Cake Boss

What's gotten me busy lazy these past few days? Cake, cake, and more cake! Let me introduce you to my newest guilty pleasure, Cake Boss! I never would've known about this show if it weren't for my friends, Kim and Reg, who have been raving about it on Twitter. Our home cable doesn't have TLC (you can only get it thru Sky Cable Platinum, ours is Gold), where it is currently shown (Season 2). Curiousity ate me, so I tried searching for a preview on YouTube. Well, guess what? The heavens love me because not only did I get a teaser, I also came across cakebosscrazy, a channel, which, as its name connotes, is a crazy fan of the show! Complete episodes online? Hooray! Then started my passionate bonding with the bed and the ipad.

The show revolves around the production of Carlo's City Hall Bake Shop. You get to see what happens at the back of the house, specifically where they design cakes. It is run by the Valastros, spearheaded by the cake boss, Buddy. The shop has been around for 100 years now, and had been passed down by Buddy Sr. to his son. It's a family business, which makes the show all the more fun and chaotic (Italians + Jersey = crazy sibling yelling and outbursts).  The girls man the front of the house while Buddy and his brothers-in-law make magic behind the scenes. What they do at Carlo's is above and beyond what I've seen in Ace of Cakes (although I can't really compare them, I love them both!). The amount and size of cakes they produce weekly is ginormous, impressively great, and needless to say - though I've yet to judge it in the future (aaaaahh, cannoli) - delicious. Doubters, don't doubt, they've been around (recipes tried and tested) for a century! And with clients like Oprah, NASA, and Chevrolet, among others, it's time to shut up now.

Aside from the awesome cakes they make, I got hooked on this show because I felt part of their large (and lovely) family. I have my own favorites. There's Buddy, whose vision and talent is so impressive, he can make a cake blindfolded. Got a dream cake? He'll bring it to life and even exceed your imagination. A great leader with a huge heart, that's the cake boss. There's her sister, Mary, the blabbermouth. She may be the most annoying sister in the planet but she adds spice to the bakery, and gives a good laugh to the viewers. Mauro, Buddy's brother-in-law and right hand man, is the cutest. I initially thought he was gay, with his cheeks all rosy and his voice a tinge of femme. But, no. He's this cute puffy bear I'd like to hug when I meet. I also love his son, Buddy Castano--the nephew you can't help but love. He may be annoying at times 'coz that's how kids go, they're inquisitive and will bug you until the last strand of your hair falls, but he really is adorable.

Now, think of someone who looks like a cross between Tony Almeida and John Casey, someone who could go undercover for the CIA or CTU, and we've got Joey. This Gulf War veteran also works as a firefighter, apart from being the head baker at Carlo's. Swoon-worthy. Ha! CRUUUUSHHHH!! Grace is soooo lucky to have him.☺ And OH, OH, their son, Robert, got his father's genes. Mhm. (Watch the Italy episode, they've got lengthy screentime, totes my fave.)

Anyway, back to the show. They seem to get impossible tasks feasible all the time, from remaking a ruined 4-tiered cake in an hour to building a robot cake and making it move, that the mishaps inserted here and there looks contrived. Like, REALLY staged. It's kind of funny and obvious. By the 3rd season, you'll most probably catch yourself mouthing Buddy's reactions. Seriously, he keeps on repeating the same phrases. One of the things I look forward to in an episode is how they make fun of each other, especially when they're busting on Cousin Anthony. Hilars. You'd think that since they're surrounded by cakes night and day, they'll lose appetite for more after production hours. Think again. What's great is that for every special occasion - there are LOTS, a personalized cake is also present, and the entire family enjoys them so much that you'd as much as imagine yourself entering the screen to join them feast. It's too cute. Their bond as a family is enviable. Sucks that I can't add photos this time, they'd definitely entice you to spend time in bed, watching this series. I'm now on Season 4 and I don't want it to end. As my friend Kim says, "Cake Boss is happy time." ☺