Is It Cake?

TV review by Ashley Moulton, Common Sense Media
Is It Cake Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 8+

Absurdly entertaining bake-off with language and promotion.

Netflix Game Shows 2022
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Parents say

age 8+

Based on 3 reviews

Kids say

age 8+

Based on 8 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Is it Cake? is a silly baking competition show hosted by Mikey Day (SNL) where the contestants try to fool judges with their extremely lifelike cakes. There's salty language like "damn," "oh my God," "crap," and "idiot" (talking about themselves, not insulting another person). Between the product placement, guest judges promoting their Netflix shows, and the emphasis on the cash prizes the bakers win, there's a big serving of consumerism throughout. No violence, but the host does cut cakes with a variety of weapons like swords and machetes. Otherwise, the show is light and fluffy viewing perfect for families looking to unwind together.

Community Reviews

salty.purple.seacats
salty.purple.seacats Adult
April 1, 2022
age 10+

Language Is a Little Questionable, Lying is Good?

The opening episode starts with some questionable language for kids, especially to be ranked a number one ranking kids show on Netflix. Damn once, and then "oh my God" a lot among other things. Each person talks about their background and how they got into cakes. Some are YouTubers. Others own bakeries etc. One started out making alcohol bottle cakes and mentioned the different drink-related cakes she made. It shows a short montage of them in the first episode. Did one of the characters cheat in the first round? Though it is interesting to see the very creative food made, and kids enjoy that aspect, it could have been a little more child friendly. The final moments of the episode have one of the main characters telling kids after he won that this is why lying and deceiving is the way to go.

This title has:

Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
3 people found this helpful.
Minimonster21
Minimonster21 Adult
July 26, 2022
age 7+

PG for sure!

It’s a nice show, I was watching with my 5yr old she and I loved it at the end Andrew and the judges talk about Same-Sex marriage 😯 (Andrew is a same sex marriage) but a good show!
1 person found this helpful.
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

IS IT CAKE? is a baking game show with a simple premise: Can expert cake artists make cakes so lifelike that they're confused for the real objects they represent? Zany host Mikey Day (SNL) leads 12 contestants through the cake sculpture competition. Each episode begins with the bakers playing a Find that Cake game where they guess which one of the items on pedestals in the distance is made out of cake. The mini-game determines the three bakers that compete in that episode, and they're tasked with making cakes that look like other kinds of food, purses, bowling balls, and more. At the end of eight hours, three celebrity judges arrive and try to identify which item is cake from a group of decoys. If the baker fools the judges, the baker wins $5,000. Then the baker plays a Cake or Cash guessing game for the chance to win an additional $5,000. The top three bakers from the whole season compete in a finale that determines the champion and the winner of the $50,000 prize.

Is It Any Good?

This show combines elements of other popular game shows: a silly competition set-up like Floor Is Lava, the fun of guessing along with the judges a la The Masked Singer, and, of course, amazing cakes. On its face, the concept of Is it Cake? is truly absurd: Can judges (and the viewer at home) guess which object is made of cake and which is a real object? It seems impossible to build an entire show around this conceit, but somehow the result is a delightful change of pace. Host Mikey Day has an over-the-top weird persona, staring directly into the camera with enormous eyes, yelling at the judges, and using giant swords to cut cakes. The contestants are similarly colorful and will appeal to kids with their vibrant personalities. In the end, the success of the show revolves around the fact that the bakers are wildly good at making cakes that look like real objects. Kids and grown-ups will love putting their fakery detection to the test to see if they can figure out...is it cake?

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the bakers' creations. Do you think you could make cakes that look that realistic? How do you think the bakers learned to make cakes that look so real?

  • Why do you think many of the judges come from other Netflix shows? How does the judges talking about their shows help Netflix?

TV Details

Our Editors Recommend

  • The Masked Singer Poster Image

    The Masked Singer

    Unusual singing contest is surprisingly fun.

    age 10+
  • Floor Is Lava Poster Image

    Floor Is Lava

    Family-friendly game show has leaps, spills, and laughs.

    age 8+
  • Nailed It! Poster Image

    Nailed It!

    Food fails are hilarious in this comedic competition.

    age 10+

For kids who love cooking shows and competition

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