Buddy Valastro is one of the most successful and renowned cake artists in the United States. Master baker of Carlo's City Hall Bake Shop in Hoboken, New Jersey, Buddy is the cake boss.

He supervises a team that includes his mother, four older sisters and three brothers-in-law. And when you're working with family on a daily basis, there is bound to be a lot of drama. The Valastros know drama but and at the end of the day they also know love.

Cake Boss chronicles Buddy's over-arching desire to achieve his late father's dream of making Carlo's Bake Shop a household name with or without the help of his family.

The premiere was last night on TLC. Wow. The cakes he makes are just spectacular. Those cakes he made for Brides Magazine just blew me away.

I didnt know ace of cakes started some fad among reality shows, this one, the one on e, another on another channel that i forgo. I remember him. He always lost during the cake challenge.

I thought the three wedding cakes looked too much alike.

I thought the magazine wanted the cakes to look alike. They told him to make them black and white. They were gorgeous. I thought the one he did freehand was the best. This might be worth watching. (Who am I kidding? almost none of the crap I watch is worth watching, but I watch it anyway.)

I had to DVR this when I saw that it was about Buddy. I remember him from several cake competitions. I wasn't disappointed! (Ok, so maybe I need a life) Talk about Saturday Night Fever in a bakery! Watch the hair! Where's the sugar? We got no sugar!
I do have to say it was sweet when Buddy teared up talking about his dad, and about the promise that he made to him that everyone in the US would know about their bakery. I will definitely watch another episode.

I enjoyed the first episode. I really like Ace of Cakes, and the atmosphere is completely different in this bakery. I agree that the freehand black and white cake was the best looking version. I think that making those three versions were a waste of time. Bride's Magazine must have asked him to make 3 identical cakes using different techniques...because if they just asked for 3 black and white cakes he missed an opportunity to showcase his talents and creativity by making completely different looking cakes.



Here's your #@#*!# sugar!!!

I'm glad I DVR'd this, so I could fast-forward through all the guido chaos and just see the finished cakes.

Well another show based in New Jersey. A bakery in Hoboken wants to be the best bakery in NJ. Tonight they are doing a fire truck cake complete with lights and sirens for retiring firemen. They are also doing a high end shoe, purse and other "fashionista items" for two women turning 30. The head of the bakery is named Buddy and just imagine someone from the Soprano's running a bakery!

I drive by this bakery practically every day. I have heard so much good stuff about their cakes, I just had to try it out. I got a cupcake and was not impressed at all. I did not care for the frosting. I may have to give them another shot.

I had to laugh that they had to get in the car to take the cake piece by car to repair that cake. They were like a short block away.

All the yelling was too much for me. Maybe it's just me but when I want a cake for my child's birthday or any special occasion I would like it not to be created in a horrid environment. I always thought Ace of Cakes was a bit cheesy but they do seem to be artists and enjoy their jobs.

I don't see the need to market this show as "The Sopranos Bakes". It's a lovely Italian-American family that lives in New Jesery. That's where the similarity ends.
The cakes were beautiful! I think the homage he shows to his Dad is really touching. I like that they wear uniforms. Everyone looks clean and professional. I'll be watching.

I didn't watch more than a few minutes of the show, but Buddy (who has been on a number of Food Network cake challenges) just strikes me as a Duff Goldman knockoff, only with every imaginable Italian New Jersey stereotype.

I normally would tune in for a show like this, but I've seen Buddy on Food Network cake challenges and I find him to be a real tool. He thinks waaaaaaayyy to highly of himself, and watching a whole show featuring him would be like nails on a chalkboard for me. Just seeing the promos cements my "That guy's a real jerk" image.

The cakes were just gorgeous (makes CCC look like child's play, IMHO), but the personalities are borderline insufferable. I'll settle for walking by and admiring through the window on my way to Barnes&Noble, thankyouverymuch.

Also, I felt like he was totally in the wrong to scream at (and then flour) the delivery boy. I don't see how a driving error would cause a whole wall of fondant to fall so perfectly -- looked to me like it wasn't properly attached in the first place.

Loved the cakes, but I could do without all of the scripted drama and chaos.

Except that Duff's cakes are amateurish looking. These cakes are spectacular. The guy has talent.

I'm not a huge fan of Ace of Cakes, but watching Cake Boss made me realize how lucky the Food Network got when they found a cake maker who can talk to the camera without sounding like he's reading cue cards in a foreign language. Buddy's talking head segments sound so forced and fake.

I thought it was a bit much for him to immediately assume that the delivery kid did something to ruin the cake. The fact that the delivery kid immediately told Buddy that the problem was the fondant was too soft and fell off says to me that the delivery kid is more fondant savvy than Buddy is.

Add to that the preview for the next episode where the frosting falls off the bunny cake and I'm sensing a trend here: some sort of decorating incompetence.

The one redeeming thing was that every time Buddy said fon-dont, I laughed my ass off.

What is with all the yelling? Seriously. I know they're Italian, I know it's New Jersey, but come on. I would have a nervous breakdown if I worked in that bakery and watching it stresses me out. Is it impossible for them to talk in a normal tone of voice?

The fondant falling off the cake was so not the delivery guy's fault. In fact, I bet the whole thing was a setup for the show and so they could stage their "revenge." Lame.

I have to say, I really hated this show. I hate the whole stereotype Italian family thing. They really fit the overblown mould you see in movies and tv. It drives me up the wall, actually.

My mother was from Palermo. Infact, the entirety of family on my mother's side were all from Sicily. We were never like that. Ever. We had big Italian gatherings, yes. They were boisterous, yes. They were never as portrayed on such movies as Godfather, nor were we never like this group of people on Cake Boss.

My father was not Italian, he was Swiss. He was a pastry chef. I grew up in the cake making business. We had our fun times in the bakery, but we were never cruel, arrogant or idiotic like this group is. Or at least not like this hamfisted imbecile is.

The problem with the Fondant might have been that it was a warm day and the icing under it melted. It also could be that the cake they were using was too soft and crumbled. They need to use a sturdier cake recipe (I noticed that jerk didn't yell at the cake baker, part of that was his fault. Or maybe Idiot Owner's recipe sucks). I also noticed that the icing layer under the fondant was pretty sparse. Someone was cheap on the icing. I felt so sorry for that poor delivery guy. And then the flour thing, just horrible.

I don't know the bakery owner's name so I'll just call him Hamfist had said over and over again that this was a family business and that's who's doing the work. It had better be, because no other employee would be able to tolerate the belligerence. Can't people get sued for creating a hostile work environment?

Won't be watching again.

Well I'm glad to see my decision to stay away from this show after seeing the commercials was a wise one. I nearly had to turn the channel from the commercials alone, the constant screaming for the sake of screaming was just too much. Sounds like the show was more of the same.

In my NJ town we also have a family Italian bakery that has been in the same family for over 50 years. Like Buddy, the owner is a larger than life Italian, who I think likes the sterotype to be honest. They don't do the kind of cakes, Buddy does, but they have excellent products that they take pride in an if you are ever unhappy they take car of it pronto. It is also very loud in there. They have a back room off the main showroom/cashier area and they just are loud people whether they are happy or mad! During the holidays, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas when the pressure is on it so loud it gives you a headache! Like Cake Boss, I would say 90% of this bakery is run by family and the reason is they feel family won't steal or screw you. They have 3/4 generations working there now, which is kinda cool. I'll continue to watch because I want to see what they create next, I'll just turn the volume down!

For a second my boyfriend and i thought we were watching a lost episode of "The Sopranos" for a second. I was scared when I saw the basic cakes with the cheap frosting and pink flowers, real bad memories with those cakes. I am glad to see that they do other types as well.
Even though they are loud I would rather watch this that Ace of Cakes, I cant stand Duff, especially after the first seaosn when he told a customer to i believe suck on a certain part of his anatomy.

Once you get past the Italian, New Jersey stereotype, it's really good TV. That firefighter-themed cake was phenomenal. The wiring, the smoke, the details...all great work. I was really pissed for them when that bridal magazine lady called at the last minute for two more cakes, though. I have a new respect for bakers now, and will place my orders over a week in advance now. Speaking of which, I wonder why they can't say "no" to a customer or at least post rules about orders and time restraints. On the CCC website, they explain how much time in advance they need and everything. At Buddy's place, it's as if people are allowed to call up at random and get their cake whenever they want it. I don't subscribe to "the customer is always right". Some people need to respect the craft and the product.

I don't think Buddy was being mean to the delivery kid. It was a set up. I like Buddy. I like Duff. As reality shows go this is really a talent. Ace of Cakes is different. I prefer the clean white chef jackets on Cake Boss. The One thing that has always made me crazy on AoC is everyone is in street clothes like they just rolled out of bed to bake no hair nets on all that hair Yikes. Buddy is a traditional Duff more rock and roll Both talented. Will watch

When I worked as a cake decorator, there was a 24 hour "rule". If a customer would call and say they needed a cake in an hour, we would do our best to make that deadline though (and usually did). It's just good business. Granted, our cakes were not as elaborate.

There was something about that big rabbit cake that looked like Buddy to me.
I think it was the bulging eyes and thick eyebrows.

Heh. I didn't pick up on that resemblence, but I did think the bunny cake was a bit scary! I would think it would have had a more cute and cuddley expression, rather than looking like it was going to jump out at you if you opened the basement door!

I watched a bit, but was not all that impressed. Buddy was loud, crude and obnoxious; I couldn't even finish watching the one episode as he grated on my nerves. I did however switch back to the beginning of the second one, simply to see WHERE this bakery is, so I can avoid them!

How many shows are we going to see the icing falling off? That was the same drama for two weeks in a row. I wonder how much their cakes cost as AOC is like a minimum of $1,000 for just a basic cake. WTF???? I wonder how much Buddies cakes run?

ITA. I laughed my ass off when his Lion King cake self-destructed during the FN Disney Villians challenge.

My gosh, is this show just going to consist of the baker shouting for a half hour? And why does no one in the bake room wear something on their head to cover their hair. Isn't that the law? It makes me nuts.

Yawn, this show is the epitome of dull. I sorta like Ace of Cakes, but after even 3 episodes of that show, it became a bit repetitive and boring...this one? Even worse.

And I agree, I've seen Buddy on FN challenges...his head barely fit into the room because his ego is so large, he was a real tool.

I will never eat wedding cake/fondant cake ever again. The idea of people, not wearing gloves, touching different appliances and surfaces, playing around with the fondant, just looks so unappealing. YUCK!! And the fire truck cake, while really pretty, just doesn't feel like something, I would like to eat, with smoke, wiring etc running through the darn cake.

I agree, Taiade, and that's something that baffles me about these types of businesses in general...how do they survive? If I had that much money to spend on a special event/occasion, I wouldn't want to drop so much on the CAKE, and I'd also want a YUMMY cake. So I'd choose a more edible (or edibly-appealing) cake, and then spend the $$ on something that would be a lasting memory. But, that's me! I just can't imagine spending so much $$ on something that will be gone in 24 hours.

I thought the edible people looked better than those on Ace of Cakes.

I watched the first two eps and I can watch only with the sound OFF. The cakes were cool, except the cream puff one, ick, but all the "tawk" gave me a headache, and I live only 20 miles away, but it's like a world away.

How is driving around a corner and the cake falling apart Stretch's fault? GAH. Set up for sure. I like the relative calmness of AoC to this.

When you're Bride's magazine front inside cover feature, you do whatever they want you to! No questions. Nice cakes to be sure!

The everyday stuff is the money maker - cupcakes, cookies, torts, pies, special occasions like birthday, communion, confirmation, wedding, funerals, Easter... These special cakes are maybe one or two a week and this is an urban area where there are a lot of people.

I would love to see some of the "cake boss" appearances on the Food network. If anyone knows where they may be or when they may soon be reappearing PLEASE let me know. I would like to see what he can actually do in a kitchen by himself.

I find the show to be humourous so far. Don't know if I find many of those cakes to be real edible but I have never had a chance to even try to taste them. Maybe one day we will have someone come on and tell us exactely how they taste. It just seems to me that wouldn't be that good. *shrugs*

I've seen Buddy on the Food Network challenges so I was curious about this show. I watched about 5 minutes of this show and that was enough for me. The part I saw was where the delivery person had messed up and delivered a cake on the wrong day and delivered the wrong cake to a wedding. The so-called drama was so forced and painful to watch. I will not be watching again.

I'm with you, Taiade. I remember someone telling me ages ago that one of the reasons wedding cakes aren't that great to eat is they are made a few days in advance (to allow enough time to decorate) which often dries out the actual cake. Watching a lot of these FN challenges and other fancy cake shows had made me realize that as cool as it is that you can make a cake look like a shoe or a castle or a deranged psychotic bunny rabbit, I'd rather eat a fresh cake that is made of fresh cake. I don't really want to eat a cake that is four days old, made with all kinds of inedible stuff for structure, and decorated with all kinds of gum paste/fondant crap.

The fire truck cake was cool, but I've come to believe that cakes like that should be in a different class from actual cake. I can appreciate the skill and hard work that goes into making something like that, but I'd rather spend way less and have a moist delicious cake. Especially if Buddy's frosting is destined to fall off at some point.

I just got married last weekend and we had a simple cake (no fondant). My boyfriend kept saying FON-DONT just like Buddy to crack me up. I'm so glad we decided that it was more important to have a yummy cake than a fancy looking cake with FON-DONT.

This week's Food Network Challenge features Buddy and 3 other chefs making a surprise birthday cake for one of the show's regular judges. It aired for the first time last night, but should replay Wednesday evening.

I missed tonight's episode. What was with the bride-to-be we saw in the previews? She hates the cake and squirts icing all over it? Did it look staged?

Also, this morning on Today, Josh and Anna Duggar (of 18 Kids and Counting fame) were surprised with a cake from Buddy. They did not know the sex of their expected child are were told to cut the cake to find out. Pink cake layers= it's a girl. Someone on the show's forum said she was in the bakery today and the sisters said they knew nothing of it and Buddy did it all himself secretly.

Oh god, Roadtrip, it was so obviously fake. Bride-to-be was either the worst actress in history or she's on some serious downers.

I just found this show last night and I loved it! The cakes they make are gorgeous, and I'm not the least bit put off by all the yelling and practical jokes. If you get some grown up brothers and cousins working together... for years, and they happen to be a loud and boisterous bunch to start with, this is exactly what I think you'd end up with. No matter what ethnicity, for that matter.

That bride who didn't want a pretty cake was completely bizarre. All I could do was wonder what the groom must be like! I'll definitely be tuning back in next week. They make the cake creation look so damned easy. If only it were...

I think downers. Either way, she was completely nuts. The cakes are so pretty but I would not eat one. I loved the new one that he made for bridezilla though. Much better than the first, more interesting and young but still. What a way to act...fake or not.

When Buddy was meeting with Bridezilla and her mom, didn't they say something about the bride wanting to get married in the desert with camels? This floored me more than the cake vandalism. I spent two months working in the middle of the Sahara desert and I learned not to eff with the desert when I suffered nasty second degree burns on my lower back from only 45 minutes (10:30am-11:15am) of accidental exposure. Dragging a bunch of people into the desert for a wedding is a terrible idea unless she wants a dead bridal party. Of course, who knows what she wants, she seemed really psycho.

That was so weird with the bride. It had to be all scripted, but it was just very, very odd. The bride was psycho either because she did that for real, or because she agreed to act that out for the show. Either way makes her a whacko.

How did I know there would be a thread on TWoP about this show?!? LOL - first of all, I saw this show for the first time last night so I may be running my episodes together - for that, I apologize. I know I saw the roulette wheel cake for the heavily implied but never specifically stated, Mafia boss, the Children's hospital airplane cake, and the bridezilla.

I have to say, like most of you, between this show and Ace of Cakes - I have sworn off actually EATING these amazing fonDONT covered creations for life. However, I desperately want to try and decorate one! It must be the crafter in me, but I really want to know how to do that quilt pattern he did on the bridezilla cake, because that cake was made of awesome! Adding in those little pearls and all the flowers...I seriously want to try one, fonDONT and all, about 1/10th the size though.

I really came looking to see if absolutely ANYONE believed that whole bridezilla reaction was legit and not completely scripted. LOL. Maybe if he had told her where to go and in fact delivered that cake that she destroyed, I would have believed it. But the fact that he so calmly and quickly decided to "be the better person" and not simply clean up the cake he'd already made and add more colorful flowers, but bake and decorate her an ENTIRE new and bigger cake...the day before the wedding?? No way. Sorry Buddy, NOT born yesterday. I don't care how good a customer her mother was.

I'm guessing that Stretch is the official whipping boy of the show and we'll probably see more zany hijinks of stuff getting dumped on him. Let's just hope he's getting more than minimum wage. If he's ok with his role, I guess I can deal with it because I do think these cakes are every bit as interesting, if not more so than AoC.

Since I live in NJ - just a few GSP South exits away, I might wander down that way one day. For a cupcake. Definitely not a cake.

Watch the brown water episode before you decide to eat anything from there!

Was that unbelievable or what? Who in the hell needs to be told not to use brown water?? When the water coming out of the tap isn't clear, that should be a clue right there that you shouldn't use it for anything.

I will never understand why bakers cover cakes with that nasty, barely-edible fondant when you can get the same smooth look from yummy marzipan. My sisters both got their wedding cakes from this place, and they were both beautiful and moist/delicious.

http://www.swedishbakery.com/site/epage/27891_222.htm

This show is terrible, everything is fake and staged, and Buddy and his staff aren't good enough "actors" to pull it off.

If anybody had any doubt about whether or not the "bridezilla" was staged, she actually left a comment in Buddy's photo on Facebook that it was staged by the producers, and the cake she received was the cake she originally ordered.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2254...mp;id=602441079

And here, just in case it gets deleted: