Burn-away cakes have captivated the internet (Photo Credit: Instagram/ cakesbynams)
Unique and beautiful cakes never fail to intrigue and fascinate us. From ASMR videos showing their making to the 'Is It A Cake' challenge, our social media feeds are filled with a wide variety of stunning cake reels. One of the latest viral trends is burn-away cakes. For the uninitiated, these refer to cakes on which the top layer (usually a specially printed image) is set on fire and melts away to reveal another design underneath. Sounds amazing, doesn't it? We are no strangers to the idea of food being set ablaze for theatrical effect. But full-sized cakes being on fire is something of a novelty for many of us.
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Burn-Away Cakes Are Now Trending
Several bakers and cake artists have been sharing their 'fiery' creations and winning hearts online. People have been left awestruck by these delicately crafted sweet treats and the effort that goes into preparing them. One of the most popular videos is that of a Pokemon-themed cake by Namaya Navaratnarajah (@cakesbynams), an Ontario-based baker. The first layer depicts the character Charmander, which is then burnt to reveal Charmeleon and later, Charizard. The Instagram reel has received more than 50 million views and 1.8 million likes so far. It has also gone viral on other social media platforms. Take a look at it below:
Wondering how people reacted? Read some of the comments below:
"So everything is cake and cake is now pyrotechnics. The future is wild."
"Look I'm a chef. This would have been Witchcraft in the 1800s and I must Know this!!"
"Gonna ask if this can be my wedding cake."
"Best cake I've ever seen in my life I want it so bad."
Another cake that has the Internet going gaga over it is a Taylor Swift-inspired one by Denise Steward, an Illinois-based cake artist. She had posted a video around New Year's Eve, showing a cake with a top layer marking the countdown to the end of 2023. This was burnt away to reveal "In My 2024 Era". Click here to check it out.
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Several other themed burn-away cakes have gone viral and amassed lots of praise online. While some people seem unconvinced by the taste and theatrics, many others have been left starry-eyed at the sight of them. Tutorials on how to prepare your own burn-away cakes at home have also surfaced. Wondering how they're created? If you think it's like magic - and would continue to be dazzled by them - you might want to stop reading now. But if you're interested in decoding their composition, read on.
How Are Burn-Away Cakes Made?
The simplest form of burn-away cakes has two layers. The Pokemon creation you saw above takes it one step further by utilising three. The two layers are made from different types of paper: the bottom one (the picture that will be revealed later) is a frosting sheet. The required image is printed onto this sheet and then it is placed on top of a regular cake. A thick border of icing is piped around the edges/ circumference before the next layer is added. This leaves a gap between the two sheets and also functions as a support for the following one.
The layer that is burnt away is rice paper or wafer paper. This is also printed with a chosen design and delicately placed on top of the cake. Edible ink is used for the printing of pictures on both sheets. The topmost wafer sheet is typically made of potato starch and oil. It is thinner and catches fire fairly easily. The bottom sheet has a thicker consistency and is made of sugar, which doesn't react to the heat in the same way.
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