Let them eat cake! Whether it’s your birthday, your anniversary or you simply survived a tough day, there’s never a bad time to eat cake. And while we all know that there are dozens of delicious flavor combinations that can be used to create scrumptious cakes, there are apparently endless options when it comes to decor as well.

Below, you’ll find some photos of the most creative and brilliantly executed cake designs from all over the internet. From hyper realistic treats to the cutest little creations we’ve ever feasted our eyes on, enjoy scrolling through these delightful desserts. And be sure to upvote the ones that you simultaneously want to admire and devour!

#1 My Take On The Gelatin Island Cake. It Is Inspired By A Little Spot where we used to go fishing as kids. What A Joy It Was To Make

Image credits: Retha_Joubert_Studio

#2 Can You Blame Him?

Image credits: kakebydarci

#3 A Koi Pond Mousse Cake For Father’s Day

Image credits: petrichoro

Regardless of what your favorite dessert is, it’s almost impossible not to like cake. There are endless possibilities with it, after all! You might want a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting or a lava cake paired with vanilla ice cream. You can make a pumpkin spice cake for fall and a lemon blueberry cake in the springtime. You’re obligated to eat cake on your birthday, so perhaps you’ll opt for a funfetti masterpiece. And during Mardi Gras, you can enjoy a classic king cake.

Personally, when I’m eating a dessert, the only factor I’m concerned about is the taste. We’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, right? But nowadays, bakers have come up with incredible ways to up their cake game, one of which being coming up with incredible decorations. When I was a kid, the most impressive cakes I ever saw were those with photos printed on them or those with Barbie dolls in the middle where the cake made up her “dress.” One year, I even had a gorgeous, sparkly ruby slipper cake for my Wizard of Oz themed party. 

#4 Here’s The Completed Snow Globe Cake! A White Chocolate Chiffon Fresh Cream Drip Cake, Butter Cookie Decorations, And A Crystal Sugar Dome That Took Years Off My Life

Image credits: petrichoro

#5 Melting Candle Cakes - Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Flavor

Image credits: cloudberry14

#6 Mirror-Glazed Mousse Cake

Image credits: ragsy1224

Today, however, bakers have turned cake decorating into an art. And the trend of hyper-realistic cakes has taken the internet by storm. If you’re familiar with the Netflix series Is it Cake?, you’ve seen this trend before. Cakes that look shockingly like plates of nachos, toilets or roller skates are only a few of the creations that have graced my television. 

But aside from the bakers featured on this show, there are plenty more creating content online and being hired every day to provide customers with amazing desserts that look like anything but cakes. According to Inverse, we can’t get enough of these hyper-realistic sweets because they confuse our brains. 

#7 No Need For Words Here

Image credits: sweet_land_cake

#8 A Cake Disguised As A Stack Of Pancakes I Made

Image credits: Mama-bear-2

#9 I Made This 80’s-Inspired McDonald's Cake For A Birthday

Image credits: andreaortizfuentes

"I think we're fascinated by the quality of the illusion [of hyper-realistic cakes] — and there's the strange dissonance brought on by perceiving things in two ways," Rolf Nelson, professor of psychology at Wheaton College, told Inverse. He noted the famous example of the “rabbit-duck” illusion, which also captivates many people due to the fact that it can be seen in two ways. "In the cake example, we have a conflict of perceiving it as a face or as a cake. Because the face looks so realistic, it takes us a second to reconcile these two things," Nelson explained.

#10 "Under The Sea" Cake

Image credits: gene_yus

#11 Cartoon Cake Slice. Inside Is A Banoffee Cake With Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream And Filled With Dulce De Leche, Biscoff Spread, And Biscoff Biscuits For An Added Crunch To Each Bite

Image credits: Single_Disaster_2856

#12 Inspired By Van Gogh's "Starry Night" And "Sunflowers". Dear Universe, Please Send Me More Art-Inspired Projects Like This

Image credits: _leslie_vigil_

According to Tasting Table, however, these hyper-realistic cakes often lose sight of one of the most important aspects of why we love cake: the flavor! They explain that many cakes that focus primarily on aesthetics rely on fondant to look so special, and fondant isn’t always the most delicious decoration to eat. 

“The fondant used for these cakes is essentially just sculptable sugar-paste made with corn syrup and gelatin,” Tasting Table notes. “It's very malleable, dyeable, and can be stretched over whole cakes or molded into decoration, but that gives it a strange texture and virtually zero flavor, which obviously can be off-putting in a cake.”

#13 A Cake Made For My Grandmother, Who Is A Keen Gardener

Image credits: Custard_rhubarb

#14 Castle Cake

Image credits: sweet_homemadebykb

#15 Gradually Begins A Hot Period In California. Swimming Pools Are Our Salvation. That Is This Cake's Theme

Image credits: dolnyk.art.cake

To avoid using fondant that will negatively affect the final taste of a cake, pastry chef and “Ace of Cakes” Duff Goldman recommends substituting it with marzipan instead. Marzipan has a similar consistency and can be used in many ways as well, but it is made with almonds and sugar and undoubtedly provides a better flavor than fondant. This can provide a problem for those with nut allergies, but if you’re open to almonds and want to prioritize the flavor of your cake, it can be a delicious solution. 

#16 Inside, Strawberry Cake With Italian Meringue Buttercream. Outside, The Stems And Leaves Are Homemade Modeling Chocolate. The Tulips Are Colored And Tempered With White Chocolate

Image credits: Rosiebelleann

#17 Little Dino Cake

Image credits: spring.bloom.cakes

#18 For A Plant Lover From A Plant Lover. I'm Usually About Minimal Effort For Maximum Impact, So I Stay Away From Piping. This Was Worth The Extra Time

It's a lot of fun; if you've ever wanted to have a try at piping flowers, do it! This was my first go, and I'll be back for more.

Image credits: moletoes

If you’re an amateur home baker who wants to delve into the world of cake decorating yourself, it can be intimidating to see all of the hyper-realistic cakes that flood Instagram feeds. But don’t be afraid to start! Cake by Courtney has shared a few decorating tips on her site to help beginners know exactly where to start. First, Courtney recommends using quality cake decorating tools. A cake disk, cake scraper, icing spatula and piping bag will make your life so much easier. Courtney also recommends freezing your cake after putting on the crumb coat (or the first thin layer) of icing. This seals in all of the crumbs and helps you get a beautiful cake.  

#19 This Is So Amazing

Image credits: kakebydarci

#20 My Wife Made An Axolotl Cake For Our Son’s Birthday. Very Proud Of Her

Image credits: beelzebrian

#21 Super Proud Of This One (Dark Chocolate Cake With Salted Caramel Buttercream)

Image credits: Moo-Im-a-cow21

Courtney’s next tip is to hold your cake scraper at a 45 degree angle. This way, you can ensure that your cake ends up with perfectly smooth edges. Courtney also stresses the importance of using a cake acrylic disk when applying buttercream. “This just helps with making sure the top and sides of your cake are nice and distinct from one another,” she explains.

#22 Elmo Cake

Image credits: bakeagogo

#23 Flower House 1/2 Cake

Image credits: Green-Cockroach-8448

#24 Husband Is A Woodworker. Made This Cake For Father’s Day

Image credits: allergictobeez

If you plan to pipe frosting onto the top of your cake, Courtney recommends keeping the piping away from the edge of the cake. If it’s too close to the edge, it may melt and lose its shape, running all the way down the sides of the cake. And finally, Courtney recommends making sure that your buttercream is silky smooth. Your butter should be slightly cold when whipped to make sure that it doesn’t become too runny, and it should be mixed for a few minutes on its own before sifting in powdered sugar.

#25 I Made A Cozy Little Marzipan-Frangipane Apple Tart

Image credits: inspiredtotaste

#26 Cake I Made For My Cousin’s Birthday

Image credits: blueberriebun

#27 I Made Winnie-The-Pooh Cake For My Friend's Daughter's First Birthday. I Drew Tigger On Rolled-Out Fondant

Image credits: samiambakes

Are these photos making you crave cake, pandas? I have to admit that I probably crave cake every single day already, but these gorgeous photos are making me want to bake even more! Keep upvoting the pics that you find particularly impressive or mouth-watering, and then if you’re interested in seeing even more beautiful cakes that have been shared on Bored Panda, look no further than right here! 

#28 Hand-Painted Turtle Cake

Image credits: Jimachi

#29 Here's A Cute Bunny Cake

Image credits: keempossible_2

#30 Ducks And Ducklings For A Rainy Morning

Image credits: aprilsbakerlondon

#31 My Sister's Obsession With Hot Air Balloons And Rose Gold Is Known To Many, And As A Devoted Sister, I Have To Fulfill Her Obsession Through My Cakes

Image credits: lima.cakes

#32 Here Is The Full Shot Of The New Capybara Cake, They're Just Chilling

Image credits: rinsforest

#33 Homemade Homer Simpson Cake

Image credits: Craftastrophe

#34 Vanilla Toffee Scrabble Birthday Cake With Chocolate Buttercream, Caramel, And Banana

Image credits: Bridgeface87

#35 Homemade Raspberry Cream Cake Covered In Legos

Image credits: aka_scoch

#36 3D Mushroom House Idea By Our Client

Image credits: wampipticakes.ph

#37 This Was Actually A Cake From Thanksgiving, But It Gives Me All The Vintage Christmas Feels With These Warm Rainbow Colors

Image credits: cakelaurenloves

#38 My Favorite Blue

Image credits: ivenoven

#39 This Is Perfect

Image credits: qtcinderella

#40 First Try At A Vintage Style. The Cake Is Vanilla With Cookie Butter Frosting

Image credits: Green-Cockroach-8448

#41 When Your Daughter Loves Cats

Image credits: Home-baker87

#42 Birthday Cake With Flowers

Image credits: ivenoven

#43 It’s Time To Lay In A Supply Of Bone Sprinkles And Candies For A Year’s Worth Of Dog Cakes And Cupcakes

Image credits: saucybakes

#44 Have You Ever Said, "We’re Like Two Peas In A Pod?" If So, Then We’ve Got The Cake For You

Image credits: vegantreats

#45 This Is My Favorite Cake Ever

Image credits: _kassycakes_

#46 What A Lovely Cake

Image credits: _kennedywalsh

#47 I Couldn’t Eat This Cake, It’s Just That Stunning

Image credits: eatwitharli

#48 My 5-Year-Old Was Very Specific About Her Birthday Cake Request

It’s a rainbow butterfly pistachio cake. Upon showing her the masterpiece, She was very minimally impressed, she said “The bottom heart was supposed to be a rainbow”.

Image credits: sewandsow

#49 I’m In Love With The Cake My Fiancée Made Me For My Birthday

Image credits: mewtwoDtwo

#50 I’ve Had This Blank Cake In My Fridge For Too Long. So I Added Eggs To It

Image credits: BakedExp

#51 Top Forward Cake

I wanted to try this style for months and finally got around to it! Also, last time I made a "house cake" someone mentioned they would like to see another in different colors, so here it is — Confetti cake with vanilla buttercream and chocolate ganache.

Image credits: Green-Cockroach-8448

#52 My Little Bro 23rd Birthday Cake: Vanilla Flavor Cake With Orange Zest And Honey Flavor Buttercream

Image credits: Notnotnotbryan

#53 I Made A 3D Oogie Boogie Cake

Image credits: jmp325

#54 I Made My Own Wedding Cake

Image credits: timanthaaa

#55 This Is A Cake We Made For A Groom. The Pieces Are Chocolate. Everything Is Edible

Image credits: SlytherinF1

#56 Red Velvet Ramen Cake (Without Fondant) For My Husband’s Birthday! The Side Dishes Including The Mini Bowl Are Also Edible

Image credits: sumitumi

#57 I Made A Space Whale Cake. Please Tell Me What You Think

Image credits: kristina-dolnyk

#58 Homemade Dish Sponge Cake

Image credits: fidgetspinnerz

#59 This Woodland-Themed Birthday Cake Has An Actual Campfire

Image credits: hellomagpies

#60 Used Up My Extras On This Little House Cake

I had leftover flowers and an extra door from my last cake and wanted to use them up. Also, needed to use up some cake rounds from the freezer. The cake layers are vanilla and chocolate. Coffee chocolate ganache filling. It was dark by the time I finished this one, so I missed out on good natural lighting for pictures.

Image credits: Green-Cockroach-8448

#61 Hand-Piped Ginger Cake With Gingerbread Lids, Fresh Fruit, And Viennese Whirls

Image credits: Blazed_Ninja91

#62 Is There Anything Better Than Skiing On Freshly Groomed Slopes?

Image credits: milaisbaking

#63 My Honey Got The Cutest Cake Made For Our Anniversary

Image credits: 0ddbabe

#64 Love Bugs Appear To Be An Ideal Inspiration For A Valentine's Day Cake, Especially For Vegan Treats

Image credits: vegantreats

#65 This Cake, My Wife Stayed Up All Night Making For Our Son’s Birthday

Image credits: soundbight

#66 The Trip To Japan Got Canceled Due To COVID-19, So My Mum Made Me An Amazing Sushi Carrot Cake For My 21st Birthday

Image credits: _WhaLes_

#67 I Don't Have Any Experience With Sculpting Fondant, So I'm Really Proud Of How This Bear Turned Out

Image credits: Veeeeezy

#68 Bunnies, Bears, And Sweet Dreams

Image credits: aprilsbakerlondon

#69 Water Cake. It Has Been A While Since I Made One

Image credits: dolnyk.art.cake

#70 Childhood Nostalgia Unlocked

Image credits: bakedbyjulie_