Cake Wrecks book signing in Seattle

The cover of the new Cake Wrecks book.

Cake Wrecks is a hilarious blog about poorly but professionally decorated cakes. There are some truly funny and horrible photographs of badly decorated cakes, often sent in by "Wreckporters", people who take pictures of Cake Wrecks they find. The author, Jen Yates, has a fabulous sense of humor, and her commentary makes the photos even more hilarious. Her new book, Cake Wrecks: When Professional Cakes Go Hilariously Wrong, has over 150 photos of cake disasters and behind-the-scenes information and commentary on the cakes.

This Saturday, Jen will be coming to Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park for an extravaganza of cake-eating and book-signing. Here’s an interview I did with Jen to celebrate her imminent arrival in the Puget Sound Region.

The Naked Baby Carrot Jockeys, the mascot of Cake Wrecks.

What is your definition of a cake wreck?
The short definition is any cake that makes me laugh. :D The longer one is "any cake that is unintentionally sad, silly, creepy, inappropriate - you name it. A Wreck is not necessarily a poorly-made cake; it's simply one I find funny, for any of a number of reasons." Obviously that leaves me a lot of leeway, which is the way I like it.
 
What gave you the idea for a blog about cake disasters?
The very first cake I ever posted (the "Under Neat That" cake) was what gave me the idea. A friend e-mailed me that photo, and I thought, hey, wouldn't it be funny to put goofy cakes like this on a blog?

What is your favorite cake wreck?
There are too many fabulous Wrecks to have just one favorite, but I especially love the misunderstandings (like the flash drive cake) and the Beyond Bizarre category. Trying to understand just why someone would put little plastic babies on icing carrots can hurt your brain, but that's also part of the fun!

Have you ever had any angry bakers contact you about their cakes?
Yes, but fortunately not very often. Since CW began we've only had a handful of bakers ask us to remove something they made - which we always do - and of those only two or three were particularly nasty about it. Most bakers seem to have a sense of humor about Cake Wrecks, and these days we actually get quite a few of them submitting their own cakes!

You started posting “Sunday Sweets”, beautifully decorated cakes. Was it a nice change to see some well-decorated cakes?
I've loved looking at beautiful cakes since before I started Cake Wrecks, so it didn't take me long to find an excuse to post a few of my favorites there. I didn't expect to make it a regular feature, but the fans liked them so much that it happened naturally. I think it's a great contrast, though, and it's a lot of fun to show off all the gorgeous creations coming out of bakeries, in addition to the Wrecks.

A "cupcake cake" gingerbread man,
made out of cupcakes iced together. Gross!

Do you bake or decorate cakes?
In a purely amateur capacity, yes. :) My hubby John and I took all of the Wilton classes together, and sometimes we make cakes for friends.

What is your favorite cake flavor?
That's a tough one! Hmm, well, it's either strawberry or lemon or chocolate.

What is your worst baking or cooking disaster?
I really cannot cook to save my life, so I could go on all night about the undercooked chickens, scorched sauces, and inedible casseroles I've produced in my time. I can bake with box mixes, though, so at least there's that. ;)

How and when did you decide to write a Cake Wrecks book?
The decision was pretty much made for me when I had several agents and then some publishers contact me, asking me to write one. At first I dismissed the idea, but as more people contacted me, the more I realized it might actually be possible! It's still hard for me to believe there's now a book out there with my name on it; it really is a dream come true.

What events are scheduled for the book signings?
You can check the blog sidebar for all the details, but we're going to 12 cities, and this will definitely NOT be a typical book signing! At each event John and I will be doing a fun slideshow presentation, a Q&A, and then there will be a cupcake competition (with prizes!), free cake, and general partying. It's going to be a blast.

Any advice for amateur cake decorators?
If you're not in business and not charging for your work, then you don't have to worry about ending up on Cake Wrecks. So, relax! Have a little fun - cake decorating can be a really awesome hobby. If you *are* charging for your work, though, make sure you're producing something worth charging for. My Wreckporters are *everywhere*. Mwuhahahaha!

Cupcake contest: There will be a cupcake contest for the best replica of a Cake Wreck. If you bring a cupcake to enter into the contest, come early so that it gets entered in time and put it on a paper plate with your name written on it. I will be attending the event and submitting my own cupcake wreck. Check back later for an article about how the party!
 

For more info: see my article about the new Ace of Cakes book!