SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- A Sacramento bakery is getting a flood of support after one of its custom cakes caught quite a bit of flack on social media. The cake was baked and molded into a transgender Ken doll.
"It wasn't that unusual, we do doll cakes all the time," said Marlene Goetzeler, co-owner of the bakery.
Eggs, milk, butter and a dash of controversy were the recipe at Freeport Bakery for the unorthodox custom cake.
The Ken doll wore a pink dress made of frosting, a sash, a tiara and jewelry.
"Naively, I guess I just thought this is a really cool cake, and look at how great they did with the butter cream,” said Goetzeler. “What's wrong with a Ken cake?"
It was baked at 350 degrees, but the real heat didn’t come until Goetzeler posted a picture of the dolled up delicacy on Facebook.
"I started getting some negative comments ... Then a couple days later I noticed there was a big dip in unlikes. I was kind of surprised,” said Goetzeler told Fox40.
An LGBT debate ensued. After a few hundred comments, and more than a thousand reactions, the bakery's page lost dozens of Facebook likes and potential business, all because of the post.
"I was shocked that somebody would be offended,” said Goetzeler.
"Oh, I thought it was fantastic,” said Chad Graham, who attended the party where the cake was served.
Graham says it was at the birthday party for a member of a group that meets once a month for a dice game. He says the cake’s recipient is not transgender nor was he trying to make a political statement whatsoever. The cake’s recipient didn't wish to speak to FOX40. The backlash took the group by surprise.
"I thought it was a little ridiculous. It was just cake,” said Graham.
But when word of the confection controversy began to spread, hundreds of people came to the bakery's defense, both on social media and at the storefront.
"In the beginning, I thought 'What's the big deal?' but now I realize how important it is to take a stand if you believe in something,” said Goetzeler.
A small gesture with a big impact. Goetzeler says this time acceptance takes the cake.
