This is not the cake you are looking for.
Carlo’s Bake Shop, famous for being the TV home of Buddy Valastro aka the Cake Boss, has a series of ATM-style kiosks that can be found in hotels throughout Las Vegas. But a Vegas insider says you should keep walking on by if you’re craving fresh-baked quality.
Las Vegas tour guide and concierge Jennifer Gay aka VegasStarfish (@vegasstarfish) has warned her followers about scams in the past. But she revealed her personal pet peeve scam in a video she dropped Thursday that has already picked up a staggering 2 million views and counting.
“Of all the scams and hustles in Las Vegas the Carlo’s Bakery Cake Vending Machines irritate me the most,” Gay writes in the video’s caption. “If you or someone you know has been victimized by this dessert, here is your safe space. THE CAKE IS A LIE.”
In the video, Gay shows herself picking up a slice of rainbow-hued cake from the machines as she speaks about how Vegas tourists line up in droves to use them.
@vegasstarfish Of all the scams and hustles in Las Vegas the Carlo’s Bakery Cake Vending Machines iritate me the most. Everything about these brightly colored treat fulled machines promise joy and deliver old, stale disappointment. If you or someone you know has been victimized by this dessert, here is your safe space. THE CAKE IS A LIE. #vegas #lasvegas #vegasstarfish #carlosbakery #badcake #cakevendingmachine #vegashustle #vegasstrip #vegasscam #vegasdessert #vegasonabudget #wheretogoinvegas #vegaslocal #vegastiktok ♬ Spooky music box bell horror BGM – Notzan ACT
“These machines imply that the cake is [made] fresh daily,” she claims. “Instead it’s flown in frozen from a warehouse in Jersey.” Carlo’s Bake House is based out of Hoboken, New Jersey. The Daily Dot has reached out to the company via email for further comment.
Gay also alleges that the “scam” has gotten worse as the individually wrapped cake slices no longer display an ingredient list.
“Look at those oxidized sprinkles,” she says as she displays the cake. Sure enough, the rainbow sprinkles have apparently “bloomed” due to oxidization, meaning the cake was packaged some time ago.
Even without the label, Gay insists the cake is “the same dry, flavorless, and soaked in corn syrup garbage.”
Several of Gay’s viewers took issue with her claim that the kiosks were attempting to scam people and stated that “delivered daily” isn’t meant to imply “made daily.”
“It’s says DELIVERED DAILY, not make fresh daily,” wrote Snow White (@snow.white.empress).
“It says “delivered daily” not ‘delivered fresh daily’. So no, it isn’t implied that it’s fresh,” another added.
Several other commenters stated that corn syrup or not, they liked the cake.
“I thought the cake was good,’ wrote Andrew (@wrx.19).
“I don’t care I would still eat this at 1am after a night of drinking,” another viewer commented.
Responding to packcrackfever (@packcrackfever)’s claim that “VegasStarfish vs Cake Vending Machines the most legendary Vegas beef,” Gay replied, “I plan to outlive these machines.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Gay via TikTok for further comment.
