What do you get if you add reality television and baking together?
Well, according to Netflix, you get a delicious new show called “Is It Cake?”.
The reality series follows a group of bakers specializing in creating realistic looking cakes, they can create anything from purses, bowling balls, to suitcases or a carton of eggs. These are called “hyper-realistic” and are meant to be indistinguishable from everyday objects. The contestants on the show don’t just play a game to be crowned winner but also to showcase their artistic talent in transforming the cake from their imagination into reality. It will have you wowed by the culinary skills of the competitors.
The show is hosted by Mikey Day, former host of Saturday Night Live. He’s quick to joke with the contestants and make them feel comfortable, which helps lighten the mood after they’re challenged with recreating cakes that look like non-cake items.
How does it work?
In the first round of the show, 9 bakers compete against each other in a challenge where they must find the imposter item (that is cake) among other household items. These can be toys, books, cups and so on. The first 3 to guess correctly can advance to the next round, and the quickest contestant gets an advantage of having the first choice of the object they will be re-creating for the second round.
In the second round, a panel of 3 celebrities now are presented with the creations from the 3 contestants. They have to choose which object is in fact cake, amongst other real items. If the contestants manage to fool the celebrities with their hyper-realistic cake, they get points.
Overall the whole show is also educational and entertaining. You will learn about the many different kinds of cake frosting. There’s buttercream, cream cheese, rolled fondant, and ganache. Who knew that making a cake could be considered an art form.
The results, in a word? Yum. The creations—while not always perfect—are always remarkable, but the way they are put together is what really brings the show to life. Whether it’s finding shortcuts to avoid having to make giant biscuit roses or creating cake molds, the techniques used in this competition are on par with some of the best challenges in any reality TV competition.
Should you watch it?
If you love cakes, and you are a fan of “The Great British Bake Off” or “Cake Wars” on Food Network, then yes, you will probably enjoy this show. If not, then you should know that “Is It Cake?” is just a different food-related competition series created parodying other famous shows. It offers a relaxed pace that’s slightly more calming than other rival shows’, but it may not be enough of an incentive to watch it over other food-related shows.
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