Parents' Guide to

Cake Boss

By Kari Croop, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Reality show about family business mixes sweet and sour.

TV TLC Reality TV 2009
Cake Boss Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

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age 9+

Based on 13 parent reviews

NatashaM 1
NatashaM 1 Parent of 3, 7 and 9-year-old
January 21, 2015
age 7+

We like it.

We do enjoy this program. There is a bit of family drama and parents can talk with their children as to why that is. The stress of making a cake before a deadline does not always bring out the best in some family members. My children are more focused on the art work and the cakes. Ralf has become my daughter's favorite as well as Buddy and his family. Parents also need to know that the family also likes to pull pranks on one another from time to time and that children may try and do the same.

This title has:

Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
heather.parker
heather.parker Parent of 11 and 14-year-old
January 3, 2013
age 10+

Fun show

I generally agree with this site and I'm pretty strict about what I let my kids watch, but I don't see anything wrong with this show. The family members argue sometimes, but that's normal and sometimes entertaining. This show also demonstrates impressive creativity.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 13 parent reviews

What's the Story?

CAKE BOSS follows the day-to-day efforts of Buddy Valastro -- a successful cake artist and master baker at Carlo's City Hall Bake Shop in Hoboken, N.J. -- to keep his family-owned business running smoothly and honor his late father's entrepreneurial spirit. But because Buddy's team also includes his mother, sisters, and brothers-in-law, family quarrels sometimes get in the way.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (13):
Kids say (51):

Cake Boss is clearly taking its cues from the Food Network's Ace of Cakes, a popular reality show following the day-to-day shenanigans at a spirited Baltimore bakery. (Sound familiar?) But while Cake Boss does at-home bakers one better by offering a bit more explanation of complex cake design and difficult decorating techniques, it relies so heavily on interpersonal conflict between Buddy and his extended family that it runs the risk of forgetting that cakes can be fun.

While it's true that Buddy isn't quite as intimidating as, say, Gordon Ramsay, he's less likable than Ace of Cake's jovial baker-in-chief, Duff Goldman. And in a head-to-head taste test between two shows built around baked goods, that could prove to be Cake Boss's downfall.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the popularity of "behind-the-scenes" reality shows about businesses. Is it the business that's interesting, or the people who run it? Do you think they're different in real life than they are on the show?

  • What are the pros and cons of having family members pull double duty as co-workers? Are blood ties a recipe for success -- or disaster? Would you enjoy working with your family? Why or why not?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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