Ace of Cakes Ain't That Bad

Okay, perhaps the title is misleading. Ace of Cakes is actually quite good. After dreading the possibilities, the first few episodes were filled with funny people, cool cakes, swearing, and excitement.

First off, I love the cool Mary Alice. She's so fun and sassy and always seems to know what's up more than Duff himself.



The show focuses on the business of Duff's bakery. They have a huge wall of clipboards outlining each cake that needs to be made. If you've seen Duff's work in the challenges, you know it's abstract and intricate.



I got an email from Dave, a Food Network intern, who commented that Ace is (probably) the first show on the Food Network with bleeped out curse words. Duff and his friends/bakers/artists share a lighthearted workspace, so when you drop a bunch of sugar balls, you say s***! Not that big of a deal.



I know some people have commented that they wish the show featured more explanation of what goes into making the cakes, what tools they used, tricks, etc., but as we know, that is exactly what the Food Network is moving away from. Ace is much more the "Real World" of cooking shows, as Dave pointed out to me. Thus, you aren't going to see Duff standing at a kitchen island demonstrating the best way to roll fondant pieces into edible puke (an actual feature of the Tequila bottle cake).



Having a theater background, I understand what it's like to put a huge amount of effort into something people enjoy for only a brief moment. Often, the people watching (or in this case, eating) never realize just how many hours it took to put together.



So, I can appreciate the cakes that they design. However, it doesn't mean I have to like all of them.





Again, a huge amount of work and talent went into all of them. Bravo to that.






Also, like the Real World, there seemed to be a nonstop "rock" music track playing in the background the entire show. It worked all right, just seemed very different for FN.

I will definitely keep watching Ace of Cakes. I am only worried about the show's ability to keep things interesting and varied. How many episodes devoted to how busy they are, how many cakes they have to finish, trying to deliver them ontime will everyone watch? Still, the relationship Duff has with his coworkers is great and really nice to watch. It's something I have never seen on the Food Network before. Let's hope Ace keeps moving along nicely.