It’s a vacation season custom that Tom Cruise sends what’s assumed to be his favourite cake to an untold variety of luminaries in his Rolodex. It’s also a convention that we, the denizens of leisure media, are compelled to debate this cake and its lore.
For the uninitiated: Cruise yearly presents his mates, associates and previous co-stars the White Chocolate Coconut Bundt Cake from Doan’s bakery within the Los Angeles suburb of Woodland Hills. This cake reportedly first got here to the Mission Inconceivable star in 2008 by way of then-wife Katie Holmes whereas she working with the late Diane Keaton, a Doan’s fan, on the movie Mad Cash. He served it at a celebration or two and, in some unspecified time in the future, began gifting it every December.
The confection is usually known as the “Tom Cruise Christmas Cake” or simply the “Tom Cruise Cake,” and googling both string of phrases will certainly direct you to Doan’s web page on luxe meals supply service GoldBelly. There, the bundt goes for a whopping $139.95, although as of the hour of this story’s publishing it’s bought out. However there’s a better (and cheaper) solution to get your paws on this fats ring of straightforward carbohydrates: driving to the bakery, the place the value tag is a extra cheap $66, and shopping for one from a member of Doan’s very pleasant workers. So that’s precisely what I did. Within the identify of journalism.
Becoming a member of me on this style check had been three colleagues, senior leisure reporter Mia Galuppo, senior author Gary Baum and vp video manufacturing & growth Jason Rovou. For those who’d like to listen to our full debate — sans chewing sounds, promise! — it’s on the latest episode of the podcast I’m Having an Episode (Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple). For the broad strokes, learn our reactions beneath.
However first, we must always word some present prejudices. I don’t perceive white chocolate, Mia dislikes coconut, and Jason beforehand tried the cake previously. Gary is barely burdened by his personal excessive requirements.
As for the controls of our experiment: The cake was served as contemporary as attainable, procured very first thing within the morning from Doan’s and couriered to the THR workplaces in my Chevy. It was nonetheless chilly, presumably from spending the night time within the fridge, and was served in a barren recording studio with out drinks. My dangerous.
Our preliminary reactions…
MIKEY “There’s extra texture than I used to be anticipating. It’s a poundy Bundt cake, clearly a variety of butter. There’s frosting round the entire thing. There’s sweetened coconut on high and, on the underside, chunks of ‘white chocolate’ and toasted coconut. You need to know what? It tastes like sugar.”
GARY “I’m impressed by the complexity of texture that they get throughout right here, notably with the toasted coconut on one finish and the nibs. I do assume that you simply’re mainly simply getting a pure sugar blast, which is what I believe most individuals need out of a vacation cake. This isn’t about subtlety. It’s simply hitting you exhausting. It’s attention-grabbing. It’s extra coconutty than I used to be anticipating.”
MIKEY “‘It’s simply hitting you exhausting’ can be an actual nice tagline for this cake.”
MIA “I’m having nice time with it. I believe it’s a extremely scrumptious cake. It doesn’t style like coconut, as a self-professed hater of coconut. Granted, I didn’t eat the desiccated coconut across the facet of it. It isn’t overwhelmingly a coconut taste.”
JASON “It’s a really festive cake. It’s like a type of Hostess snowballs … the large white coconut ball. And I’ll say the slice I beforehand had was at room temperature, so it felt a bit of lighter. I don’t keep in mind the white chocolate nibs being on the backside of the cake, which threw me a bit of bit.”
And after a couple of extra bites…
GARY “I do assume that we’re not doing this cake the complete service by not complimenting it with a cup of espresso or one thing to type of steadiness it. I believe that by simply having it primarily uncooked.”
MIKEY “Sorry for not bringing espresso, Gary.”
MIA “You’re proper that this may be actually good with espresso. It jogs my memory of the kind of cake and your grandmother is sitting there with a factor of black espresso and he or she’s spooning this in prefer it’s a breakfast cake virtually.”
MIKEY “Coconut is a really grandmotherly taste profile.”
GARY “How significantly better is that this cake both, A, figuring out you bought it from Tom Cruise and subsequently you’re judging it on a curve and or, B, figuring out that you simply’re experiencing it with others who assume that you simply acquired it from Tom Cruise? I really feel like that provides this complete meta factor to it.”
MIA “Oh, this may be a very good re-gift.”
If this cake had been a Tom Cruise film, which would it not be?
GARY “Most likely The Agency.”
MIKEY “It’s agency.”
GARY “And the Caribbean factor.”
Would we drive to Woodland Hills, spend $66, and convey it to a vacation social gathering?
ALL “Sure.”
MIA “I believe that’s a extremely strong value level for a vacation festive cake.”
GARY “Sure, partly since you’re getting a dialog out of it. However is it a $66 cake? No, it’s actually not. There are many different thrilling truffles or pies or various things you may get. We may identify 20 different locations. However with the ability to speak concerning the form of socioanthropological factor of the Tom Cruise of all of it, that provides lots to it.”
Would we spend $139.95 to ship one to a pal on Goldbelly?
MIA “In the event that they’re a giant Tom Cruise fan, in the event that they’re watching Days of Thunder yearly, certain, that may be a implausible, considerate reward. I believe it simply relies upon.”
JASON “I’ve a pal that I used to be truly considering of sending this to.”
MIKEY “I’d think about it, however solely to prank somebody into considering it may need truly come from Tom Cruise.”
Instantly after the tasting, the leftover cake was placed on show within the bullpen of THR’s Los Angeles workplace. Many ate. Solely 4 shared their ideas.
“Upon first chunk, I admire the moist, fluffy texture with good coconut taste and beautiful cream cheese frosting. A strong Bundt cake. However what units it aside: the little morsels of brown-sugary, virtually butterscotchy crunchy goodness. I suppose that is the white chocolate? I’d be pleased to eat this every year if somebody gifted it to me.” — Jennifer H. Levin, managing editor (Word: Jen went to pastry faculty, so I’d belief her above the remainder of us.)
“I’d have this cake once more! And I’m saying that as somebody who usually wouldn’t choose cake off a menu as a result of it’s often too dry, and wouldn’t choose coconut once I may have chocolate. It wasn’t my favourite dessert of all time, nevertheless it was contemporary, moist and I appreciated the flavors.” — Lisa de los Reyes, senior copy editor
“It’s a very good cake, although nothing adequate to justify the lore Hollywood has positioned behind this factor. There’s nothing flawed with it, the cake’s moist and candy and the frosting’s good. (The coconut dries it out an excessive amount of although.) However nothing about consuming this has helped me perceive why that is the pastry Tom Cruise wheels out to the large wigs yr after yr.” — Ethan Millman, music editor
“It was effective however inferior to the cake slices at El Tremendous. Have you ever ever had a $3 slice of cake from el tremendous? Unimaginable.” — Nicole Fell, assistant editor
Mikey O’Connell