Lazy, boring, narcissistic – can you tell how much we hate the photo cake trend?!

There are a few cake trends that really have us rolling our eyes. Cake smash photo shoots are awful for one, and don’t even get us started on gender reveal cakes. Shudder. Another absolute offender? Photo cakes. Everything about this trend makes us despair. You take a basic sheet cake – usually a sad, white-iced rectangle – and slap your face on it. Boring on the outside, boring on the inside, and unimaginative right the way through.

There are SO many joyful things you can do with a birthday cake – croquembouches, cakescapes, even a decadent drip cake. Yet people keep circling back to this trend year after year. Imagine being confident enough to believe people want to eat your face. We’re all for celebrating the birthday person, but we draw the line at munching on their eyeballs. We already know whose party we’re at, darling. You don’t need to hammer it home by plastering your face on the dessert.

The other thing that really gets us is how terrible photo cakes look. However gorgeous you may be, you are not going to make a cake look better than buttercream, piping, sprinkles, and the billion other lovely ways to decorate. Let’s call it what it is: photo cakes scream laziness. They look cheap, they feel tacky, and honestly? Everyone deserves better.

Photo Cakes: A Celebrity Trend

Of course celebrities are all over the photo cake trend. They love their face so much they put it on a sponge. And as usual, no one ever tells them no. Want a rundown of serial offenders? Oh, we’ve got you.

Drew Barrymore

Drew, we adore you, but you were old enough to know better. For her 43rd birthday, she blew out candles on a cake topped with a photo of her younger self. There is something quietly creepy about a cake featuring a child’s face that is moments away from being cut into. She said it was “the most perfect birthday ever.” Sure…except for that unsettling cake.

Kylie Jenner

Of course the Kardashian/Jenner dynasty is deep into this trend. The ultimate narcissists who have never heard the word “no”. Kylie had her face plastered across her 20th birthday cake. Apparently, Travis Scott gifted it to her. Did the “off” part of their on-off relationship happen shortly after? Worse still, it was a photo of her with her tongue out. Imagine eating a slice of someone’s tongue. No thank you. The eyeballs are bad enough. And honestly? With all that money, one would hope for better cake taste.

Harry Styles

Harry can usually do no wrong. We love the sparkles, the jumpsuits, the floppy hair. But for his milestone 21st birthday? A massive photo cake featuring his childhood mug, backwards cap and all. It felt strangely random for someone usually so original.

At a star-studded party with Beckham, Cara Delevingne and the entire 1D cohort…why that photo, on that cake? Strange choices were made.

Fergie

Remember Fergie? Not the one who married into the Windsors – we mean the Black Eyed Peas icon. She once had a cake with her face on it too. But she took it further. Her photo was propped upright, just in case anyone missed it.

We’re not sure whether the extra creativity makes it better or infinitely worse, but it is undeniably peak narc behaviour.

How to Do Photo Cakes Well

Now that you’ve seen how NOT to do them, let us show you how to make a photo cake actually charming. Yes, it’s possible.

Caricature Cakes

Your photo, but as playful artwork instead of flat narcissism. A caricature cake feels personal without veering into cringe. It’s fun, expressive, and a brilliant way to make a birthday cake feel truly yours without the “eat my face” weirdness. We love making them.

Burn-Away Cakes

The TikTok trend that refuses to die – and honestly, we’re glad. Picture this: an elegant cake, seemingly innocent…until it’s set alight. A dramatic burn-away reveal shows your photo underneath. If you insist on a photo cake, this is the only acceptable route. A burn-away cake delivers shock value, spectacle, and a moment guests will actually remember. Even the celebs are finally catching on.

Got a cake-trend gripe? Tell us. Love a photo cake and feel the urge to defend it? You can try… but you’ll be wrong.

Love,
Reshmi xoxo

If you're dreaming of something truly original (and face-free), explore our hand-made celebration cakes — crafted with flavour, artistry, and zero narcissism baked in.