What is the burn away cake trend on TikTok? 

If you’ve been exploring TikTok lately, you’ve probably come across the burn away cake trend, but if you’re out of loop and wondering what it’s all about, we’ve got you covered. 

The burn away cake is the latest trend igniting the internet, with everyone flooding TikTok with videos of their novel cakes. 

The idea behind the trend is actually pretty simple – cakes come with an image printed upon them, that when set ablaze, reveals a secret hidden image underneath. This can be used for all manner of celebrations, and adds an extra layer of excitement to the festivities. 

It turns out that the trend has been around for a while, but has seen a resurgence thanks to Denise Delights, who posted a new year’s eve cake that burned away to reveal a Taylor Swift reference that read, “In My 2004 Era.”

Now that Valentine’s season is here, many people are ordering burn away cakes to ask that special someone in their life.

How do burn away cakes work?

Now that you’ve got the lowdown on the trend, you’re probably wondering how they actually work. Well, they’re made using edible ink printers.

This might seem like a novel practice, but lots of bakeries use this method all the time. The sheets of paper are made to ignite, and consist of sugar, rice, and other forms of starch, all of which promise a fiery finish. 

The image underneath is made of regular frosting, separated by a border made of even more frosting, which helps to create a gap.

Cakes need to be fresh to be set ablaze, and won’t work if left in the refrigerator overnight.

Another trend taking over TikTok at the moment, also in time for Valentine’s, is the “take a look at my girlfriend” trend.