Cake smashing may be a questionable trend, but I think we’ve finally found something that out-cringes even that. Enter: the Gender Reveal cake.
What is a Gender Reveal cake?
For the uninitiated, a gender reveal cake is a perfectly innocent-looking sponge on the outside—usually all neutral and tasteful—and then, once sliced, reveals either blue (boy) or pink (girl) layers within. Ta-dah. Mystery solved.
To keep the surprise intact, parents hand over their 20-week scan results to the baker, who then becomes the temporary keeper of the world’s least important secret.
So what’s the big deal?
Let’s be clear: it isn’t the cake itself that’s the issue. Cake is never the problem. It’s the spectacle surrounding it—the idea of hosting an entire event to reveal the colour of a sponge. And no, this critique isn’t about gender stereotyping (although that could be a whole other essay). It’s simpler than that.
Can I just say it? Properly? Here goes.
NOBODY CARES ABOUT THE GENDER OF YOUR UNBORN CHILD.
There, I said it. Truly—nobody outside the parents gives even half a fig. At best, close family might pretend to, but only because they’re imagining nursery colour schemes. Everyone else? They’ll clap politely no matter what because the alternative reactions would be… unsettling.
Hosting a grand event purely to unveil the chromatic destiny of a sponge feels like a new tier of unnecessary drama. Baby showers I understand—treat the mum-to-be before life becomes a haze of muslins and midnight feeds. But a gender reveal? Excessive at best.
How did Gender Reveal Parties start?
It began with a blogger in 2008 who sliced into a custom cake revealing pink layers. Her post went viral, and as the internet loves nothing more than aggressively escalating a harmless idea, gender reveals morphed from sweet moment to global phenomenon.
Once, an influencer’s friend asked us for a gender reveal cake in exchange for my favourite currency: €xposure. They were good friends with one of our loyal paying customers, so I didn’t want to refuse outright. I suggested a charity donation instead, fully expecting the conversation to die there. But no—they agreed. Happily. So I made the cake, and at least Great Ormond Street Hospital got something useful out of the whole charade.
It sounds harmless. What’s the problem?
Well… the cakes were only the beginning. Social media loves competition, and soon everyone wanted to outdo each other. Then came the smoke bombs. In 2020, a malfunctioning “blue smoke” device at a California party caused a wildfire that burned over 13,000 acres, forced thousands to evacuate, and caused serious injuries.
El Dorado Gender Reveal Fire — Kyle Grillot / The Washington Post via Getty Images
And it didn’t stop there. In 2017, a border patrol agent in Arizona shot at an explosive target filled with coloured powder. Result: a wildfire that destroyed 47,000 acres and cost $8 million to extinguish. What colour was the powder? Blue, of course.
Then came the cars. In 2019, a dad-to-be in Australia attempted a gender-reveal burnout using special smoke tyres. The car caught fire instantly. Nobody was hurt, thankfully, but the fine was spectacular.
And because silliness knows no borders, a Brazilian couple decided to dye an entire waterfall bright blue in 2022—contaminating a major water source and earning themselves an investigation by environmental authorities.
Compared to setting forests alight, a pink sponge feels harmless. But still—getting wildly excited about a baby’s gender, especially when the reactions are pre-scripted (“Oh! Amazing!” no matter what), is… awkward. Because, really, why would anyone care?
So what’s the point of it all?
If there’s one acceptable excuse, it’s this: getting your favourite people together to celebrate the excitement of a new arrival. And for that reason alone, I’ll allow it. Any reason to gather, laugh, and eat cake is fine by me. I will even muster a theatrically enthusiastic gasp at the colour of the sponge.
What about you? Have you hosted or attended one? Is it a thing where you live? Do tell—I’m open to being convinced.
Love, Reshmi xoxo
If you do fancy something sweet for any baby-related celebration, our baby shower cakes are always made with love (and zero smoke bombs).
I had one for my 2nd (1st was a surprise) because it was a slightly more special way to find out than being told in a hospital room that was far too similar to a room I was told I’d lost a baby in. Having said that, we invited immediate family only and we were all keen to find out the gender – I definitely wasn’t keen to turn it into a party. It was, however, a lovely excuse to have my nearest and dearest over for cake!
Its an absolute waste of money, time and resources. Nobody cares what gender your baby is. And to throw it in ppls faces with awkward games and different colored puffs of smoke is ridiculous.
Now please dont ‘reveal’ my name to anyone…😄
Never had one as i myself dont find out the gender as we like the surprise, so always bought neutral colour blanket babygrows and vests b4 birth and we happily await the midwife shouting out its a girl or its a boy. Special moment forever.