Cthulhu Cakes

With spring here, heavy cakes are getting out of season, but somehow it doesn't preclude me from posting a few selected Cthulhu cakes. Unless an old black and white photograph from some Arkham House party ever turns up, we'll probably never know exactly when or why the first Cthulhu baked good appeared. Nevertheless, it's reasonable to assume these creations have a much longer history than recent internet fame suggests. It's the churning memes and artistic sharing of the online world, however, that continues to spur increasingly elaborate Lovecraftian edibles.




Let's start with what might best be called "traditional" types. These cakes usually keep both depictions of Cthulhu himself and culinary form true to popular imagination. The middle creation here is a bit of an exception though, since it looks almost like a bread.




Moving onward, the three-dimensional Cthulhuvian cake which incorporates action is a natural outgrowth of the traditional models shown above. Cthulhu's great head rises ominously from the surface of this one, even giving the illusion of several tentacles being buried. As a cake (disclaimer: I am about as far away from a culinary expert as imaginable), it is also more interesting and complex. The frosted cake parts--composed of Cthulhu and the base--are separated by a cookie crumb surface, leaving a more formidable creation in appearance and taste.




These Cthulhu miniatures are most akin to cupcakes. The move toward small individual treats is a welcome step, and would be quite fitting for Lovecraftian get-togethers. Another advantage: each one is styled a bit differently, opening the way for placing diverse features on every piece.




It's difficult to tell what this is made out of, but it definitely earns its own category. It may not even be Cthulhu, but it seems a reasonable facsimile if it isn't. This Rice Krispie-like monstrosity lays on a pan filled with action. It's almost a re-creation of Cthulhu's harrowing pursuit described at the end of "The Call of Cthulhu" by Gustaf Johansen's manuscript.




Finally, this cake incorporates a non-edible action figure from the striking model of Cthulhu made by Horror Clix. The cake base itself looks rather traditional, but the towering presence of the Cthulhu figure makes this a delightfully bizarre dessert.

-Grim Blogger