The Beginning of the End?
November 3, 2008
My friends, I come to you today on a matter of grave importance for our nation's future. Many of you have shared with me your concerns over the impending crisis America is facing, and I felt it was best to address this issue head on, while something can still be done to avert total catastrophe. Some of you are scared. Some are angry. Others, just baffled beyond belief. Certainly the future as we know it is hanging in the balance. Still, all is not yet lost.
I'm talking, of course, about these:
That's right: thanks to retailer Bed Bath & Beyond, the dreaded cupcake-cake is coming to the masses. Call it a "Cupcake Puzzle" if you will, BB&B, but we know a Wreckerator when we see one!
Of course, BB&B is just the middle man; the real culprit is the manufacturer, Wilton:
Now, let's not panic just yet, people. Sure, the vast majority of "professionals" can't even produce a decent looking cupcake-cake, leaving us common Janes as likely to traumatize our families as delight them with our potentially half-baked efforts. Yes, the entire CCC concept is inherently flawed, and will therefore always resemble the demented flailings of a prepubescent Pollock. And yes, those separated cupcakes in the photos were obviously decorated separately, which could lead one to accuse Wilton of false advertising. Certainly no cupcake-cake pulls apart with perfectly shaped edges like that.
Still, this is a democracy, my friends, and you have a choice! Just say 'no' to CCCs! Stand up for truth, justice, and real cakes for all! And be sure to use lots of exclamation marks to get your point across!
Or, barring that, make a Wreck and send it to me - I'm kind of curious to see just how bad these bad boys look in "real" life. ;)
Reader Comments (149)
I worry the most for the children... not only are they subjected to these so-called puzzle cakes, the makers seem to be encouraging their participation! What's next? MMF step-by-steps in picture books? Oh, the humanity!
John McCain would never allow this. It is obviously a left-wing conspiracy! Vote a straight Republican ticket tomorrow and this cupcake obamanation (obviously a ploy to confuse and divide) will be eliminated by an emergency congressional ban on puzzle cupcake cake kits. Oh wait... the House and Senate are still run by a Democratic majority.
Oh well, we're doomed.
I could not tell that was a purse at all until I read the caption "cupcake purse." Although I think it should read "complete disaster."
At least these kits come with different-shaped cupcake holders -- that will hopefully cut down on the scalloped look?
My 14 year old daughter thought these were the coolest things ever - and as such we now have one. I'll send you a picture as soon as I get the courage to use the thing. Something about decapitating a teddy bear makes me slightly uneasy though.
I am so glad you are featuring this. I saw these in the junk mail and was so tempted to send it in. Square cupcakes? Triangles? Where will it end? What will they think of next? The purse one did look cute for a little cousin's party.
Wow--you are so brave to agree to look at our homemade wrecks.
Geeze, I was going to sign up to take a cake decorating class hosted by that company. I am now reconsidering!
Ha! I thought of you when I got this ad in the mail the other day. :)
Do I see different shaped cupcakes? That just adds two more layers of potential disaster to these wrecks-to-be: uneven cooking and kids complaining about getting gipped (who wants a measly little triangle when his/her sibling gets a giant rectangle?).
Am I missing something? Again, I don't know why everyone is against the CCC's. I think some of them are well done. What's with the CCC hate?
A cupcake cake puzzle? Weren't the CCCP the communists? Just say NO!
I actually think that purse is kind of cute, and I'm not even a purse-type person. The turtle too.
But, I just don't get these cakes? Why not just make cute cupcakes instead? I'm still baffled by these, though I have to admit, I'm challenged to make a nice looking CCC.
I saw these in a Bed Bath and Beyond advertisement and was particularly appalled when I saw the manufacturer was Wilton. What in the world are they thinking?? There is no way the average decorator will be able to make anything even closely resembling a butterfly or a bear with those kids. Unacceptable.
You could have a "dismember the bear" party! Perfect for Halloween if you could make them molten lava cupcakes with some sort of red stuff inside!
I was seriously like... "OMG. Jen. Why so serious?" lol
Then I scrolled and saw the picture.
I see a lot more of this kind of wreck in your future!
Michael's has carried those hideous things for the last six months...way to ruin cake decorating! I guess it you have no imagination or talent, it's the right thing. I would have expected it from some knock off company, not Wilton.
I am so glad you get right to the heart of what really matters - tragicakes! This cannot be good for national morale in the midst of our financial crisis - imagine celebrating your retirement with no 401K left, and one of these CCC's to boot. I hope there is a psychological helpline number listed on the Wilton box.
I was just thinking of buying one of these! I wanted to try and make a thanksgiving turkey. like not the food but the actual turkey. Or something little boy themed for my nephews 5th birthday
I for one will join you in the fight against the tyranny of cupcake cakes! I shall procure one of these dastardly kits and bring forth proof of their inferior character.
Maybe if you cut instead of pull the frosting it isn't so bad? Yeah, probably not.
Ohhhhh. I must buy one of these for my darling daughters. They will be so happy and I will take many pictures.
Good heavens, really?!?!?! Ugh. Some will consider this the next best thing since sliced bread.
It is, however, quite clever that they have different shaped cupcake liners to bake the cupcakes in. I can't imagine that the cupcake would actually follow a flimsy paper liner while baking, but you know, if the professionals would take a hint from that and use silicone ones, or something, I think their CCC's would turn out MUCH better.
(By the way, the word on my verification thing for the comment is "enimi." I think even the blog is trying to comment that these are the "enimi!")
Is it awful that I think these are brilliant? Actually, don't answer that.
These kits (if they must be sold at all) should come with a warning on the box: "WARNING! The CCC's you make will not look like the ones pictured here on this box. Not even close"
Although it's entirely possible that this is actually a step forward...they have different shaped cupcakes allowing less awkward non-scalloped edges.
Because clearly everyone who makes cupcake cakes will jump on this and put aesthetics first. Clearly.
I saw this in a BB&B mailer this week! It filled me with a sense of dread and impending doom!
My first post to Cake Wrecks! Love your blog!! I have to comment and say CCC's don't seem to have made it across the pond to the UK yet, nevermind CYOCCC (Create your own cupcake cakes!). We are safe with standard original wrecks!!!!
Ha hahahahaha!
I saw that in our BBB flier this weekend and thought about sending it in -- looks like I was not the only one!
Is it sad that the first thing I thought (and said to my husband!) was that the Cake Wrecks lady was NOT going to be happy about this?
Cupcake puzzles??
I'm....puzzled.
~Amy B.
At least the Wilton sets have shaped cupcake holders to allow for more precise shaping. I was planning on going to Joann's today anyway; I may pick up one of these kits and have some fun!
Better yet, see if Linens & Things carry these as well - Wrecks on Clearance!!!!
You've got to be kidding - this is a disaster!!!!!!!!!! I loved the perfectly pulled apart piece of the purse! This is nearly the same as trying to imitate a designer cupcake from Ladies Home Journal - where you roll out spice drops and fold into flowers or pumpkin stems - tried them both....my daughters teacher thought the eight year old did it....I was to embarrassed to tell her I'd done it....ignorance is bliss!
I think their website advertises, "Get even with Jen; stage a revolution now."
Garret at jimandgarret.blogspot.com
Yikes! what has the world come to?
I got the BB&B flyer last week and was going to send this in! Didn't get around to it, but I'm not surprised someone else did!
I'd say these have the potential for lower wreckitude than the standard CCC. At least a person could, potentially, make a shape with minimal empty space between cupcakes. (If they didn't use the round ones, anyway.)
Does that mean people WILL do that? Probably not. They'll probably try, then discover that they'd need like 47 cups of each shape to make whatever they were trying to make, and give up and stick them all in randomly, making an even worse mess than with an ordinary CCC.
Also, what have I irritated everyone here by ranting about like 47 times already? TAKE THE DANG PAPER OFF. And here it's expensive silicone cups. If you take cake in 24 silicone cups to a first-grade class birthday, how many silicone cups will you go home with?
uh ya....
this is wrong, just wrong!!!!
;-)
Aren't cup cake cakes kinda like...cheating? Can't make a proper full-fledged cake, so they make cup cakes and then jam them all together into one horrific mass confection? I SAY NO! You're too right. All the "bakers" and I use that time lightly -- you make a mess of cup cakes will now be producing these "cc cakes." Oh, the humanity!
I should add to my rant that I do kind of like the flower cake, which, probably not coincidentally, avoids most of the evils of CCCs. Although I'm afraid its center may be a mini CCC made of six of those little triangular ones.
As a mom, I have to say, while the CCC makes for fantastic caketastrophe, it's extremely convenient. I've been at many a party where the crazed preschoolers stand anxiously around with plastic utensils in hand while the nervous mom sings, displays, hosts, instructs, cuts, scoops ice cream and serves all while missing her sweet birthday star's blowing-out-the-candle and icing-on-the-nose photo opps. So while I agree 100% that CCC's are an abomination to all decorators everywhere, they sure do fill a need. Go easy on us frazzled moms who need any break we can get. We're sleep deprived, and spend a majority of our time with diaper-wearing, gibberish-speaking mess machines...who can blame us for not trusting ourselves with a knife in a large crowd?
I am really missing something with all these cupcake cakes. What is the appeal? Is it so hard to use a knife? Why put paper into your cake when you can simply make a normal cake and cut it however you like! Is this a general trend of people not wanting to use utensils?
When I saw last week's BB&B ad, the first thing I thought of was Cake Wrecks! LOL
I actually am much more okay with these kinds of cakes than cup-cake cakes. Why?
Because these cake pieces are designed to actually fit together so there are no huge gaps for the icing to fall through and it seems like they would be the joy of a cupcake with the look of a cake, without the gigantic mess.
Plus the shapes are pre-determined so they actually would look like the thing they're supposed to be rather than some wonky scalloped edged weirdness.
I'm very sad to say I'm one of the people who thought hey this could be a cool thing. Yup I even cut out that ad and put it on my fridge as a hint to my husband. LOL I know I'm one of those people. :) Hey it has to be better then some of them right?
Does anyone else think that the puzzle cake resembles a state of Nebraska purse? Really? Who would want that as a cake?
As soon as I got the flyer and saw it I immediately thought of you and cake wrecks. I was UPSET. VERY upset. I almost e-mailed it to you... but got lazy and considered the fact that several others would be sending it to you... so I spared you another e-mail. And I was being lazy, like I said. :)
Outrage, I say.
I work at (what's left of ) Linens 'n Things, and we sell 'em too.
They're hilariously awful, and if I told you how many I'd seen leave the store, you'd cry.
Oh my gosh!!!! They ripped off that poor bear's arm!!! I'm scarred from the visual. I don't think i can eat another bear in my life
The store I work at carries the bear pull-apart cupcake cake and when I saw it, I immediately thought of this blog. :)