Is it brekky or is it cake? Go on – take a second look. Yes, dear reader, your eyes are fooling you. Or, more accurately, Amber Comadira-Smith – the cake decorating teacher and master baker behind Cake with Amber – is the real trickster at the helm of this dish. The cake-obsessed creative has a knack for transforming cake into everyday foods and her breakfast cake is just another masterpiece in a collection of hyper-realistic cake-y creations. We caught up for a chinwag with Amber to chat about how she crafts such convincingly real cakes and what she dreams of cooking up next.

When did you first get interested in creating hyper-realistic cakes? Around two years ago! I've been in the cake industry for 11 years and – like most creatives – my cake style has evolved and shifted over time. While experimenting with some new techniques, I made my first realistic food cake – a hamburger! The pressure to get the detail just right was intense, but the challenge was exactly what I needed. It was stressful, rewarding and completely reignited my spark. I live for detail, and the challenge of mastering that precision and illusion involved with creating hyper-realistic cakes instantly hooked me.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Amber | Cake with Amber (@cakewithamber)

In what ways does your background as a graphic designer inform your cake decorating practice? My background in graphic design gave me a strong foundation in composition, colour theory and visual balance – which naturally carried over into my cake work. Honestly, it really gave me a head start in the cake industry! I could approach cake design more intentionally, thinking about focal points, symmetry (or lack thereof) and how colours play off each other. It helped me design cakes that not only looked more polished, but also told a clear visual story.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Amber | Cake with Amber (@cakewithamber)

Why did you choose to create a ‘breakfast’ cake? I wanted to create something that felt familiar and mundane (ha!) so that the “WOW, is that cake?!” moment would have more impact. A simple plate of egg and toast just felt like something you'd see in an everyday setting. I think if I'd gone with a typical fry-up (something that's out of the ordinary for a mid-week brekky), people might have guessed it was a cake right away.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Amber | Cake with Amber (@cakewithamber)

Do you have any nifty techniques that you employ to create this kind of realism? So many! I love telling people that a toothbrush and some alfoil are some of the best texturing tools that I have in my arsenal. And considering I've easily spent thousands of dollars on specialised cake tools, that's saying something!

However, the biggest game changer for me in achieving this kind of realism has been borrowing techniques from other areas of dessert making and adapting them to cake making. For example, melted white chocolate ganache has a yellow tinge that makes it perfect for replicating cheesy sauce for a realistic mac and cheese cake. In my recent cocktail cake, I made my own gummy lolly to replicate a translucent 'liquid' inside the sugar glass. The more I understand how different ingredients hold texture, melt, reflect light or break apart, the more I can use these to my advantage and utilise them to mimic food in cake form.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Amber | Cake with Amber (@cakewithamber)

How long does a cake like this take you and what did the process look like? Typically for more complex cakes like this one, I usually give myself 3 days of active making and decorating time. I always start with research and sketching beforehand to help plan out my strategy. This includes studying the real food up close! When I made my ham cake, I actually bought a real leg of ham just to use it as a reference to make sure I could get the shape and texture right.

From there, I tackle one element at time. With the breakfast cake, I started by experimenting with the toast and how to mimic that bread texture, then moved onto the egg. In a perfect world, I like to perfect each element before bringing it together on the final day.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Amber | Cake with Amber (@cakewithamber)

Do you have a favourite realistic cake that you’ve worked on? Eek! This is like picking a favourite child! I have a soft spot for my realistic apple pie cake. It genuinely looks like a real pie – so much so that no one believes it's actually cake!

The 'ice-cream' is actually buttercream and the 'chocolate sauce' is a gummy lolly mixture. I waited until the mixture was just starting to set before pouring it over the cake. It ended up setting mid-drip – right off the pie and onto the cake stand. It literally couldn't have been more picture perfect! 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Amber | Cake with Amber (@cakewithamber)

What food are you hoping to transform into cake next? I just finished my longtime dream of creating chicken wings out of cake! They haven't been shared on socials just yet... but stay tuned. I'd love to replicate sushi or a charcuterie board. Both are incredibly detailed, involved and time consuming, but I'm always up for the challenge!