Cake-Gate: Controversy Over Inaugural Cake Gets New Layer

BALTIMORE, MD — Baltimore baker and Food Network star Duff Goldman spotted a knockoff of one of his designs recently — at the inauguration of President Donald J. Trump. After tweeting about it, he discovered that copying his cake was the intent, and the creators were using the proceeds to help the LGBTQ community.

Upon seeing the red, white and blue layer cake at Friday's military ball, one of the inaugural festivities, Goldman tweeted pictures showing the Trump cake juxtaposed with the one he was commissioned to create at the inauguration for former President Barack Obama in 2013.

Goldman, owner of Baltimore's Charm City Cakes, is best known for showcasing his culinary skills on "Ace of Cakes" and has recently been judging the "Kids Baking Championship" for the Food Network as well. Between working and filming in Maryland and California, Goldman spotted his cake design on the inaugural table.

It turned out that D.C.'s Buttercream Bake Shop was commissioned to make the cake to look like Goldman's. In fact, Buttercream Bake Shop owner Tiffany MacIsaac told the Washington Post that someone came into her shop a few weeks ago with a photograph of the 2013 cake and asked for an exact replica. The rub: Most of the cake was for show at this week's affair; only the bottom piece was edible, according to the Post.

The D.C. bakery announced Tuesday that it donated $1,200 from its cake gig to the Human Rights Campaign, controversial since the organization promotes civil rights, in particular advocating for the LGBTQ community; Vice President Mike Pence has over the years tried to restrict the freedoms of homosexuals.

"Best part is all the profits are being donated to @humanrightscampaign, one of our favorite charities who we have loved working with over the years. Because basic human rights are something every man, woman and child~ straight, gay or the rainbow in between~ deserve!" Buttercream Bake Shop said Tuesday.

The bakery reported it has given time and resources to the Human Rights Campaign over the years.

Ultimately, the "cake-gate controversy" brought the leaders of both Charm City Cakes and Buttercream Bake Shop together, with Goldman inviting his D.C. baker friends to visit his shop in Remington.

There was no word if the flavors from Buttercream's cake (the bottom layer) were similar to the Charm City version, which had Swiss buttercream layers between pineapple, pumpkin chocolate chip, lemon poppy seed and red velvet cake, according to Bon Appetit. In an interview with the magazine at the time, Goldman said he was given those flavor selections by the event's planners and had also made a cake for the State Department and Hillary Clinton when she was first lady.

After learning the inaugural ball was intended to recognize the military, Goldman sent a dozen sketches to the event planners to try to get the cake just right, he told Bon Appetit. After much collaboration and feedback, he came up with the multi-tiered design with seals for all branches of the military.

Main image via the White House