Walsall baker donates towering 6.5ft cake to food banks after internet sensation
A life-sized Shrek made entirely of cake? That’s not a deleted scene from Shrek 2 — it’s the latest edible creation by UK baker Lara Mason. And after racking up millions of views online, the massive green ogre didn’t end up in the bin or a museum. It was cut up and sent to food banks.
The 6.5ft (1.98m) vanilla-and-ganache colossus took over 40 hours to make, and now it’s doing more than breaking the internet — it’s feeding people.
An ogre with layers — and a cause
Lara Mason isn’t new to viral fame. She’s known online for building hyper-realistic cake replicas of celebrities like Taylor Swift and Deadpool. But this one? It was bigger — literally and figuratively.
Standing taller than most people and heavier than anyone dared to guess, her Shrek cake was created in just four days. That meant hours spent climbing ladders and smoothing layers of chocolate ganache over sponge cake, all while carefully sculpting every detail — from the crooked smile to the iconic ears.
“Even ogres have layers,” she joked, quoting the original 2001 film that made Shrek a household name.
This time, though, Mason had another mission in mind. She wasn’t just baking for clicks or clout. She wanted to give the finished product — all 50 layers of it — to people who needed it.
How do you keep a giant cake fresh?
Making a cake this size wasn’t the only challenge. Keeping it edible was a whole different beast.
Mason usually bakes all her sponges from scratch. But with a project this tall and time-sensitive, the cake risks going stale before it’s even finished. That wouldn’t fly if it was going to end up in food banks.
So she got help from a nearby bakery, who provided freshly baked sponge in bulk. It was the only way to keep the layers moist and safe to eat once the project wrapped.
• 6.5ft tall — that’s taller than most refrigerators
• 50 layers of cake
• 40 hours of work across 4 days
• Ingredients included vanilla sponge and chocolate ganache
And after it was unveiled online and admired by millions, the cake was carefully dismantled, boxed up, and handed over to local food aid groups.
More than just cake: fans, fame, and a Shrek sequel
The cake’s timing wasn’t random. With teasers for Shrek 5 making the rounds, Mason said she felt inspired to pay tribute to the grumpy ogre that’s become a cultural icon.
She’s not the only one excited. The cake’s reveal drew attention from fans of the franchise and food lovers alike. But this wasn’t just about trending — it was about doing something good, too.
Mason’s past creations — like her edible Deadpool and Taylor Swift — have drawn praise from actors like Ryan Reynolds and Jim Carrey. That kind of reach helped amplify her latest work. But the heart of this project was about giving back.
“It’s a lot of cake,” she laughed, reflecting on the process. And yeah, it really was.
Feeding bellies, not just algorithms
The cake might have been viral candy for the internet, but for people in the West Midlands, it turned into something more real — a dessert for those who may not often get one.
With food insecurity on the rise in parts of the UK, Mason’s donation was a welcome surprise for several community centers. Volunteers cut up and distributed portions of the vanilla cake to local families.
“This isn’t something we get every day,” one food bank worker said. “It was a really special treat, especially for the kids.”
There was something almost poetic in the journey of this sugar-frosted sculpture — crafted for the screen, sliced for the community.
The woman behind the sponge and sugar
Mason’s cake business, Lara Cakes, is based in Walsall, where she’s spent more than 13 years mastering the art of edible design. But this project stretched even her skills.
It was the tallest and widest cake she’s ever made in such a short time. And the physical toll of decorating it from ladders was no joke. “That was a real challenge,” she said.
But it’s clear she’s not slowing down anytime soon. With a fan base in the millions and a growing list of requests, Mason is riding the sugar wave — one fondant-covered face at a time.
