• Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Bakers Royale

  • Sweet
  • Savory
  • All Recipes
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact

Smash Cake

January 13, 2013 By Naomi Robinson | Bakers Royale 42 Comments

What the holy hell? Well, vision and reality weren’t lining up, so I decided to shoot it as a “deconstructed” cake. Often times I so enjoy the photography, almost as much as the baking, but yesterday—not so much. The result is an expression of my frustration.

Deconstructed Cake

Let’s get this out of the way, the cake is incredibly good. And yes, while it may seem like a waste to take a mallet to a cake. It wasn’t. I still have some broken blocks I’ll be snacking on for the next few days.

I don’t know if any other bloggers go through this, but damn the photography portion can be so frustrating. This was one of those moments, so instead of pushing through I decided to smash it up with a mallet and shoot it as self-expression. And who can be criticized or critiqued poorly for that, right?

Anyhow, since the recipe is solid, I’ll be posting it and the not-so-great pictures tomorrow. Forgive me, because for now, I’m just too tired to write a proper recipe post.

Filed Under: Cakes, Sweet

« Chocolate and Butterscotch Mousse Cake
Low Fat Chocolate Pound Cake »

Comments

  1. Miriam @ Overtime Cook says

    January 14, 2013 at 6:35 am

    I totally know this feeling Naomi. Sometimes a shot comes together in minutes, and sometimes it just won’t work…this looks delicious, even if the pictures weren’t to your liking!

  2. abby @ thingsforboys says

    January 14, 2013 at 7:59 am

    I know exactly how you feel! I think the mallet is very appropriate. I would love to take a mallet to some of the photos I try to take sometimes!

  3. Rebecca @ Pavlova's Dog says

    January 14, 2013 at 8:13 am

    I’m just starting out with photography so my frustrations are partly through my own ignorance, but OMG Scotland in Winter with a South-facing kitchen window? I get light from 2:30-3pm, and that’s about it. And only if I put whatever I’ve made on the floor, in front of the French doors, and shout at my dog the entire time to stay away and please not eat this cake which is tantalisingly within her grasp.

    This is such a cool photo though, and the cake looks pretty great – dark chocolate Devil’s Food with a strawberry/raspberry Swiss Buttercream? I wouldn’t say no.

    Oh! My last blog post was very heavily inspired by you. I’ve linked your page to it etc. but just thought I should let you know :).

  4. Averie @ Averie Cooks says

    January 14, 2013 at 8:30 am

    I LOVE THIS!!!! Girl. I know. Totally!!! how you feel! I have days where everything works and it’s glorious and great. And then I have days where nothing works and I literally want to chuck cookies or brussels sprouts across the room at the wall because nothing I do to them or the ‘scene’ is getting things to where they should be. I need to just do what you did!

  5. Regina @ SpecialtyCakeCreations says

    January 14, 2013 at 8:44 am

    Hahaha…you crack me up Naomi. But I totally understand. To be honest, photography is not a favorite part of food blogging for me. I think it has to do with my obsessive perfectionism. I know I don’t have a fancy camera and the best skills, so I know beforehand it won’t be as good as other blogger’s pictures. So I dread it before I even get started.
    But the more I learn about photography the better things get. It kind of encouraging for me to see an amazing photographer like you have those days too 🙂

  6. ste says

    January 14, 2013 at 9:28 am

    Ah ah so lovely with you, i know how you feel it’s frustrating isn’t it? but you see… art comes only when there is a real expression of feelings behind it,like in this picture you can feel -see your disappointment which is much better than having a cold perfect pictr! This is art for me 🙂

  7. Amanda says

    January 14, 2013 at 10:02 am

    I totally get your photography bit. Absolute. Headache.

  8. Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says

    January 14, 2013 at 11:26 am

    Ahhh love this! I want to smash a cake now!

  9. Ermioni says

    January 14, 2013 at 12:29 pm

    I love this photo shoot!
    And I wouldn’t have any problem at all eating this deconstructed cake!
    Looking forward to the recipe as well!
    Have a great day!

  10. The Frosted Vegan says

    January 14, 2013 at 1:26 pm

    Kudos to you for being real! Sometimes photos don’t go as planned, when in doubt, smash a cake : )

  11. Leslie says

    January 14, 2013 at 1:28 pm

    Ohhhhh yes. I know this feeling allllll tooo well.
    Sometime I feel like throwing my camera and the food right out the window!

  12. Lisa Mantchev says

    January 14, 2013 at 2:14 pm

    Understand this feeling all too well… but I will tell you that 1) that looks delicious and 2) that could make for a Very Fun Kids Party, letting them mallet the birthday cake! 🙂

  13. Regan Martin says

    January 14, 2013 at 2:39 pm

    There’s nothing wrong with this pic! Looks like a fun party, to me! :o)

  14. Cassie | Bake Your Day says

    January 14, 2013 at 3:21 pm

    Yes. We all go through this. I was nearly there yesterday but I don’ think smashing up my soup bowls and wine glasses would have ended well. Cake, however, is perfect all smashed up. It’s still beautiful!

  15. Laura (Tutti Dolci) says

    January 14, 2013 at 4:08 pm

    I love the smash!

  16. Elizabeth - SugarHero! says

    January 14, 2013 at 4:10 pm

    I have so been there! I actually feel this way more often than not. It’s so frustrating to have an idea of what you want your photographs to look like, and to be unable to realize the vision. Maybe I should keep a mallet handy more often!

  17. Ala says

    January 14, 2013 at 8:37 am

    Now you really need to send this to your local modern art museum, get paid a bundle, and use that money to buy yourself a well-deserved cruise to Hawaii. Love the boldness–as Christian Siriano would say…”fierce!”

  18. Yael Even says

    January 14, 2013 at 5:05 pm

    Huge, just huge!! Love it……

  19. Aikko @ Bake Happy says

    January 14, 2013 at 6:03 pm

    I totally get the feeling Naomi! Sometimes, the cake/cupcake is great but come photoshoot time, it just isn’t working! I love how you deconstructed the cake by the way! Well done! 🙂

  20. Traci says

    January 14, 2013 at 6:14 pm

    This post made me appreciate this blog even more. It also made me feel better about my own caketastrophes and life in general. Thank you.

  21. Naomi says

    January 14, 2013 at 6:31 pm

    Traci-I love that term caketastrophes! We all have them. 🙂

  22. Lisa @hoopla palooza says

    January 14, 2013 at 6:40 pm

    HAHAHA this is funny Naomi! especially since i pretty much eat my screen with all your deliciousness you make. my latest post was the worst one i made in my opinion which is why this made me giggle, what i wrote is what i wanted to smash with a mallet too-it’s nice to know i’m not alone! 🙂

  23. glasgefluester says

    January 14, 2013 at 9:10 pm

    Naomi,

    this just shows, what a genius you are!
    How great must one be to shoot such a beautiful pic of a totally trashed cake?!?
    Thank you for sharing this! And besides- can´t wait for the recipe 🙂
    Hugs from germany

  24. Rachel @ Baked by Rachel says

    January 14, 2013 at 9:32 pm

    Oh I love this so much!! It speaks volumes. And yes we all have these moments, just maybe not with an actual mallet 😉

  25. Michelle DuPuis says

    January 14, 2013 at 11:17 pm

    Reminds me of the scene in Office Space where they take the old office printer out to a field and smash it to pieces with a baseball bat. Sometimes destruction can feel soooo satisfying. That said, if you served this to me, I would gladly dig in. Somehow seeing the insides of this cake make me want it even more!

  26. Julie @ Table for Two says

    January 15, 2013 at 12:33 am

    What a gorgeous disaster is what this is!!

  27. Joanna @ Chic & Gorgeous Treats says

    January 15, 2013 at 12:57 am

    Oh Naomi! I definitely can relate to this moment too. I recently made some awesome bars and wanted to share it on my blog. Low and behold, while I was adjusting the props while trying to photography my bars, I accidentally pushed the tray off the table and they were all gone :(. One big mess and left me having to clean off some choco stains. That is just one of many bad days I had. Well, here’s hoping that you will have a fantabulous week of baking! ♥ Jo

  28. Sarah says

    January 15, 2013 at 12:59 am

    I absolutely go through this. The Photography can be INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATING. so smash a cake, why the hell not.

  29. Roxana | Roxana's Home Baking says

    January 15, 2013 at 2:27 am

    I know this feeling, it happens way to often. I wish photography and styling would come natural to me but what it seems like an easy job it takes me forever 🙁

  30. shannon @ a periodic table says

    January 15, 2013 at 4:09 am

    other bloggers go through this. I find that some days, there just refuse to be any decent photos, and somehow the thing i made completely transforms itself into something lesser on screen. Full-size cakes, pies, and any sort of white or pale food is the worst for me.

    I would love to smash the hell out of a cake. It looks gorgeous anyway, and it caught my attention, especially because I always want to do this.

  31. Karen Runnels says

    January 15, 2013 at 10:56 am

    Naomi, a few years ago I got the idea to create a fun children’s birthday cake called “Smash Cake.” I never actually got beyond visualizing the idea, but it looked exactly like your deconstructed cake. I see that one of your commenters even saw the potential for your Smash Cake to be a fun children’s birthday cake idea! Like minds, eh?! I think this is a winning concept for kids parties! Children would love smashing the cake!

  32. Stef says

    January 15, 2013 at 5:22 am

    That’s the down side of cakes. If it were cupcakes, you could have smashed one to get out your frustration and still had the rest to photograph another time. It’s crazy isn’t it how some days a shoot just doesn’t seem to work and other times it takes one shot and it’s perfect. Gotta tell you though.. I’d eat that smash cake in a second!

  33. marla says

    January 15, 2013 at 5:01 pm

    I think it’s a great idea to take a mallet to a cake. How fun for a party!!

  34. Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says

    January 16, 2013 at 12:10 am

    This looks like the most fun anyone could ever have with a cake! Smash away and then eat away.

  35. Katie | The Hill Country Cook says

    January 16, 2013 at 3:55 am

    PURE BRILLIANCE! You spoke (and did) what I feel all the time but am too afraid to do. Absolutely spoke right to my heart. 🙂 I’m doing this someday, and crediting you.

  36. Ali says

    January 20, 2013 at 9:26 pm

    I am new to your blog, and I can’t wait to get started with your recipes! I just wanted to tell you how much I love your food photography. Especially this shot. Genius. 🙂

  37. Lora says

    January 20, 2013 at 9:23 pm

    I think the result was a fabulous picture.

  38. Naomi says

    January 21, 2013 at 6:08 pm

    Ali-Welcome and thank you for the kind compliment.

  39. Katherine {eggton} says

    January 23, 2013 at 6:09 pm

    This is by far my favorite post of any food blog in a while. It’s perfect. Just the way it is. 🙂

    I made foccacia the other day. Naomi, I wish you could have seen what it did in the oven. It poofed up ten inches high in the middle. Like a volcano. Like effing Mt. Vesuvius. Needless to say, it did not make the blog cut. Like soooo many other things, right?! Oy.

  40. Shirley says

    March 4, 2013 at 3:37 am

    This is beautiful!! I think every food blogger out there can empathize with your frustration, yet this totally still looks appetizing. I’d hang it on a wall. But grab one of those spoons first.

  41. Kristi @ Cherry Jasmine says

    March 5, 2013 at 4:26 pm

    You are SO not alone in the photography frustration department! If I could only have back those countless hours I spent trying to make a photo work, I’d have an entire extra lifetime to live! 🙂 The cake looks smashing by the way! Yum. Deconstructed or not, it looks tasty!

  42. Melissa says

    August 28, 2013 at 7:01 pm

    Well, you even make a frustrating photo shoot look great! I sometimes dread doing the photography…some days because the lighting just won’t cooperate, but mostly I just think everything is much more delicious than it looks through a camera lens…

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About Naomi Robinson

Welcome to my cozy corner where baking meets random thoughts and musings. I’m a self-taught baker sharing all things sweet (and some savory—okay, and cocktails) with a whisk in one hand and a camera in the other.

More about Naomi »

 

Recent Posts

Frosted Guinness Cookie Bar

Homemade Churros with Chocolate Guinness Dipping Sauce

Chocolate Cream Guinness Pie with Toasted Meringue

Coffee Crunch Cupcakes via Bakers Royale

Coffee Crunch Cupcakes

Baker's Royale Cookbook

Categories

Bakers Royale on Instagram

Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Crunchy Fried Mac and Cheese Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Crunchy Fried Mac and Cheese Balls ~ Next level game day food!! Am I right?
-
#tailgate #gameday #macandcheese #foodbeast #cheesey
Shrimp and Corn Chowder ~ When things go crazy we Shrimp and Corn Chowder ~ When things go crazy we go simple! Who else feels this? #ad Back to school has been off to a rocky start with mixed up carpool rides to missed days from being sick. Thankfully soups like this come together quickly and easily. All you need are just a handful of fresh ingredients and some pantry staples like @enjoyrealcoco Coconut Milk and @kettleandfire Bone Broth. Both of which are @TetraPakUSA  packaged. This means I can stock my pantry and not worry about rotating the food month-to-month. The aseptic packaging solution helps unopened food have a shelf life of six months or more without the need for refrigeration or preservatives. I’m telling you it’s the little things, like food packaging—something you don’t even think about most days, that ends up being the thing that can have the biggest impact sometimes! #ProtectsWhatsGood
-
#weeknightdinner #comfortfood  #soupseason #soup #dinnerideas
Who’s ready to roll into fall with cozy, autumna Who’s ready to roll into fall with cozy, autumnal picnics? To kickstart the season, the kids and I are headed to the park to enjoy an Apple Spiced Cake and warm sips of Apple Cider sweetened with our favorite pantry staple, @truvia. #ad

Truvia Sweet Complete Sweeteners are zero-calorie and made with plant-based stevia sweetness. Whether you are using the All-Purpose, Brown, or Confectioners Sweetener, they measure cup-for-cup like sugar in your favorite seasonal baked goods! 

Apple Spiced Cake 
Serves 12 

3 cups (14 oz.) self-rising flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 
3 eggs
1 cup (6.25 oz.) Truvia Sweet Complete Granulated All-Purpose Sweetener 
1 cup (5.75 oz.) Truvia Sweet Complete Brown Sweetener 
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup vegetable oil 
1 1/2 cups (5.5 oz.) peeled and shredded granny smith apple, about 2 large

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 10-12 cup bundt pan with non-stick spray. Set aside. 

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Set aside.

In a second large bowl, add the eggs, and beat until combined. Add both the Truvia Sweet Complete Granulated All-Purpose and Brown Sweeteners, whisk until fully incorporated. Pour in buttermilk, vanilla extract, and vegetable oil, whisk until combined. 

Fold dry ingredients into the wet until smooth. Add the grated apples and fold until just combined. 

Pour batter in prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out free of wet batter. Transfer cake to a wire rack and let cool in the bundt pan for 20 minutes. Unmold cake and let cool completely on a wire rack. Before serving, dust with Truvia Sweet Complete Confectioners Sweetener. Enjoy outside with a seasonal beverage!
Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup because fall means swea Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup because fall means sweater weather, cozy soups like this. Who else is ready for this?!
-
Recipe in bio link or Google Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup Bakers Royale
-
#cozy #comfortfood #chickenrecipes #soup #easyrecipes #weeknightmeals #instayum
Coconut Oatmeal Chocolate Bars ~ Holiday condition Coconut Oatmeal Chocolate Bars ~ Holiday conditioning with this one. I’m so ready to eat my weight in holiday sweets.
-
Recipe in in profile link or Google Bakers Royale Coconut Oatmeal Chocolate Bars
-
#baking #bakingwithlove #bakedfromscratch #bakersgonnabake #oats #instayum #instabake
Double Decker Ooey Gooey Bars - Come and get it! W Double Decker Ooey Gooey Bars - Come and get it! We all need the extra fat for winter. Who’s in?
-
#baking #bakersgonnabake #sweettreats #madefromscratch #dessert #brownies #ooeygooey

Copyright © 2023 Bakers Royale

Terms of Use · Privacy Policy · Contact