I am ACE OF CAKE'S Duff Goldman - AMA!

Duff! Sweet Jeebus, my ten year old will flip when I tell her I talked to you today...kinda. I want to thank you for being the cake guy on tv that wasn't a total asshat, and for inspiring an entire generation of kids to know that being just to left of society's view of normal can be cool as all get out. I'm tattooed, in a band, and love exploring new stuff. When my kids saw you that way, and your staff, and doing something as cool as baking, well...let's just say my oldest little girl wants to be a ballerina/baker when she grows up.

Thanks for being someone really cool, with really cool friends, on tv, and inspiring people like my daughter. You'll hear it a million times, but from me and mine, thank you so much.

Enjoy life!

man, i can't tell you how nice it is to hear comments like that. thank you.

checking the oven, brb...

Would you rather bake and decorate 100 duck sized horse cakes or 1 horse sized duck cake?

1 horse sized duck cake. more of a challenge.

Mr. Goldman

I just wanted to thank you for standing up for equality and baking the cake for the lesbian couple in Oregon! I thought that was awesome of you.

i can't abide hate. don't make no sense. people love eachother. i just don't get why we always need to tell everyone else how to live. there are very real problems in the world, gay people getting married isn't one of them.

You are a good man! :)

no, i'm just not an asshole.

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a dyson, i believe. great question.

Many years ago when I was in middle school I sent you a bunch of pictures of cakes I made because you were my inspiration. You sent me back an autographed picture. Thank you so much for that.

aw, that's sweet. you're welcome!

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No, we're usually there. come by for a drunk slice!

is there any specific cake or type of cake you'd recommend to a person that doesn't really care for cake?

meatloaf

This guy.

ha

Hey Duff,

I was at the dizz a while back and heard a bunch of gunshots. I asked the bartender if we should be concerned and he said "no thats just duff drunk, shooting at shit on the roof" Just wanted to say thats both reckless and hilarious.

i don't drink, but i was probably firing off rockets.

Duff, if you were a cake what kind of cake would you be and why?

I'd be a chocolate bundt cake. I'm sweet, round, and mysterious.

Fondant is great for decorating, but how can you make fondant taste good?

it is what it is, but my Duff brand really does taste good. try it!

I add vanilla or Almond extract to it to give it some flavor, try different flavors to add in.

excellent advice.

What is your most prized cake that you've baked?

r2d2 for george lucas at skywalker ranch. yup.

Just a quick thank you for helping to reinvigorate the Charles Village neighborhood, we appreciate it.

P.S. If you ever want an invite for Shabbat dinner, let me know :-)

mazel tov! will do!

Chef Duff, what does the world needs to know about Baltimore that you never had the chance to say on your show?

david hasselhoff is from there.

thanks for chatting, guys! that was super fun! now, GO KILL ZOMBIE CUPCAKES!!!!!

What's the oddest cake request you've ever gotten?

A GI doctor in mid surgury. Ew.

Hi Duff, aspiring baker here. How can I create recipes myself? What are some hints to creating and perfecting my own recipe for things like cakes or other desserts?

PRACTICE! write down everything you do and keep track, just like a scientist

How and why do you think your life has changed drastically ever since the show and your shop blew up?

i get random high-fives in the airport. thats awesome.

Why are the Ravens so terrible this season so far?

No Q, no run block. We just won the superbowl, we're tired. we're taking some time off. we'll still go all the way.

what made you chose baking over cooking?

chicks dig bakers.

Duff, if you could bake a cake with anyone who would it be and why?

Flo, from the progressive commercials. Because she's funny...and hot.

Duff, what is the best cake you've ever made?

life size elephant

How did you...huh?

google it.

how do you keep the rest of the team calm when s**t hits the fan?

la mota?

Do you have any advice for someone who dreams of owning a bakery some day?

work in one first

Hey Duff, I met you a couple years back at a private bday party where you made a huge elephant cake. I was pretty intoxicated, but man that cake was awesome! I also saw you 2 weekends ago at another private party by same host in SD and that cake was HUGE! No questions, just congrats on all of your success.

yeah! our friend is the coolest, right?!?

coolest to say the least. did you get to hang out at all at the party in SD? Entertainment was crazy.

cray cray

Have you ever received requests for low carb cakes? If so, how did it turn out?

meh

Hi Duff! In honor of your new game, what's your favorite Zombie movie/video game? And what's your favorite dessert other than cake?

I think "shaun of the dead" or anything with Bruce Campbell in it.

Did you watch Food Network shows before you became a Food Network star yourself? Who are some of your favorite other celebrity chefs, and why?

"Taste" hosted by David Rosengarten and "Essence of Emeril" Thats when FN was really awesome, but for a chef. It's changed alot since then.

Interesting, thanks for answering!

Do you mean that it used to be geared more towards professional chefs, but changed to be more for "home chefs?"

i don't think it was geared towards anyone, it was just chefs making tv, not tv people making tv, so it was just different. it gets much higher ratings now.

Hi Duff awesome to see you do this... If Iron Chef America did a cake special.. Who would you go up against and why?..

Thanks again!

Ron Ben-Israel, he'd be tough to beat. that guy is awesome.

I'm spamming your page, sorry.

1) How'd you decide on cake baking and decorating? You were into baking bread at the French Laundry, right? Chef Jesse said something about that on your Chefography.

2) Are you usually on reddit? Obviously you'd be on a different account, but just wondering how you got roped into our neck of the internet.

no, i was pastry prep and cheese plater at TFL, i wanted to bake bread for jesse, but he made me become the exec pastry chef, when all i wanted to do was snowboard and take a few years off in a mountain town (vail) Jesse knew what he was doing. TFL kinda chewed me up and spat me out, i was ready to hang it up after getting my ass kicked that bad, but jesse llapitan had alot of faith and kept me on the path. if it wasn't for him, i'd be selling skis to rich kids right now.

Feel free to ignore any questions. I knew you were coming so I baked some questions.

1) What happpened to Paul and Rich? They disappeared suddenly on your show.

2) Have you stuck with your same flavors or have you had to conform with food trends? Salted caramel cakes? Goat cheese or Greek yogurt icing? Dare I ask, kale?

3) Jew question: Making anything special for "Thanksgivukkah"? I'm probably just adding veggie latkes, and doing some private catering, but I'm curious because you're creative and nuts.

4) The H8CAKE liscence plate, what gives?

Two not-questions: -I saw you on Ridiculousness, and you're way better than the host. -I'd buy the boxed cake mix you put out, if it were kosher.

kale? hell no. it's cake.

the H8CAKE was from a commercial we shot for food network, i beat the shit out of a clown. if you can find it on youtube, that tackle was real!

You mean... THIS commercial!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qGb7bKoUXM

no, there is another edit where i tackle a clown on the sidewalk. i broke a finger doing it.

What is your favorite kind of cake for eating, paying no mind to appearance or decoration?

also, big, stupid slices of diner chocolate cake with crappy frosting.

good old fashioned new york cheesecake. MMMMMMMM!!!!!

How hard is it to transport cakes long distances? What's the farthest distance you've moved a cake?

istanbul?

Hi, Duff. I just want to say that you have been my personal inspiration to get in the kitchen and start cooking. * First, is Charm City Cakes still around? I guess with the show being gone, it got me really worried. * Secondly, where did you go to culinary school? * And lastly, what piece of advice would you have for someone who's always wanted to become a professional chef but has reservations about it? Again, thank you so much for doing this and keep on being awesome!

EDIT: formatting

yes, the shop is still there. TV doesn't really dictate the existence of reality, although i guess descartes would argue otherwise.

Are YOU still at Charm City Cakes?

all the time. east and west.

Hey Duff,

Thanks for recommending the bacon chocolate crunch bar at Animal here in LA

Any other recommendations for the LA food scene?

LA BUNS on santa monica in weho

Duff, I just want to say that everybody that hopped on the Cake Boss bandwagon has been yelled at by myself because you were the original!! I love your show. Your coworkers seemed like the coolest people and secretly I wished that I was one of them for a while. :P That specific guy will remain unnamed though. ahem GEOF

i'll let him know ;)

Is it true that the Camaro from Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives drives like shit?

the first one did, super soft, but the one they have now is AWESOME!

Any tips for a young baker trying to get into the field?

get a job in a bakery, see if you like it. also, try getting a job at a big, nice hotel, like in a resort town or vegas. then you get to see so much more stuff. i don't have too many interns because we only do one thing, we're the best in the world at it, but that doesn't create breadth of knowledge, only depth..

Hey Duff, any chance you are going to go Mass Market Retail like Cakeboss did?

I tried a CakeBoss retail cake, and while pretty good, certainly didn't live up to what I had expected. I sort of feel like that diluted his brand.

you can do mass market retail and make quality product, you just have to care about it. you can't just take a paycheck and let someone run amok with your brand. alot of chefs make that mistake. going big like that is a full time job, if you don't care about the quality, it doesn't last long. i never had one of those cakes so i really don't know what they tasted like. they could have been great, but it's just your personal preference i guess.

Favorite city you have visited?

jerusalem. what an amazing journey. you got the big three all coexisting totally fine, food is great, and i got drunk at an "mtv" bar on shandies when i was 13 and mooned my rabbi at the hostel we were at.

Hey Duff!

Did you ever imagine that Charm City Cakes would blow up into what it has become today?

A few questions related to the best band of all time:

• Which Clutch record is your favourite?
• Did you get to fill in for Dan Maines like you said you'd like to on the Clutch episode?
• Does Mary Alice let you hear some sneak peeks when Clutch are recording?

You're the man!

Self-titled or elephant riders.

What do you think of fondant?

it's awesome. you can do so much with it, it really makes the level at which you can decorate so much higher and gives you so many options.

Duff, Since you made a game, what do you like to play yourself, if anything?

drums

Do you watch other reality cooking shows? Which are your favorites?

Epic MEal Time.

oh, and Ordinary Swedish Meal Time.

Hi Duff!

I very much enjoyed watching you on Iron Chef (among many other shows, naturally) - but was surprised to see Michael Symon eke out a win.

-Would you appear on Iron Chef again, given the chance?

-What do you think you could have done differently to win that match?

1-yes 2-mike is the best, i think the fact that i didn't embarass myself was pretty good

Hey Duff,

Just wanted to say, the wife and I love the show and the show was the reason we started watching the food network. I always dreamed of coming to your bakery one day and we'd be cool dudes together and you'd say "hey, we need to hire this cool dude" and then I'd be the slacker who just ate cake all day.....sigh

yeah, i'm sure i'd pay you a shitload for that.

Hi, Duff! I enjoy your show! It was an inspiration to me as I worked in a bakery in high school. :)

I'm getting married next year and I'm still in the process of looking for a baker for my wedding cake. Ergo, I have 2 questions for you:

1.) What your are your dos and don'ts of cake consultation?

2.) How would you pull off a cake in a barn in June? We're terrified buttercream will melt, but also afraid fondant could taste bad.

Thanks so much for doing this AMA!

fondant is like a banana peel, if you don't want to eat it, peel it off!

Hey Duff! Me and my family always loved watching the crazy stuff you and everyone else came up with. Just have one question for you:

1. With all the crazy contraptions that you have added to your cakes (fireworks, motors, etc) has anything ever gone wrong and ruined a cake?

all the time. when a cake destroys itself, we just have to fix it. and we always do ;)

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just keep baking, keep getting better and look at people who are super successful, Sprinkles, crumbs, etc. do what they do, they are doing something right!

Hey Duff, big fan of the show! All your employees look like they're having so much fun, Charm City Cakes seems like a great place to work. I was wondering, if you could have any other job in the world, what would it be and why?

i'd be a mechanic, i love cars and building things. Tony Stark is a mechanic, right?

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big enough.

Any recipes for an eggless cake that you can share?

i'd say google it. try different ones, and when you find a good one, send it to me!

Marry, fuck, kill: Ina Garten, Alex Guarnaschelli, Anne Burrell.

Go!

i love alex, she is one of the coolest people i've ever met. i've never met Ina.

What do the Ravens need to do to turn this thing around?

play me at DT

Hi Duff, I'm a big fan. I was wondering, what was the worst spill or destruction of a cake you've ever had happen to you? Also, what is your favorite dinosaur?

my favorite dino i think would be a newly discovered dinoplatypus in australia. it ate turtles and small deer and stuff!

Thanks for doing this Duff, my sister and I are big fans!

Out of all of the cakes shown on Ace of Cakes, which one was your favourite to make?

r2d2

Hey Duff! Is there any cake you can't make or refuse to make?

human babies

Cakes shaped like babies, or made from babies?

either

You and your crew are awesome!!

1) What's your favorite animal?

2) What's your favorite dessert?

3) What's one aspect that you think you suck at as a baker/cake decorator?

what do i suck at? piping roses, old-school stuff like that. i never worked in a cake shop before i owned one so i don't know how to do alot of the things that most bakers do.

animal: buffalo

dessert: gelato

I have two question to ask you Duff! First, what was the most difficult cake you've ever made? Second, is there a specific movie or tv show that you would love to make a cake for?

"My Blue Heaven" with Steve Martin and Rick Moranis is my favorite movie of all time.

Duff, you are the man! Love your energy and enthusiasm on the show. How do you stay motivated??

i love my "job!" if that's what this is. I also kill zombie cupcakes to relieve the stress.

Have you had a cake that you simply dreaded to make? And why?

it's never the cake, sometimes we get "challenging" customers. but the ones that challenge us always make us better, so we love them.

1. Do you enjoy working by yourself on cakes that have a higher meaning to you?

2. How many reddit golds would it take for you to make my girlfriend a birthday cake?

i don't know what a gold is, but if you want a cake, you can give me dollars instead.

CIA Bachelor's student here, any advice for owning your own business one day?

work at alot of them first and see how its done and how not to do it. thats the best education

What was the first cake you made? What was the worst cake youve made?

the first cake i made was at "savannah" in baltimore. the worst cake i made, i don't wanna talk about it. ;)

okay, i'm back

Just wanted to say you are awesome and a big reason I want to become a baker, I also got a whisk tattoo inspired by yours (:

sweet!

What advice would you give to someone wanting to open their own bakery?

see above

Best gluten-free cake recipe?

try C4C

What was the hardest cake that you were challenged to create?

How much autonomy do you have in the designs of your cakes? Is it ever a situation where they say something like "I want an Alice in Wonderland cake" and leave it up to you for the design?

every cake is different, but most of the time people have a pretty good idea of what they want. what we do is guide them to getting something that is really cool. for example, people like "biography cakes" that tell their whole life story. that's cool and all, but most of the guests won't get all the inside jokes and innuendos, so we try to simplify and have them get one thing that everybody will understand.

Hey Duff, is there any way we could hear more of Geof's music? I think it was featured on the show once and I'd love to hear more of it.

Thanks for giving me an interest in cooking and baking. Being able to make a batch of cookies or bake a cake has saved my ass a few times in the passed few years and I wouldn't have been as interested in anything culinary if it weren't for you.

Also, I'm visiting my mother and she would we be ecstatic if you said hello and to get well soon.

Geof has an album on itunes right now. ITS AWESOME!!!!!

If you have to eat one cake for the rest of your life

What cake would it be?

mine

Hi Duff! I went to the CIA and tried to have my externship at your bakery but I was denied :( anyways just wanted to say I'm sad I was never able to work with you because I think your cakes are awesome and I could have learned so much from you! You're a big cake inspiration to me, and part of the reason I followed my dreams of being a baker! But yea. No questions really, just keep doing what you do, you're great :)

the best internship is to find cakes you like and copy them. thats what i did, and eventually i learned how to design my own. But first i copied all the awesome bakers and learned their techniques.