Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it Superman? No, it’s cake! From “Ace of Cakes’” Duff Goldman, this new competition series aims to create cakes larger than life, all inspired by the jaw-dropping characters, places and concepts that inspire us daily. “Super Mega Cakes” premieres Monday, June 16, on Food Network and streams the next day on HBO Max.
Across the debut season’s six episodes, “Team Duff” competes against six teams of incredible cake artists — all at the same time — as they create massive, realistic pieces of edible art, inspired by movies, cartoon characters, architectural wonders and encounters stranger than fiction. While special guests arrive weekly to enjoy the fun, culinary masterminds Sherry Yard (“Bakers vs. Fakers”) and Amaury Guichon (“Dessert Masters”) preside as the “Super Mega Cakes” judges, earning themselves the right to decide if Duff truly does it best.
The series kicks off with a Superman-inspired challenge, enthralling bakers, judges and viewers ahead of James Gunn’s (“Guardians of the Galaxy,” 2014) new “Superman” movie, set to release this July. The bigger and more heroic the cake, the better.
Per Food Network’s description, “In the supersized season premiere, Duff meets the six exceptional ‘Super Mega Cakes’ teams and learns the theme of each challenge. In the first headto-head battle, Duff is joined by his invaluable right-hand man, Geof Manthorne, [“Duff’s Happy Fun Bake Time”] and the Charm City Cakes team in a life-sized Superman-themed challenge against a renowned British cake artist and her team. Each must create cakes with designs and flavors inspired by Superman that include an animation element.
The judges will then determine which Superman creation flies above the rest.”
In following episodes, Duff and his bakers tackle “Under the Sea” challenges, alien invasions and more, with the July 21 finale finding the series’ finalists crafting cakes for a 50-person audience that will determine the show’s first-ever grand winner.
Betsy Ayala, head of food content at Warner Bros. Discovery, shared further excitement in a Food Network press release given for the series: “These life-sized sweet creations are unlike anything anyone has ever seen — there are cakes with holograms, cakes that float, even cakes that have cameras inside,” she said. “Duff and these incredible cake artists pushed culinary limits in every episode, and we cannot wait for our viewers to see each masterpiece.”
Larger than life and tastier than fiction, “Super Mega Cakes” premieres Monday, June 16, on Food Network and streams the next day on HBO Max.