What is a burnaway cake, why has it become a TikTok social media trend, and how does it relate to Taylor Swift and Pokémon? We know all about it, babes.
As with trends in the realm of fashion and beauty, the food fad cycle is constantly churning. The fast-paced nature of social media provides endless new trends for us to savour, with foodies and culinary enthusiasts enjoying fresh new offerings around every corner.
Anyone who claims to be beyond trends is likely unaware of just how easily they pervade our lives; after all, food trends have a way of making it onto the menus of our favourite restaurants, and beyond.
If you’ve ever eaten a salmon-skin chip doused in salted egg yolk sauce, you’ve enjoyed the fruits of 2018’s salted egg yolk craze. Ditto with the sudden rise of birria tacos, which have overtaken TikTok feeds of late with deliciously irresistible footage of pulled beef, salsa, avocado, and sauce-soaked soft wraps.
And who can forget 2017’s ‘raindrop cake’ craze, an iconic phenomenon involving ‘agar agar’, which caused a worldwide frenzy among food creators struggling to replicate that jiggle and bounce at home?
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Now, the latest trend to hit our screens is TikTok’s burnaway cake. And while it may sound like an incredible dessert requiring the magical art of flambé ala creme brulee, bananas foster, or crepes suzette, the truth is this: while the aforementioned desserts are burned to impart flavour and fragrance, a burnaway cake is set ablaze simply for presentation’s sake.
What is a burnaway cake and how does it work?
The burnaway cake has taken on a life of its own in recent days, soaring into the annals of social media trends with as many as 154 million views on TikTok. And for good reason. While burnaway cakes have been around for at least a couple of years, their current popularity stems from a video posted on TikTok by Ontario baker Namaya Navaratnarajah.
Navaratnarajah had co-opted the idea from cake maker Denise Steward, creating burnaway cakes that have since gone viral on the video sharing app. So, how exactly does one make a burnaway cake?
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As it turns out, it’s literally easy as cake. This now-iconic food trend entails printing out a photo to ‘top’ your cake, and then burning it away to reveal another photo below. The photos are printed on edible paper and ink, which means they’re completely safe to ingest. And with so many endless possibilities, these cakes have proven to be incredibly popular with food enthusiasts and TikTok users alike.
To date, these cakes have been made for pranks, birthdays, anniversaries, and even for gender reveal parties where cake is a necessary attraction. Most recently, Ellen Degeneres’ own birthday was lit up by a burnaway cake, to which the talk show host exclaimed, “How do they do it?”
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The best cakes of the burnaway cake trend
This Taylor Swift burnaway cake that has Swifties in a chokehold
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Swift has been making headlines with beloved beau Travis Kelce, the pair lighting up stadiums in song and sport alike. The question in the minds of Swifties right now: Whether the iconic superstar would be able to finish the Japan leg of her massive Eras tour in time for the Superbowl in support of Kelce, who will be playing as the tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Yet another question on Swifties’ minds: When is Reputation (Taylor’s Version) dropping? This cake by Navaratnarajah aptly demonstrates just how fiery the release is going to be. Are you …ready for it?
This Mockingjay cake that has gotta Peeta sweetest thing ever
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All Hunger Games fans love a Girl On Fire reference, and this cake is the perfect way to make one. Cleverly playing to yet another trend popular among fans of Josh Hutcherson — who plays the capitol darling Peeta — the cake’s first layer, featuring Katniss in her Mockingjay dress, burns away to the sound of whistling, revealing the actor wearing his iconic sweet and forthcoming smile.
This cake to welcome 2024 with good vibes
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If 2023 has proved to be challenging for you, we hope this classy, sleek, and glitter-adorned cake will help you to usher in good vibes for the year ahead. Made by Denise Steward whose cakes inspired Navaratnarajah’s viral TikTok videos, it is an absolute masterpiece that warrants it a place at the heights of cakemaking.
This Valentine’s date proposal
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There are few things a woman loves more than a fancy Valentine’s day date, and cake. This burnaway cake combines both, so it’s a safe bet that you’ll get a resounding “Yes!” if you ask someone out with this sweet treat. And, even if you get rejected, you’ll still be able to go home, put on your PJs and your favourite movie, and dig into the deliciousness.
This fiery Charmander evolution burnaway cake
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What better way is there to highlight Charmander’s incredible evolution than with a burnaway cake? The perfect birthday table centrepiece for any Pokémon fan, this gorgeous creation most definitely takes the cake.
This literal burn book that could light the whole burnaway cake trend on fire
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With the resurgence of Mean Girls following Tina Fey’s musical remake, this burn book is quite literally the moment. Whether you want a flashy centrepiece for a Mean Girls themed party or quite simply want to show your rival that you mean business, a burn book burnaway cake is the way to go – and this one, with its hot pink frosting and dedication to the iconic show absolutely steals the show.
This incredibly meme-able Leonardo DiCaprio cake
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If you know someone turning 25 this year, this cake is exactly what they deserve. Taking advantage of the internet’s hilarious take on the celebrated actor’s dating choices, this cake is both a meme, a greeting, and a treat in every way.
This iconic moment in Princess Diaries lore
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Is there any more iconic moment in Princess Diaries lore than that of Paolo’s celebrated reveals of post-makeover Mia? This beautiful burnaway cake perfectly encapsulates the trend while also recalling the fabulous joys of early 2000s television, taking us all back to Disney’s glory days. Broken glasses and hairbrushes not included.
This Barbiecore pink birthday cake
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The experts have spoken and the Barbiecore aesthetic is here to stay! This birthday cake beautifully celebrates hyper-feminine symbols, from baby pink frosting to pearl decorations – the perfect birthday cake for the Barbiecore acolyte.
(Main images: @denises_delights_/Instagram, @cakesbynams/Instagram; Featured image: @denises_delights_/Instagram )
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
– What is a burnaway cake?
A burnaway cake is a trend that recently became popular on TikTok. The cakes feature two layers of pictures printed on edible paper and ink; the top layer is burned away to reveal the bottom later, leading to numerous ways in which the cake can be used for presentation.
– How burnaway cake became viral on tiktok?
The burnaway cake trend caught fire, literally, on TikTok when Ontario baker Namaya Navaratnarajah posted a video of her burnaway cake creations. While the decorating method has been around for a while, it was recently revived, and has since seen soaring success, garnering as many as 154 million TikTok views for the hashtag.
This article originally appeared on Prestige Online Hong Kong.
Emmelyn curates and creates content in Kuala Lumpur, where she's spent the past decade building a portfolio comprising copy and video spanning both print and digital platforms. Endlessly fascinated with cookbooks, interior design, aesthetics, and video games, she is also an ardent foodie - a lemon tart, lychee martini, and coffee enthusiast. Her favourite animal is the common wombat. She's written one award winning cookbook.
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