There's a double-edged sword when it comes to all of the
shows on television now about designing elite cakes.
On the one hand, we get to see so many incredible creations
and wonderfully unique themes. However, at what point
are we being oversaturated? At last check, we had Cake
Boss, Ace of Cakes, Last Cake Standing, and Amazing Wedding
Cakes all with a weekly timeslot.
And that's not including any of the episodes that other
cooking/kitchen shows may offer. Top Chef sometimes has
the contestants prepare a theme cake. Good Eats has many
features on cakes and sweets. Even shows that aren't dedicated
to desserts have the occasional cake segment; shows like
How'd They Do That? Or Throwdown with Bobby Flay. Or The
Food Network Challenge.
Some of the shows are somewhat obvious shoot-offs of other
programs. In Ace of Cakes, we witness the trials and tribulations,
the deadlines, and the squabbles and arguments between
a master cake chef and his family/employees. It reminds
me just a little bit of American Chopper with cakes replacing
motorcycles.
For cake lovers, the good outweighs the bad. The more
shows, the better. Let's gorge.
These shows cover the process of creating the most beautiful
and glorious wedding cakes a bride can imagine. Another
show had a Disney-themed assignment and all of the wonderful
characters and stories were brought to life in sugar and
flour masterpieces. Other segments have dealt with childhood
fairy tales and rhymes. Still others explore movies and
song imagery.
Just ten years ago, there wasn't a single show on television
that dealt with elite cake preparation. Specialized cooking
was just in its infancy on TV. Most cooking shows were
still in the vein of Julia Childs' old format. Programs
like The Iron Chef were just hitting the airwaves. The
national audience had not yet heard of Rachael Ray. Wolfgang
Puck was the most renowned chef rather than Emeril Lagasse.
Now cooking shows are very specific. There are still the
Julia Childs French chef cooking programs. There's many
shows dealing with BBQ and grilling. But cake shows seem
to be clawing their way to the top of the industry. The
Pillsbury and Betty Crocker "bake-offs" are
now televised like the World Series.
Perhaps it is a result of the decline in specialized magazines
and print material where most dessert features had a long-time
home. Now most people gather their recipes and ideas from
the internet and television.
Regardless of the reasons why for the TV saturation, cake
lovers can now overdose on their favorite type of dessert.
There's something for everyone.
And the best part of all is that you don't get fat just
by watching.
