“Duck Cake” isn’t just one of the best episodes of Bluey, it’s also a phenomenon. It’s not uncommon to stumble into a Reddit thread or a Facebook group post with some hapless home cook showing off their best (or worst) attempt at this challenging recipe. Many have tried, but few have succeeded. Today, that all changes, thanks to one YouTuber who has revealed the best method to make this exceptionally bizarre cake.
Andrew Douglas Rea (more famously known by his alter ego of Babish) released a new Binging with Babish episode earlier today. The recipe du jour was the infamous duck cake from the second season Bluey episode of the same name. There’s nothing fowl about this cake (I promise this is the only duck pun in this article), as Babish breaks down every step of the process that demystifies and simplifies making and building one of the most peculiar desserts ever featured in a cartoon.
As we learned in 2022, the Duck Cake recipe was inspired by a famous Australian cookbook from the 1980s with a convoluted construction method. If Bandit had Babish’s instructions instead of that outdated one, he might have avoided his breakdown during the baking process (although now I’m wondering what kind of dog Babish would be in the Bluey universe). But if he did, we might have never learned the true importance of the duck cake, because there’s no cake sweeter than the one enjoyed with loved ones.
Check out the video below:
You can also grab the entire recipe with measurements from the official Binging with Babish website.
The key takeaways here are preparation and patience. There are a lot of tools Bandit didn’t use when it came to making his cook, and this knowledge might prevent other duck cakes from losing their heads. I didn’t expect Babish to make his own caramel popcorn from scratch, but I should have known better (and it’s so easy to do, there’s no reason to ever buy that in a supermarket again).
The great thing about Binging with Babish‘s videos is that everything feels incredibly accessible. Even if there are some extra steps you wouldn’t normally take with your average cake, Babish’s tutorial is foolproof enough for even the most inexperienced home chef. Constructing this frosted behemoth seems daunting, but it seems simple when demonstrated by this expert, and should give anyone the confidence to attempt this in their kitchen. Yes, it will take spending some extra cash to pick up a few special items, but if it means not exploding into a ball of rage due to your duck falling over, then it’s money well spent.
Binging with Babish has tackled other foods from animated franchises in previous videos, including Adventure Time’s Bacon Pancakes, Together Breakfast from Steven Universe, and Spongebob Squarepant’s world-famous Krabby Patty burger.
The Duck Cake is based on an actual recipe from a 1980s book, specifically the Australian Women’s Weekly Children’s Birthday Cake Book. According to the people who own this book, the Duck Cake might not even be the most unusual recipe in there, but it comes pretty close. While it might not be the most trifficult to make compared to others, it’s certainly become the most notorious.
If you’ve tried making this duck cake for your friends and family, let us know how it turned out. No matter what, I’m sure taking a bite out of this dessert will make your tail wag!
