Trolls target baker ... because cutting her lifelike cakes ‘is animal cruelty’
LOVINGLY made, these intricate cakes are stunning recreations of our favourite animals. And they taste good, too.
But while winning praise from many, Hannah Edwards’ masterpieces have triggered a protest campaign by hardline animal rights activists.
They claimed that the cakes encourage animal cruelty after Miss Edwards posted pictures on Facebook showing her creations being sliced with a knife.
The 33-year-old uploaded images of confections in the shapes of cats, dogs, penguins and other creatures, receiving dozens of ‘likes’. But activists reported pictures showing the cakes being sliced. One commented under an image of a husky being cut open: ‘Disgusting idea. Maybe do a sweet baby child, then see if you get any likes for that.’
Miss Edwards, who charges between £150 and £2,500 for her sponge-based cakes, which can take up to 80 hours to sculpt, said: ‘I was getting a huge number of enquiries after I made a husky cake and someone had a go at me, saying it was cruel to do as it was encouraging violence to animals.
‘I have had other stuff where there have been pictures of cut cakes and they have been reported to Facebook for encouraging animal cruelty. You have to cut it, as it is a cake. I just think when they get realistic, it weirds people out.’ Facebook has not removed any of the images that provoked complaints. It contacts her when a photo is reported for ‘graphic violence’ but each time the website has said its rules were not broken.
Mother-of-two Miss Edwards, of Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, began baking professionally after she lost her job as a photographer.
‘It all began on my son’s birthday. We made him a lion cake,’ she said. ‘I hated it but everyone loved it and my friends started saying, “Bake your cakes and someone will buy them”. I thought I’d give it three months – that was three years ago.’