Cake Boss: A Washing Machine Cake??

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

I realize that quite a few of the cakes that Carlo's makes are for companies, rather than individuals. However, I still get surprised at some of the requests... like a washing machine cake that spins inside and has bubbles. Don't get me wrong, I was quite intrigued in seeing how it all worked and especially how they created the "flowing" liquid Tide. But I was still somewhat weirded out by the whole thing. Aside from this unique creation, the thing that stands out to me about this episode is the idea that Buddy is going to pay for the ENTIRE FAMILY to take a cruise. That's pricey, yo. If they're porting from New York, it'll probably be a full seven day cruise, and that'll be a bare minimum of $500 pp, more depending on room type and time of year. Now, booking that many, they'll likely get a room or two for free... but still. Geez Louise! Anyway, on with the recap!

Cake Boss "Soap, Sonograms & Surprise" (S04E33):
Cake 1: A pregnant couple comes to the bakery to order a "reveal cake." They're going to find out the sex but it'll be in a sealed envelope, and the cake will either be blue or pink inside, and everyone at the party (including the couple) will find out at the same time. [I don't know. Maybe it's because I only want to know the sex in advance if it's multiples, but the idea of finding out alongside other people seems strange to me. That seems like a special moment that the parents would want to share together, no?] When the bakery gets the envelope, it's a girl, so they make a pink sponge cake. The design on top is a three-dimensional diapered baby bottom and legs. The idea is that the head of the baby is down inside the cake. [though I totally thought it looked creepy and weird... and maybe even gross.] Once it's time to add the baby to the cake, they realize that giant baby bottom was too large and they make another one quickly with a 7" sponge.

Cake 2: Tide turned 65 years old and wants Carlo's to do the cake. Buddy is a little clueless though (he doesn't know the color of liquid Tide nor does her know how to do laundry or that there's a spinning device inside), as he has never washed clothes in his life. [anyone else flat-out APPALLED?] and doesn't even know how to turn it on. Tide would like the cake to encompass the old and new packaging, and Buddy decides to make the major element of the cake a washing machine from 1946. So, they build a big cylinder to stack cake in, add fake clothes to the agitator, put edible bubbles inside and have a bubble machine cranking out more, and ever use melted isomalt to make blue liquid sugar to look like Tide. [isomalt is SO COOL. everything they do with the stuff just fascinates me! too bad Wilton doesn't offer classes in it other than at their institute. ::pout::] Buddy's son is at the factory while they're working on this cake, so he helps a bit. The bubbles are fondant and Buddy Jr. places them. They also do a checkerboard floor underneath the machine. [The pulled sugar did look just like Tide pouring out!]

Family Drama: Madeline and Grace still want to go to the vow renewal, so they call and leave a message for Lisa. Lisa shows up at the factory and tells Buddy that she's being bombarded by the family. [of course.] Buddy tells Lisa that he's taking the whole family on a cruise to the Bahamas, where they'll renew their vows on the beach. Buddy later reveals this to Joey, Mauro, Grace, Madeline, and Lisa (where's Mary?) and tell them it's a cruise, and that everyone is going to go. [Mauro didn't seem as surprised as anyone else... I wonder if he's been in on it? Regardless, I hope we see some of it, even if Buddy isn't "working" during the "trip."]