Credits: Social Media
Latest cake craze hailed as ‘genius’ as you burn rice paper layers with a naked flame
Forget the tradition of smashing celebratory cake in your face, TikTok users are burning them as a part of a highly creative trend that’s taken over the platform.
The unconventional technique has been around for a long time but it’s become common on social media in early 2024 with a significant number of users setting light to the top layer of their cakes.
How burn-away cakes work
The burn-away cakes are first topped with an icing frosting, with the image you want to reveal underneath. It is then piped with another frosting layer, over which a thin sheet of rice or wafer paper is placed.
The image that burns is a different image that has been imprinted on the rice paper, while there is enough space between the edible picture and the one set on fire to ensure the top layer burns without damaging the frosting underneath.
Although the baker from Ontario, Namaya Navaratnarajah, is credited for popularizing the viral trend on TikTok with her brilliant creations, she drew inspiration from Denise Steward, a baker from Central Illinois, who partnered with edible ink and paper brand Paper2Eat to create burn-away cake for New Years.
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The rice sheet is made with flour and water or the wafer paper made out of starch and oil burns easily, while the thick sugar-based frosting remains intact.
Namaya’s TikTok account consists of the complete tutorial if you wish to create your own burn-away cake. Meanwhile, the custom cakes displayed on her profile have clocked more than 19.3 million likes and she boasts over 129,000 followers.
Latest fad is perfect for any occasion
Whether you want to say goodbye to your 20s as you hit the big 30, or if you want to surprise your guests with the gender reveal of your bundle of joy, the burn-away cakes are just perfect for almost all occasions.
The Ontario-based baker has made such cakes for weddings, where the top layer with the picture of the bride burns to reveal the face of the groom and one to tease Taylor Swift’s highly-anticipated album, Reputation.
One of her most-viewed videos is a Pokemon-themed burn-away cake with over 37 million views at the time of writing. It goes from Charmander to Charmeleon to show the Charizard on the icing frosting.
TikTok hails the unique creation as ‘genius’
The latest trend is like nothing we’ve ever seen before, so the effect it has on social media users isn’t a surprise.
One user commented: “The burning paper cake technique is brilliant. I want it for my next birthday.”
Another curious user asked: “How did you make the layer burn? This is awesome.”
“Had to jump on this cake trend ’cause it’s genius! And I didn’t burn the house down doing this,” read a third comment.
