These Island-Shaped Jelly Cakes Are Like a Vacation in Dessert Form

2020 has been a big year for cakes that look like they’re not actually cakes. In fact, it’s probably just safer to assume anything you encounter is a cake until you receive definitive proof otherwise. Now, it seems like another baking trend shows that cake might even be able to replace that cancelled tropical vacation you were supposed to take earlier this year.

They’re called “Island Cakes,” and they’re an incredibly impressive bit of baking that combines a jelly mold (representing the ocean) with geologically-inspired cake to create what’s essentially an edible island terrarium. The level of detail both above and below the surface on some of these is truly impressive.

According to Insider, the process involves using blue-dyed gelatin for the ocean, cake for the land, and extra ingredients like cookie pieces, nuts, and other accoutrements to create the illusion of sand, seashells, and other flora and fauna.

Those who talked to Insider about the process of putting together an Island cake described it as “painstaking,” noting that a key ingredient is patience. Apparently, getting rid of the ring around the gelatin that helps it set is also a big make or break moment that can end in disaster if you’re not careful. That makes sense, because you have to imagine there’s a good reason why massive quantities of gelatin aren’t incorporated into cakes more often.

So if you’ve been fantasizing about a day when you can travel to an island getaway again and you’ve exhausted your supply of baking challenges, maybe creating an island cake is a great way to kill some time. Just don’t be surprised if it takes a tiny ecological disaster or two before you successfully create a bit of edible geology that can stand the test of time.