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It’s not exactly where you’d expect to find a bake sale - in an old warehouse, down a damp cobbled street in London’s East End. But then, it’s no ordinary bake sale. Just in time for Halloween, a group of London cake makers have made it their task to create some of the most disgusting-looking, unappetizing cakes imaginable. Anybody fancy a tentacle flapjack, or a bleeding wound cupcake? How about a chocolate severed hand, a scarred flesh rocky road, or an oozing eyeball? Didn’t think so. Tired of baking cupcakes in pastel shades, topped with edible baby shoes, or ornate white wedding cakes, these women (and a few men) have contributed to the Eat Your Heart Out, "Feed The Beast" pop-up cake shop at The Rag Factory in Brick Lane, supported by The Kraken Rum. The Eat Your Heart Out project is in its third year and this time includes nasty treats produced by over a dozen bakers. At Halloween who wants to eat cakes that actually look tasty? (Eye don’t!) “The point is that even though they look disgusting they have to taste delicious,” said organizer Emma Thomas, or Miss Cakehead, as she is otherwise known. “They can’t both look and taste disgusting,” she added. I decided to try a bright green slimy "Wounded Mermaid Skin" cupcake from Denise Bakes Cakes, topped with red oozing blood. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t a light vanilla sponge with a thick creamy vanilla ganache. Look past their revolting exteriors and these are expertly made, utterly delicious cakes. “It’s nice making pretty cakes, but it’s good to have some variety,” said Denise Steele of Denise Bakes Cakes, who admitted the most disgusting confection she ever made was a red blood cell cake. Some of the most lifelike offerings come in the form of severed hands and feet made from casts of food artist Kate Haigh’s own body parts. Despite their realistic appearance, they are actually made with chocolate and filled with a luxurious liqueur. The cakes that initially seem the most unappetizing are cupcakes topped with piles of what look like feces. But, made with fine dark chocolate, the poo is cocoa butter cream with rum-soaked raisins and chopped nuts. Not so unappetizing any more. “You’ve got to get the texture right,” said the cake’s creator Melanie Denyer, from London gluten-free cake shop Suzzle. “And it tastes amazing.” The accompanying maggots are simply sugar paste and the poo is placed on top of a vanilla bun, iced with vanilla rum butter cream. Melanie has a 7 year-old son who thinks the whole thing is “awesome.” And then there are the "Mango Fly Larvae Removal" cupcakes from Twisted Fondant. They come with tweezers and latex gloves, so that an adventurous eater can extract the fondant larvae from the hole in the cupcake's flesh and squeeze out the mango-flavored pus before devouring. Yummy. Jacqui Kelly of Cake Revolution is convinced that making disgusting cakes is a useful exercise for any ambitious cake-maker. “My skills have come on immensely, because you get to take risks.” And as the saying goes: no guts, no glory. Previously: |
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So the 'Kraken' are actually Lampreys?
Or oarfish or octopusses.
Soo gross, but cool! I totally would have gotten some of the cupcakes for my coworkers. The ones with wounds would work well for a comic shop on Halloween. Kind of Walking Dead/Zombie theme.
Gory cakes have not much to do with Halloween. I wouldn't purchase them or eat them.
I love looking at these, but I've now come to consider sugar to be one of the least appealing seasonings out there. Still, I enjoy seeing what people create with this (and other) condiments.
They are all pretty creative except the mermaid one. Wouldn't even know what it was if it wasn't for the caption pointing it out.
How come you never see people create something from fruit, it's no wonder why Americans are obese.
Since when is London in America?
London city, Arkansas
London city, Kentucky
London city, Ohio
London township, Monroe County, Michigan
London township, Freeborn County, Minnesota
New Londons:
New London city, Connecticut
New London city, Iowa
New London city, Minnesota
New London city, Missouri
New London city, Texas
New London city, Wisconsin
New London town, New London County, Connecticut
New London town, Merrimack County, New Hampshire
New London town, North Carolina
New London township, Kandiyohi County, Minnesota
New London township, Chester County, Pennsylvania
New London village, Ohio
Why make artful cakes? an escape from the banal. duh.
I usually dont comment on articles but this one was just something that provoked me to write. OMG these are GROSE and AMAZING at the same time. Bravo to all the artists. I just hope they taste opposite of as grose as they look.
Wow!! These bakers are so creative.
Halloween used to be scary/cute. Now it's gory and sickening.
–And that's the way it should be!!!
No, Halloween used to be frightening and horrific, full of occult wonder and a mortal fear for one's soul. Then it became cutesy because of the candy companies. It should be scary and gory and frightening.
LMAO! That cupcake was the best, err, worst. Whatever.
"Pull the maggot our of the cupcake ... " I actually laughed out loud. Good times.
Very creative! I love them!!! :)
Very interesting.
Gross, but very creative.
I went – it was awesome! Bought some presents for a creepy friend who loves cake :)
As long as there aren't "sexy"!
all of you suck it up it' halloween for god sakes what do you think they would make gum drops and rainbows
Well said, I wish I could get them all for tomorrow. They are awesome
It's always nice to see what the rich people are eating!
How about some nice road kill cake for tea party patriots? Made with real roadkill !! They'll drink Everclear from mason jars to wash it down then they'll head back to their trailer park for some cousin boinking.
Beats wankers like you spanking little boys for your jollies.
Many look upon Halloween as just a fun time time, never realizing it roots or where it originated. In fact, most never give any serious thought to all the witches, demons, the "living dead", vampires, the spookiness, but just accept it without reservation because "everyone else is doing it".
Most are unaware that Halloween is derived form the Celtic observance of Samhain, being deeply rooted in ancestor worship, involving contact with supposed spirits of the dead (All Souls Day on November 2 is observed to supposedly "to help purify the spirits of the dead" and is associated with death and the supernatural.[Microsoft 2005 Encarta Library])
Vampires, werewolves, witches, and zombies have long been associated with the evil spirit world. And the wearing of costumes came from the Celts, who wore frightening masks so that evil spirits would mistakenly think the wearers were spirits and would leave them alone. The churches of Christendom gradually combined these pagan customs with the feasts of All Souls and All Saints days. Later, the churches permitted individuals to go from house to house wearing costumes of saints, angels and devils.
Initially turnips and later pumpkins were carved and candlelit and then displayed to repel evil spirits, with some believing that the candle represented a soul trapped in purgatory. And finally candy, which the ancient Celts used to supposedly appease wicked spirits. The church later encouraged celebrants to go from house to house on All Hallows Eve, asking for food in return for a prayer for the dead. This eventually became Halloween's trick or treat.
However, genuine Christians follow the counsel the apostle Paul gave, saying: "What sharing does light (the truth about God and the Bible) have with darkness (lies and pagan teachings of demons)? Further, what harmony is there between Christ and Belial (a reference to Satan).....quit touching the unclean thing and I (Jehovah God) will take you in."(2 Cor 6:14, 15, 17)
Way to drag religion into an otherwise lighthearted topic.
As a pagan, I hope you are skipping Easter and Christmas too – they have just as much of a Pagan base... much love – Side note: the cakes are uh-maze-ing!
excellent point!
Then it's a good thing I'm not a christian, genuine or otherwise. Let the pumpking carving commence!
Monatuk Monster cake made by The Sugar Pitt. http://www.facebook.com/thesugarpitt
Already requested that credit Michelle x
I thought we, Americans, were crazy but this is ridiculous (and disgusting). i thought halloween was for kids and to have such display of YEEEEEWWWW and subject kids to it is beyond me......
I love this stuff! So creative and original. I would have to close my eyes to eat it, but it is amazing what results in thinking outside the box when it comes to cake. People who think this is a waste of time have no concept of the creative efforts that go into making these. In this day and age of blah cakes bought at Costco or Walmart, it's nice to be able to buy something that TASTES good rather than a pre-frozen cake that has cheaply made icing slapped on it.
The writer should have included the prices.
Even on my worst day, I could poop these treats!
I spent about 10 minutes the other day trying to force down this gross candy finger I got in my hamburger at a diner down the road. I thought it was very creative, but first of all, I found it by biting into the ring, they could have somehow made a candy ring that was soft, I almost broke a tooth! and secondly, it wasn't very tasty! Kinda tasted like pork. Candy should taste like sugar and sweets, not bloody meat. But anyway, I finally ate all of it and told them it was a pretty good trick, but the bone was a bit too hard.. I don't know what they used, but maybe it had sat out too long, but anyway I had to get out of there because the police were asking everyone to leave. I guess someone didn't pay their check or something. They were putting up tape when I drove away. So weird they would go to those lengths to investigate someone skipping out on paying for lunch. OH well.
Brad – I'd drive right past that hitchhiker if I was you.....
Unhealty people
you need a life and to lighten up
I know a lot of effort and creativity went into these things, but seriously it was a huge waste of time. You do not have to jazz anything up to get people to eat sugar.
If we could figure out a way to get people to NOT eat sugar maybe that would be newsworthy, but in light of that recent study in which lab rats preferred Oreos to cocaine and heroin I'm just not holding my breath.
Would you be happier if they preferred cocaine or heroin to sugary treats?
You mean making it out to look like rotten diseased flesh isn't a way to get people to avoid eating sugar? I guess this IS America, after all...
And this store was in the U.K., so it ain't just us.
They DID get me to not eat sugar. Blech!
Pretty sure they were just having fun.
This isn't about convincing them to eat sugar, it's about using food as an art form. Not everything has to be a reason to stand up and remind us of how awful things are. Sometimes a cake is just a cake.
You're right. They should've decorated coaine!
Why do we have to create such things as if there is not enough evil in this world? Don't we have anything else better to do than this?
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.
I thought about it as you requested.....Whatever is a LIE from our President?
I would think you would get tired of just eating rainbow cupcakes.
often it's social commentary. or is that too obtuse for you?
Really, none of the extreme gore that permeates Halloween these days has anything to do with traditional Halloween celebrations – or fun. Crime drama is so popular that it's mistaken for the "disguise yourself" costuming that should be the predominant part of the season. I wouldn't want my fun completely perverted by overwhelming blood and guts, and I certainly question the mentality that causes people to be attracted to this stuff. Can't see how these designs could possibly help the taste of otherwise carefully crafted bakery treats. In fact, for me, it would completely ruin the experience. I'd prefer to gag on healthful veggie sticks, thank you.
Dont hate on veggies
I've got you scheduled for 1pm today for your stick-ectomy. Seriously, do you think Christmas looks the same today as it did 50 years ago? Get over yourself.
Creative. But…. no. I couldn't bring myself to eat these things! LOL The grossest Halloween treat I ever made (for a contest at work) was using a white corning ware bowl and a cereal box wrapped in wrinkled paper bag with a handle (to resemble a toilet). I filled the bowl with lemon jello with extra yellow food coloring and, when it was almost set, placed mini Baby Ruth candy bars in it. You get the idea! Hey, I won that contest! (And no one ate my concoction either!)
I would have eaten it to gross out everyone. LOL.
I'm so with you. The absolute worst is the maggot cupcake. As if that weren't bad enough, squeeze out the pus! GAH! I admire it because it's really creative but man, is it revolting.