similar consistency and can be used in many ways as well, but it is made with almonds and sugar and undoubtedly provides a better flavor than fondant. This can provide a problem for those with nut allergies, but if you’re open to almonds and want to prioritize the flavor of your cake, it can be a delicious solution.
#16 A Cake Disguised As A Stack Of Pancakes I Made
Image credits: Mama-bear-2
#17 A Cake Made For My Grandmother, Who Is A Keen Gardener
Image credits: Custard_rhubarb
#18 My Wife Made An Axolotl Cake For Our Son’s Birthday. Very Proud Of Her
Image credits: beelzebrian
If you’re an amateur home baker who wants to delve into the world of cake decorating yourself, it can be intimidating to see all of the hyper-realistic cakes that flood Instagram feeds. But don’t be afraid to start! Cake by Courtney has shared a few decorating tips on her site to help beginners know exactly where to start. First, Courtney recommends using quality cake decorating tools. A cake disk, cake scraper, icing spatula and piping bag will make your life so much easier. Courtney also recommends freezing your cake after putting on the crumb coat (or the first thin layer) of icing. This seals in all of the crumbs and helps you get a beautiful cake.
#19 Inside, Strawberry Cake With Italian Meringue Buttercream. Outside, The Stems And Leaves Are Homemade Modeling Chocolate. The Tulips Are Colored And Tempered With White Chocolate
Image credits: Rosiebelleann
#20 No Need For Words Here
Image credits: sweet_land_cake
#21 Melting Candle Cakes – Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Flavor
Image credits: cloudberry14
Courtney’s next tip is to hold your cake scraper at a 45 degree angle. This way, you can ensure that your cake ends up with perfectly smooth edges. Courtney also stresses the importance of using a cake acrylic disk when applying buttercream. “This just helps with making sure the top and sides of your cake are nice and distinct from one another,” she explains.
#22 Here’s A Cute Bunny Cake
Image credits: keempossible_2
#23 Flower House 1/2 Cake
Image credits: Green-Cockroach-8448
#24 I Made A Space Whale Cake. Please Tell Me What You Think
Image credits: kristina-dolnyk
If you plan to pipe frosting onto the top of your cake, Courtney recommends keeping the piping away from the edge of the cake. If it’s too close to the edge, it may melt and lose its shape, running all the way down the sides of the cake. And finally, Courtney recommends making sure that your buttercream is silky smooth. Your butter should be slightly cold when whipped to make sure that it doesn’t become too runny, and it should be mixed for a few minutes on its own before sifting in powdered sugar.
#25 Super Proud Of This One (Dark Chocolate Cake With Salted Caramel Buttercream)
Image credits: Moo-Im-a-cow21
#26 Vanilla Toffee Scrabble Birthday Cake With Chocolate Buttercream, Caramel, And Banana
Image credits: Bridgeface87
#27 This Woodland-Themed Birthday Cake Has An Actual Campfire
Image credits: hellomagpies
Are these photos making you crave cake, pandas? I have to admit that I probably crave cake every single day already, but these gorgeous photos are making me want to bake even more! Keep upvoting the pics that you find particularly impressive or mouth-watering, and then if you’re interested in seeing even more beautiful cakes that have been shared on Bored Panda, look no further than right here!
#28 Birthday Cake With Flowers
Image credits: ivenoven
#29 When Your Daughter Loves Cats
Image credits: Home-baker87
#30 Gradually Begins A Hot Period In California. Swimming Pools Are Our Salvation. That Is This Cake’s Theme
Image credits: dolnyk.art.cake
#31 I Made Winnie-The-Pooh Cake For My Friend’s Daughter’s First Birthday. I Drew Tigger On Rolled-Out Fondant
Image credits: samiambakes
#32 I’m In Love With The Cake My Fiancée Made Me For My Birthday
Image credits: mewtwoDtwo
#33 This Is So Amazing
Image credits: kakebydarci
#34 This Is A Cake We Made For A Groom. The Pieces Are Chocolate. Everything Is Edible
Image credits: SlytherinF1
#35 I Made A Cozy Little Marzipan-Frangipane Apple Tart
Image credits: inspiredtotaste
#36 Husband Is A Woodworker. Made This Cake For Father’s Day
Image credits: allergictobeez
#37 My Favorite Blue
Image credits: ivenoven
#38 My Sister’s Obsession With Hot Air Balloons And Rose Gold Is Known To Many, And As A Devoted Sister, I Have To Fulfill Her Obsession Through My Cakes
Image credits: lima.cakes
#39 Ducks And Ducklings For A Rainy Morning
Image credits: aprilsbakerlondon
#40 Top Forward Cake
I wanted to try this style for months and finally got around to it! Also, last time I made a “house cake” someone mentioned they would like to see another in different colors, so here it is — Confetti cake with vanilla buttercream and chocolate ganache.
Image credits: Green-Cockroach-8448
#41 Water Cake. It Has Been A While Since I Made One
Image credits: dolnyk.art.cake
#42 Homemade Raspberry Cream Cake Covered In Legos
Image credits: aka_scoch
#43 This Was Actually A Cake From Thanksgiving, But It Gives Me All The Vintage Christmas Feels With These Warm Rainbow Colors
Image credits: cakelaurenloves
#44 Have You Ever Said, “We’re Like Two Peas In A Pod?” If So, Then We’ve Got The Cake For You
Image credits: vegantreats
#45 This Is My Favorite Cake Ever
Image credits: _kassycakes_
#46 Homemade Dish Sponge Cake
Image credits: fidgetspinnerz
#47 My Little Bro 23rd Birthday Cake: Vanilla Flavor Cake With Orange Zest And Honey Flavor Buttercream
Image credits: Notnotnotbryan
#48 Elmo Cake
Image credits: bakeagogo
#49 Cake I Made For My Cousin’s Birthday
Image credits: blueberriebun
#50 I Couldn’t Eat This Cake, It’s Just That Stunning
Image credits: eatwitharli