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While the technique isn't a new one, burn-away cakes started going viral on TikTok in early 2024, Eater reports.
Justin Ellen, a 21-year-old Passaic baker who you may recognize from Netflix, was inspired to make his "Mean Girls" themed burn-away cake after seeing Denise Steward's New Year's cake go viral.
"It seems intimidating, but it isn't," Ellen said. "It's super, super simple."
Ellen explained how burn-away cakes are made.
"First, you get a frosting sheet and put down your cake as normal. Then, you pipe a border," he said. "Then, you put your wafer paper, and that's the layer that burns."
Under the wafer paper is the image, made of sugar paper. Once the wafer paper catches fire, it begins to peel away, revealing the sugar image underneath.
Right. So easy!
If you don't want to make the burn-away cake at home, there are several North Jersey bakers who will do it for you.
Martha Del Alcar, who runs Roxana's Cakes in Elizabeth, says her burn-away cakes have been flying off the shelf. She first saw the burn-away cake on TikTok earlier this year, and began making them for Valentine's Day.
She's since transitioned to gender reveal burn-away cakes, which she says have become extremely popular.
Roxana's Cakes sell burn-away cakes starting at $125 not including tax.
Kara Blum, who owns Kara Kakes in Franklin Lakes, can make any cake into a burn-away cake for an extra $20.
She first saw the trend on Instagram before the holidays, and it wasn't long before customers were calling her, asking if she could make them a burn-away cake, she said.
After New Year's, she began taking orders.
"My biggest concern was the whole cake melting," Blum said.
While buttercream does stop the fire, there's no guarantee that it won't melt, she said. Blum says she hasn't gotten too many videos of the cakes burning from clients, so she doesn't quite know how they've been turning out.
But, she hasn't gotten any complaints, and orders keep rolling in, "So I'm assuming they're burning perfectly," Blum said.
Stephenny Queiroz, of Steph Treats in Garfield, can't get enough of seeing customers' reactions when they light the cake.
"For me, I love seeing the looks on peoples faces," she said. "I ask people to send me a video. It’s not for me but I love seeing the expression on their face. [Burn-away cakes] are a great thing for my business right now."
Burn-away cakes start at $57 by Steph Treats.
Other bakeries that offer burn-away cakes include:
Carmen Rosa's Bakery in Jersey City, Wish Upon A Pastry in Midland Park, Petal Dust Cakery in Glen Rock, and A Little Cake in Park Ridge.
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