When Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence cut into a spectacular nine-tier cake with a sword, few realised that they were unleashing another controversy of Trump’s America.
Albeit a minor one.
The cake was unveiled at The Salute to Our Armed Services Ball, one of a series of events celebrating his Inauguration.
But for pastry chef Duff Goldman, the creation appeared remarkably similar.
The TV regular took to Twitter to draw parallels to the one he created for Barack Obama’s second inauguration as President four years earlier.
”I didn’t make it,” he finished with a chin-stroking emoji, leading many to suggest there was an act of pastry plagiarism afoot.
The Washington Post solved the mystery, getting in touch with the owner of the bakery charged with creating the celebratory cake for the 45th President.
Tiffany MacIsaac, owner of Washington’s Buttercream Bakeshop, explained a client had asked for the Obama cake to be re-created, and asked whether a photo they had brought was for “inspiration”:
“They said, ‘Nope, they want this exact cake. It’s perfect.’ And we said, ‘Great.’”
While the baker declined to reveal her political affiliations, she said the bakery and its staff had decided they would donate profits from the cake to Human Rights Campaign - a charity that advocates for equal treatment of the LGBT community. It has declared Trump “unfit for presidency”.
The bakery explained its intentions on Instagram.
It said:
“Excited to share the cake we got to make for one of last night’s inaugural balls.
“While we most love creating original designs, when we are asked to replicate someone else’s work we are thrilled when it is a masterpiece like this one.
“Duff Goldman originally created this for Obama’s inauguration 4 years ago and this years committee commissioned us to re-create it. Best part is all the profits are being donated to Human Rights Campaign, one of our favorite charities who we have loved working with over the years.
“Because basic human rights are something every man, woman and child - straight, gay or the rainbow in between - deserve!”
“"Because basic human rights are something every man, woman and child - straight, gay or the rainbow in between - deserve!””
- Buttercream Bakeshop