Goth Cakes: The Dark and Edgy Trend Taking Over the Pastry World
In a world where traditional birthday cakes adorned with pastel colors and cheerful messages have long reigned supreme, a new trend is emerging that is anything but sweet and saccharine. Meet the goth cakes, creations that are dark, edgy, and definitely not for the faint of heart.
Viennese food stylist and baker Sophia Stolz, 29, is at the forefront of this trend. As a teenager, she was unimpressed by the fancy, prim desserts served at her friends’ birthday celebrations. Now, she’s baking cakes that are “a bit rough,” with black or blood red icing, razor-sharp piping, and toppers that might include dismembered doll parts. Her cakes are hard-edged and punk influenced, attracting brands like Bulgari, Hermès, and Miu Miu.
Stolz isn’t the only baker embracing this dark aesthetic. Berlin-based baker Hana Betakova, 30, started her business, Rustcakes, in 2020, creating spiky, almost swampy-looking cakes that exude “drippy horror tenderness.” New Zealander Amy Yip, 33, left her job in the fashion industry to start her pastry business, Yip Studio, where she creates unconventional cakes like Rock Owens, an edible boulder inspired by fashion designer Rick Owens.
These goth cakes are not just for birthdays. Stolz has made divorce cakes and even one for a “very exclusive sex party.” While she hasn’t made a funeral cake yet, she acknowledges that it could be a possibility in the future.
As the world emerges from the pandemic, it seems that the pervasive sense of doom has inspired artists like Stolz, Betakova, and Yip to create cakes that are as dark and edgy as the times we live in. So, if you’re looking for a cake that’s a little different, a little daring, and definitely not boring, a goth cake might be just what you need.
