# Is It Cake?

Is It Cake? is an American game show–style cooking competition television series created by Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz, and hosted by Mikey Day. The series premiered on Netflix on March 18, 2022. Contestants create cakes that replicate common objects in an effort to trick celebrity judges. Winners of each episode receive $5,000 and a chance to win more money by identifying which display of cash is real and which is cake.
The series is based on the viral internet meme of the same name, popularized on YouTube and TikTok. The meme involves showing a skillfully decorated cake disguised as a common object or food, and challenging viewers to determine if it is real or a cake replica. Day became fascinated by the meme after his manager, Michael Goldman, introduced it to him. Although Day has no baking experience or background, he joined the show as host. Day explained the draw of show is the "human desire... to pick out the 'disguised something'."
In June 2022, Netflix renewed the series for a second season. The second season, titled Is It Cake, Too? was released on June 30, 2023. In January 2024, Netflix renewed the series for a third season, titled Is It Cak3? which was released on March 29, 2024. In October 2024, Netflix announced a holiday season special, titled Is It Cake? Holiday Edition which was released on November 28, 2024. Similar to the Blown Away spin off series "Blown Away: Christmas", it features nine all-star bakers from the first three seasons. Mikey Day reprises his role as the host.

## Gameplay

Throughout each episode, contestants and celebrity judges are presented with a display of multiple examples of an object, one of which is a cake replica. Three contestants are given eight hours to bake and decorate a cake that replicates the look of an object selected for that episode. Celebrity judges are then presented with three separate groups of five of the same object. Among each of the five-object sets is one of the contestant-baked cakes. If the judges correctly guess which object is actually a cake, its baker is eliminated from that episode. When multiple contestants are able to trick the judges, the winner is selected based on cake quality. The winner of each episode wins $5,000 and is able to win an additional $5,000 if they can correctly identify which of two identical bundles of cash is actually a cake. If they do not correctly identify the cake, the $5,000 is added to the cash bundle round winnings in the next episode. The winners of the three episodes leading up to the finale then compete in the finale to win $50,000. The show does not dismiss any of the eight contestants who are able to stay during the season and observe. Some not competing in the finale were selected to help support the finalists' baking efforts.

## Production

Is It Cake? was created by Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz and is produced by their company, Alfred Street Industries. It is hosted by Mikey Day. On June 2, 2022, the series was renewed for a second season.

## Episodes
### Series overview

| Season | Episodes | Episodes | Originally released | Originally released |
| 1 | 8 | 8 | March 18, 2022 (2022-03-18) | March 18, 2022 (2022-03-18) |
| 2 | 8 | 8 | June 30, 2023 (2023-06-30) | June 30, 2023 (2023-06-30) |
| 3 | 8 | 8 | March 29, 2024 (2024-03-29) | March 29, 2024 (2024-03-29) |
| Holiday | 4 | 4 | November 28, 2024 (2024-11-28) | November 28, 2024 (2024-11-28) |

### Season 1 (2022)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Celebrity judges | Original release date |
| 1 | 1 | "Fast-Food Fakeout" | Daymon Patterson, Fortune Feimster and Ronnie Woo | March 18, 2022 (2022-03-18) |
| 2 | 2 | "Phony Fashion" | Hester Sunshine, Jason Bolden and Michael Yo | March 18, 2022 (2022-03-18) |
| 3 | 3 | "Fake by the Ocean" | Camille Kostek, Chris Witaske and Kellee Edwards | March 18, 2022 (2022-03-18) |
| 4 | 4 | "Imposter in Aisle 5" | Courtney Parchman, Finesse Mitchell and Farley Elliott | March 18, 2022 (2022-03-18) |
| 5 | 5 | "Cake Crashers" | Arturo Castro, Rebecca Black and Jon Gabrus | March 18, 2022 (2022-03-18) |
| 6 | 6 | "Garage Mirage" | Tony Rock, King Princess and Lyric Lewis | March 18, 2022 (2022-03-18) |
| 7 | 7 | "Toying Around" | Brittany Broski, Heidi Gardner and Dan Ahdoot | March 18, 2022 (2022-03-18) |
| 8 | 8 | "Winner Fakes All!" | Loni Love, Bobby Moynihan and Karamo Brown | March 18, 2022 (2022-03-18) |

### Season 2: Is It Cake, Too? (2023)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Celebrity judges | Original release date |
| 9 | 1 | "Everything Is Cake!" | Chrishell Stause, Blake Anderson and Maz Jobrani | June 30, 2023 (2023-06-30) |
| 10 | 2 | "Body By Cake" | Nico Santos, Joel McHale and Ally Love | June 30, 2023 (2023-06-30) |
| 11 | 3 | "Cake University" | Chris Witaske, Kirby Howell-Baptiste and Chloe Fineman | June 30, 2023 (2023-06-30) |
| 12 | 4 | "That 90's Cake" | Anna Camp, Melissa Villaseñor and Joel Kim Booster | June 30, 2023 (2023-06-30) |
| 13 | 5 | "S'more Cake Please" | Brandon Kyle Goodman, Cristela Alonzo and Kate Flannery | June 30, 2023 (2023-06-30) |
| 14 | 6 | "So Fresh and So Cake" | Charli D'Amelio, Heidi D'Amelio and Dixie D'Amelio | June 30, 2023 (2023-06-30) |
| 15 | 7 | "Cake Me Out to the Ballgame" | Jeff Dye, Chiney Ogwumike and Flula Borg | June 30, 2023 (2023-06-30) |
| 16 | 8 | "Winner Cakes All!" | Jade Catta-Preta, Chris Redd and Taylor Tomlinson | June 30, 2023 (2023-06-30) |

### Season 3: Is It Cak3? (2024)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Celebrity judges | Original release date |
| 17 | 1 | "Cake Whodunit" | Jay Pharoah, Lauren Lapkus, London Hughes | March 29, 2024 (2024-03-29) |
| 18 | 2 | "Swimming With Cakes" | Oscar Nunez, Jillian Bell, and Kamie Crawford | March 29, 2024 (2024-03-29) |
| 19 | 3 | "Head-to-Head Battle Royale" | Dulcé Sloan, Chris Witaske, and Liza Koshy | March 29, 2024 (2024-03-29) |
| 20 | 4 | "Knock Knock...Cake Service!" | Michael Ealy, Heather McMahan, and Beck Bennett | March 29, 2024 (2024-03-29) |
| 21 | 5 | "Welcome to the Jungle" | Sam Morril, Danielle Pinnock, and Christina P. | March 29, 2024 (2024-03-29) |
| 22 | 6 | "Cake on Fire" | Sherry Cola, Adam Shapiro, and Storm Reid | March 29, 2024 (2024-03-29) |
| 23 | 7 | "Cakes Ahoy!" | Emma Hernan, Justin Willman, and Lana Condor | March 29, 2024 (2024-03-29) |
| 24 | 8 | "Winner Cakes All!" | Taran Killam, Ego Nwodim, and Chris Kattan | March 29, 2024 (2024-03-29) |

### Is It Cake? Holiday Edition (2024)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Celebrity judges | Original release date |
| 25 | 1 | "All-Star Cakemas!" | Rachel Bloom, Wayne Brady, and Sebastian Maniscalco | November 28, 2024 (2024-11-28) |
| 26 | 2 | "Snow Many Cakes" | Hannah Berner, Tiffany Haddish, and Devon Walker | November 28, 2024 (2024-11-28) |
| 27 | 3 | "Season's Eatings" | James Austin Johnson, Chris Witaske, and Sasheer Zamata | November 28, 2024 (2024-11-28) |
| 28 | 4 | "Tis the Season for a Winner" | Terry Crews, Punkie Johnson, and Randall Park | November 28, 2024 (2024-11-28) |

## Release

Is It Cake? was released on Netflix on March 18, 2022, Is It Cake, Too? was released on Netflix on June 30, 2023, Is It Cak3? was released on Netflix on March 29, 2024. and Is It Cake? Holiday Edition was released on Netflix on November 28, 2024.

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
| 2022 | Critics' Choice Real TV Awards | Best Culinary Show | Is It Cake? | Nominated | |
| 2024 | Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Reality Show | Is It Cake? | Nominated | |