Though it is beautiful, the existence of this Star Wars themed Wampa cake does not come as much of a surprise. After all, the Star Wars series has perhaps had a bigger impact on pop culture than anything else in the last 30 years.The Star Wars fandom has spread to the farthest reaches of our galaxy, from the 501st legion who make their own Stormtrooper costumes, to the regular enthusiasts who pick fights with Star Trek devotees and proclaim that Han shot first. And of course, there are the cakes. Star Wars cakes are fairly ubiquitous nowadays. For example, we’ve seen a remarkably bloody cake featuring a Wampa devouring a Tauntaun (complete with Luke dangling from the ceiling), and an equally horrifying wedding cake illustrating the scene in which Luke was kept warm inside a disemboweled Tauntaun’s body (complete with intestines. Lots of intestines).
This particular cake features a Wampa from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, and it’s a little different from most. Instead of trying to make a photorealistic design at the expense of looking appetizing, the cake maker – Alicia Traveria – decided to portray the subject of her 30th birthday cake in a more cartoony, abstract way. And unlike most “designer” cakes I’ve seen, this one looks incredibly appetizing besides being quite comely.
The actual confection is a sour cream pound cake, which is a classic but plain dessert that you don’t often see decorated with anything besides a bit of glaze or frosting sugar. Of course, the traditional pound cake is completely transformed in its new embodiment as a beastly Wampa. The “furry” icing is made of buttercream, which is far more scrumptious than the smooth but too-sweet fondant usually used on novelty cakes. Just looking at this masterpiece makes my mouth water!
As if it weren’t cool enough to simply have a cake portraying your favorite snow-monster in cake form, the artist also decided to illustrate the famous scene in which Luke uses the Force to retrieve his lightsaber and escape his Wampa captor by cutting off the creature’s arm. Infinitely less gory and far more tongue-in-cheek than any other severed arm you’ll ever see, this one happens to be filled with delicious cherry preserves!
Overall, the entire piece makes for a very fun presentation, and a great way to celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back. Its simple yet iconic design is one that can actually be reproduced at home. It’ll taste great, so long as you can avoid thinking of Wampas devouring Tauntauns while you’re eating it.
