Do not worry! This cake doesn’t spit acid
Since the 1980s, the “Shake, Rattle & Roll” film series has been offering spine-tingling horror stories to Filipino cinephiles that it is forever embedded in our pop culture history. From tales of engkantos and aswangs to reimagined Filipino folklores and monsters lurking in the city, the movie franchise, with its 15 editions, has caused many to scream, laugh, and, occasionally, shed a few tears.
Among its most iconic presentations is “Nanay,” starred by a young Manilyn Reynes and directed by the late great Peque Gallaga. Its story features a lake monster, Undin, who goes into a killing frenzy as she searches for her stolen eggs. But despite her otherworldly appearance and her indisputable rage, the acid-spitting creature captured the hearts of horror film lovers then and now for the movie’s masterful plot. Today, Undin continues to pique the interests of Filipino creatives as the character served as an inspiration for bootleg toys and even cake creation.
Homegrown bakeshop The Pink Butter honors the iconic character by recreating the scene where Undin emerges from the toilet—and it looks straight out of the 1991 classic.
“Our client asked us to make an Undin-themed cake or ‘The Ring’ cake for her friend who loves horror movies,” owners, Margarette C. Pascual and Patricia Monica M. Ang, tell Manila Bulletin Lifestyle. “We thought Undin is better to be made as a cake because somehow, it’s been forgotten and it’s cool to see an iconic Filipino fictional character again. We really thought it’s more funny than scary.”
Their partnership and friendship go way back to 2008 when they were still studying culinary arts at De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde. After exploring solo careers, Patricia in retail and Margarette in various F&B companies, the two got back together in July 2017 to establish The Pink Butter. Their breakout moment happened in 2018 with a special Mother’s Day cake creation dubbed “Mama Rosa,” which remains as their signature cake up to this day. Working together for the cake, Patricia crafted a vanilla-based cake with a caramel filling recipe which was then turned into Margarette’s design and concept.
“At the time, we made 100 Mama Rosa cakes for three days, not to mention the preparation time, from sourcing and purchasing to baking and decorating,” they say. “We only got three hours of sleep every night for three consecutive days.”
What one shouldn’t miss experiencing is their Dark Chocolate cake as well, a truly decadent treat. But what they are truly proud of is their custom-made cakes, which are loved by their clients not only for their taste and quality but also for how they artistically interpret ideas through their design.
“Customized cakes can be expensive for some, but we guarantee that you will get what you have paid for,” they muse.
As for Halloween-themed cakes, they are currently on a roll with customers ordering more Filipino fictional characters. “One client already ordered Imaw of 'Encantadia,' and we are excited to do it,” the two share. “As for realistic kinds of cakes (like insects, skulls, and etc.), we are very open to making whatever scares the celebrant or just for display on your Halloween event.”
See more of The Pink Butter’s cake creations @ThePinkButer on Instagram and Facebook.