Ace of Cakes

Ace of Cakes is a popular Food Network show chronicling the daily grind of a specialty bakery.

The ins and outs of Charm City Cakes have been documented on Food Network since 2006. The bakery is owned by Duff Goldman and is based in Maryland. The allure of the show comes from the truly unique cakes the staff produces, providing whimsical creations for everything from children’s birthday parties to Hollywood movie premieres.

The show also enjoys the bragging rights of bringing in some of Food Network’s highest ratings ever received. It continues to expand its fan base as the hype continues to grow. Part of the series’ charm is the quirky staff at Charm City - most of whom are personal friends and acquaintances of Duff Goldman - making for a quirky work environment that often provides enough entertainment in and of itself.

The show also commonly features the foibles of various road trips Charm City staff members take to personally deliver cakes that must be assembled on-site.

Goldman is the boss at Charm City Cakes, and is most prominently featured on the show. He has been celebrated for his unusual baking skills including using a power saw at times to successfully build his wildly creative cakes. He is also a committed member of his ever-growing cake building team and is often seen pulling all-nighters with the staff in order to get an exceptionally elaborate cake completed in time.

Born in Detroit, Goldman attended culinary school and worked as a chef in many fine restaurants where he was often assigned the humblest of tasks such as baking bread and biscuits. However, he went on to start Charm City Cakes in 2000 which originally operated out of his home with only two employees. His business flourished, and instead of hiring more bakers, he instead recruited artists and architects to help push his confections to the limit.

On Ace of Cakes, Duff’s creations are in hot demand and his clients vary from wealthy brides to celebrities. The bakery’s flavor choices are as diverse as his clientele, and include the following:

• Apples and cinnamon
• Bananas foster
• Caribbean black cake
• Dulce de leche
• Ginger and green tea
• Peaches and cream
• Smores
• Tiramisu

Altogether, 51 flavors are available, and many are featured on the show.

Notable cakes on past episodes include:

• A seven-tiered Dr. Suess-themed cake with a deliberate tilt
• A replica of Wrigley Field
• A dressed up armadillo

The baking team constructs desserts with blow torches. The group is as endearing as they are talented. New episodes air on Thursdays at 10/9 central, and the whole Charm City team is sure to deliver a sweet treat each and every week.

Much of the show’s appeal comes from the humanness of the cast. Since many are not professional bakers, most have learned the craft from hands-on experience. Each brings a unique and uncommon set of talents to the table. Duff recruits those he has personal connections to, so it is not uncommon to see a member of his rock band struggling in the shop with buttercream frosting. The team also rises to every challenge, rarely turning down a request for an outlandish cake design. They truly have designed it all, and Duff has watched his bakery soar in popularity over the years.

For more information on Ace of Cakes, visit the show’s official website, or visit Charm City’s store site to order a cake of your own. The bakery has a minimum order requirement of $1000, but if you can afford the splurge you'll taste the creation of a future legend..

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