I track a lot of topics on a day-to-day basis in an effort to sort out coming trends from merely isolated events. Regrettably, many more of the topics I explore fall into the latter category and never make it into my Topline Trends newsletter or here on my blog.
One of the more interesting stories I tracked lately is the topic of divorce cake. I’m not sure what morbid part of me wanted divorce cakes to be on one of the next widespread trends but I tried really hard to prove that they were. Perhaps it’s all rooted in my love of cake or maybe it’s more complicated and requires a therapist. Beats me.
Regardless, a few months ago there was a flurry of online and print articles that said that divorce cakes were trending up. Ex-rock punk wife and beauty queen Shanna Moakler’s elaborate divorce cake turned out to be the impetus for these articles (that’s her in the picture above with the divorce cake she had made for her Las Vegas divorce party).
Intern Chantalle Noschese and I set to researching divorce cakes to see whether divorce cakes were going to become a big thing soon. We searched on google, called high profile bakers and put out APB’s in the food writing and party planning communities. As it turns out, divorces are not in fact being commemorated with cake all that often. We found a few reports here and there and a handful of divorce cake pictures, but the practice isn’t growing.
If you’re motivated to make a divorce cake for yourself or someone else, check out these sites for inspiration:
http://www.joe-ks.com/archives_aug2006/DivorceCake.jpg
http://img160.imageshack.us/img160/1072/darndivorcecakeae3.jpg
http://www.creativecakeshop.co.uk/Images/gallery_cakes/Divorce_Large.jpg
http://stupidweddingcrap.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/taking-the-plunge-cake-topper.jpg
http://www.tampabays10.com/printfullstory.aspx?storyid=73480
If you do make a divorce cake, send me a picture. I can add it to my collection. It will come in handy when I do opt for therapy and need to show my shrink what I’m talking about.
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April 7, 2008 at 10:57 am |
C.M. from Toronto sent me this note on Facebook today:
“In my opinion divorce cakes are here to stay.
I have attended a few “divorce parties” over the years.
The cakes were not formal, but there was always a cake present.
This goes back a number of years now.”
April 13, 2008 at 6:40 pm |
I’ve never heard of this before, but it makes a certain amount of sense to me. Love the photo. By the way, thank you very much for visiting my blog. I have really enjoyed Last Dinner on the Titanic and I appreciate the suggestion for serving the currant buns. All the best.
April 17, 2008 at 3:44 pm |
Where can i find the bleeding groom cake toppers?
April 17, 2008 at 5:46 pm |
Hi Susan,
I wish I could help you find the topper. All I can tell you is that Shanna Moakler’s party was in Las Vegas so they are likely available there.
Dana
April 18, 2008 at 11:51 am |
Would you happen to know who made her cake?
April 19, 2008 at 10:06 am |
Susan,
Apparently the cake was made by Jean-Philippe Pattiserie at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas http://www.bellagio.com/restaurants/jean-philippe.aspx
Hope this info is helpful,
May 26, 2008 at 11:46 am |
Now there’s a book called Divorce Desserts: http://divorcedesserts.com/index.htm
June 29, 2008 at 1:32 am |
[...] Divorce cake « Dana McCauley’s food blog [...]
January 20, 2009 at 7:00 pm |
haha love this don’t fuck us girls up or else!
February 15, 2009 at 3:44 pm |
I’ve never been a big fan of wedding cakes—actually I’m not a big fan of weddings—so the idea of a divorce cake doesn’t send me.
For me, the time to celebrate my divorce was when I moved out. By the time the papers were all signed and the judge agreed, I was already living a different life. It was sort of like turning 18 while living in a state where the drinking age is 21, and then moving so I turned 21 in a state where the drinking age was 18.
April 3, 2009 at 4:11 am |
Hi,
I found this photo after doing a google search on divorce cakes. It’s unheard of in Australia, but I thought I would have a bit of fun and make one.
Would anyone be able to tell me how to make the blood running down the cake. It would need to set hard as I plan to put some as a bleeding wound on the groom.
Thanks for any suggestions. Jen