If cooking is more akin to art with a dash of science, then baking is most definitely more like science mixed with art. Creativity is a plus no matter what you do in the kitchen. But when you’re baking anything, you also need to be incredibly precise, measured, and follow your recipe to the letter.
Some home chefs—amateur and veteran alike—are so incredibly good at what they do that we want to celebrate their achievements. So, we’re featuring some of the most impressive things made by the members of the super popular ‘Baking’ online group. What they’ve done is truly next-level stuff. Scroll down for the most delicious photos you’ll probably see all week. Just be warned… you might get incredibly hungry or be so inspired you'll end up making way too many (cup)cakes.
We wanted to learn about how much sugar is healthy to eat, as well as how we can make our baked goods healthier. So, Bored Panda reached out to Dr. Nicole Avena, the author of 'Sugarless: A 7 Step Plan to Uncover Hidden Sugars, Curb Your Cravings and Conquer Your Addiction,' for advice. You'll find her insights below.
#1 Finally Getting The Hang Of It
Image credits: DONUTORIOUS
Added sugar has become nearly unavoidable in the modern food landscape, Dr. Avena told Bored Panda. However, there is a way to include it in your diet and still stay healthy.
"The key is moderation and mindfulness. According to the American Heart Association, the recommended limit for added sugars is no more than 6 teaspoons (25 grams) per day for women and 9 teaspoons (36 grams) per day for men," she explained.
"Staying within these guidelines, or below them, can really help support metabolic health and reduce your risk of weight gain, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease."
#2 Vintage Floral Cake In Rich Green & Pink Tones 🌺
Image credits: Alicedurr
#3 Cake I Made Myself For My Uni Graduation
Image credits: No-Satisfaction-1510
The author of 'Sugarless: A 7 Step Plan to Uncover Hidden Sugars, Curb Your Cravings and Conquer Your Addiction' explained that everyone's tolerance for sugar can vary. This can depend on various factors, from activity level and age to overall diet quality.
"The goal isn’t to eliminate all sugar—it's to be aware of where it’s coming from and how much you’re consuming. That means reading labels and being especially cautious with processed foods, where sugar can be hidden under many names."
Bored Panda was curious about how bakers can moderate the amount of sugar and fat that they eat. Dr. Avena was kind enough to shed some light on this for us. "Baking is such a wonderful and creative outlet—and you don’t have to give it up to improve your diet! Small, intentional swaps can make a big difference over time."
#4 How It Started vs. How It’s Going
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#5 Chocolate Coffee Mascarpone Tart ☁️
Image credits: cupcakesobviously
#6 For My Sister ❤️
Image credits: Green-Cockroach-8448
She shared a few simple but effective strategies to bake healthier. "Use natural sweeteners like mashed banana, applesauce, or dates to replace part of the sugar in recipes. They provide sweetness along with fiber and nutrients," she told Bored Panda.
You could also cut the sugar you add gradually. "Most baked goods still taste great with 25–50% less sugar than the recipe calls for," she noted. Meanwhile, you can always choose healthier fats, like swapping out butter or shortening for avocado, olive oil, or nut butters, which provide healthier unsaturated fats.
"Experiment with whole grain flours like oat or almond flour, which not only improve the nutrient profile but also slow the absorption of sugar, leading to more stable blood sugar levels," Dr. Avena suggested.
"Most importantly, give yourself grace. It’s not about perfection—it’s about building sustainable habits. Moderation and awareness are more effective than complete restriction, especially when you're making long-term changes."
#7 This Is The Birthday Cake I Made For Myself!
Image credits: MisplacedChaosInLife
#8 My Very First “Order”
Image credits: Ottershorts
#9 So It Didn’t Turn Out Perfect.. But I Made A Jellycat Cake!
Image credits: cupidsvirgo
If you’re completely new to baking, then probably the very best piece of advice you can get is that you should start by taking incredibly basic recipes and then following them as they’re written. Be as precise as possible.
Doing too many fancy and complicated things too fast can lead to some unexpected results. Get a few simple recipes right a handful of times, and only then move on to more complex ones or start experimenting with different ingredients and proportions.
It is absolutely vital that you read (and re-read!) the recipe in full before you start baking so you get a feel for the ingredients, techniques, and timing.
You don’t want to put yourself in a situation where you have to head to the grocery store in the middle of the entire process because you suddenly realized you don’t have a few ingredients.
#10 Made Mushroom Cookies
Image credits: doleo12
#11 Vintage “Berry First Birthday”cake! Classic Vanilla Sponge Filled With Strawberry Jam 🍓
Image credits: Alicedurr
#12 Planning On Making A Yule Log So I'm Practicing My Meringue Mushrooms
Image credits: Beerbrewing
What’s more, you shouldn’t substitute ingredients the recipe calls for but that you don’t have for random items you have stocked at home. Every change, no matter how small, is going to affect the end result.
Adding fewer eggs, exchanging butter for margarine or oil, adding more flour/salt/sugar, using a different type or amount of milk or sugar than specified… all of these actions will affect the chemical reactions happening in the oven. By adjusting the recipe on the fly, you’re making or breaking the baked good. It’s risky!
If you ever need a dash of inspiration to elevate your baked goods, then the sky is the limit. Seriously, everything depends on your creativity, willingness to experiment, and urge to step outside of your comfort zone.
You can look for inspiration for your aesthetics, color schemes, textures, and patterns from every single part of life, whether that’s nature or music, fashion or travel, pop culture or anything else, really.
#13 My Husband Requested A Penguin Cake For His Birthday! I Attempted
Image credits: Positive_Method_373
#14 Raspberry Black Forest Cake I Made For My Birthday
Image credits: BicameralProf
#15 My First Ever "Proper" Pastry!
Image credits: staronay
It also helps if you follow a variety of different artists, creatives, and experts on social media, not just bakers and cooks. That way, you can draw inspiration from a wide range of different people, cultures, and backgrounds.
Meanwhile, you can also take photos of everyday things that inspire you so that you have ideas for your next big baking project. The best artists can find inspiration everywhere and anywhere, finding ways to use their personal experiences as a foundation while also looking for ways to relate to other people.
#16 Are Meat Pies Welcome? This Is A Garlic Chicken Pot Pie With A Parmesan Peppercorn Crust
Image credits: concept2creation
#17 Lemon Cake
Image credits: LanguidMelancholy
#18 My Nervous Girlfriend’s First Scratch Apple Pie, Wanted To Show It Off!
Image credits: Prestigious-Oven3465
Eventually, by trying out different ideas, you should be able to find your unique creative style and voice, instead of just hopping on the latest trends. Baking what’s trendy is fine from time to time and can be a ton of fun because it gives you something new to do. But you also want to let your personality shine through.
#19 In Case You Guys Are Bored With The Pretty Cakes On Here 🤣😭
Image credits: yurinomnom
#20 I Decorated My First Cake.🫶
Image credits: lizalizzard
#21 My Sister Made A Pumpkin, Apple, Cherry, And Mincemeat Pie In Bite-Size, Pull-Apart Pieces
Image credits: heavy_pterodactyl
Finding that right balance between what’s popular and what’s authentically ‘you’ can be tough, especially if you share your baking on social media or run a business and compete against other people for attention.
At the end of the day, though, no matter your social media strategy, business plan, or what your competitors do, you’ve got to remember to stay passionate about the most important thing—baking! If the passion’s there, success will (eventually) follow.
#22 My Mom Transitioned To Baking Full Time In Her Mid 50s, And Became Head Baker In Her Early 60s At A Women-Run / Owned Bakery
Image credits: leblaun
#23 I Made Cranberry Gingersnap Tarts From Scratch— And Somebody Thinks They Are All For Her!
Image credits: Only4Chronic
#24 I Made The “Pink Cake” From Stardew Valley For My Birthday. How’d I Do?
Image credits: Hard__Cory
The ‘Baking’ subreddit is one of the most popular places for people to share their photos, recipes, ideas, and discuss everything related to baking on the entire internet.
Created back in 2009, the group now boasts just shy of 4 million (!!!) members from all over the globe. “Cakes, cookies, pies, tarts, muffins, scones, breads, rolls, biscuits, cheesecakes, snack bars, etc are all welcome!” the moderators write.
#25 I Finally Impressed My Mother In Law With This Gingerbread Cake!
Image credits: Im_just_a_squirrel
#26 Giant Donut Cake! This Was So Easy And Fun, Totally Recommend
Image credits: ASprinkleInTime
#27 Made These Little Guys :)
Image credits: Imaginary-Table-2170
The online community is incredibly friendly and helpful, which in part explains why the group is as popular as it is. There’s also a large team of moderators to make sure that the quality of the content is kept high. The gorgeous photos, amazing baking ideas, and inspiring atmosphere are also what help the community keep growing.
Funnily enough, the moderators do not allow anyone to post pictures “glorifying stand mixers.” However, items made using stand mixers are still allowed.
#28 Wife Asked For A Water Slide Cake As A Joke
Image credits: myeighty8
#29 Made This Cake For My Dad’s Work Christmas Party 🎄
Image credits: Alicedurr
#30 Had To Share The Worst Looking Cake I've Ever Made
Image credits: Sufficient_Piano_858
Which of these amazing baked goods that we’ve featured here from the creative people at the ‘Baking’ online community inspired you the most, dear Pandas? Which pics looked so delicious that you could practically taste them through the screen
What is the most elaborate and fun thing you’ve ever baked? What are you most proud of? What are your favorite ingredients to work with? We can’t wait to hear what you have to say, so grab a snack and share a comment or two below.
#31 My Cookie Boxes This Year
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#32 First Cake I’ve Made From Scratch!
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#33 My First Attempt At Baklava! 🥰🥰🥰
Image credits: Interesting_Move_753
#34 My Fiancé Asked For Lemon Bundt Cake On His Birthday And I Had To Deliver For The Sweetest Guy In The World
Image credits: OddProcess5581
#35 Just Proud Of My Cake
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#36 I Think I Cracked Brown Butter Chocolate Chip
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#37 My Friend Requested A Lotr Ring Cake For Her BF - I Did My Best 🥲
Image credits: cakerycat
#38 It's Not Perfect But I Made A Snake Cake 🐍
Image credits: InMyLife123
#39 I Attempted Holiday Macarons… The Results May Vary LOL
Image credits: msmoonpie
#40 I May Have Overdone It With The Pink…😅
Image credits: Conscious_Boat_9347
#41 My Partner Asked If I Could Make A Cake That Looks Like Our Dog For Their Birthday
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#42 My Dad Made Some Bread
Image credits: kevdouble07
#43 Started At A New Office, Brought In Some Cupcakes For The Team!
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#44 I’m No Baker But My Sister Wanted A Birthday Cake, It Wasn’t The Prettiest But It Sure Was Delicious
Image credits: wpgpogoraids
#45 Cookies And Cream Cake
Image credits: AllHailTheGlow-Cloud
#46 Christmas Cookies. Done. I’m So Done Too
Image credits: PsychoTruffle
#47 My First Japanese Cheesecake
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#48 Pieometry Bakes
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#49 Today Marks The One Year Anniversary Of The Loss Of My First Child, And Also 100 Days Until My Second Child’s Due Date. It’s Not Much, But I Felt Like Something Sweet Today
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#50 Made These For Dessert
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#51 My BF And His Mum Made Me This Birthday Cake!!
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#52 I'm Really Proud Of My Birthday Cake
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#53 Made Persian Love Cake For My Wife
Image credits: TheKittyPetter9000
#54 My First Layer Cake Was A Huge Success!
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#55 I Made “Toasting Tarts” For Several Of My Neighbors
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#56 Cake I Baked For My Daughter's Birthday. It's Not Perfect But Acceptable For A Novice, I Think
Image credits: wuerstlfrieda
#57 What I’ve Baked This Week. Homestyle Edition
Image credits: I_Like_Metal_Music
#58 Henna Inspired Bakes
Image credits: No-Fact-6441
#59 Starting 2025 With Some Focaccia
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#60 My Mom’s First Time Making A Cake, For My Birthday.🥹she Was So Proud
Image credits: Spikiesapphic
#61 My Very First Cake…
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#62 My Wife Made And Decorated Homemade Cupcakes For Our Nephew’s 2nd Birthday Party
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#63 French King’s Pie, Homemade Inverted Puff Pastry
Image credits: Good-Ad-5320
#64 Did The Matilda Chocolate Cake By Practical Peculiarities. My Sweat And Blood Went Into This And I Consumed The Entire Confection
Image credits: Darkwingedcreature
#65 12 Yo Cousin Wanted To Learn How To Make Grandma’s Favorite Cherry Chip Cake With Cherry Frosting, So That’s What We Did! 🍒
Image credits: beatrice_arbor_day
#66 Proud Cream Pie Mom
Image credits: Intimate_panda69
#67 Pistachio Cupcakes With Salted Honey Frosting!
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#68 I Got Laid Off Last Month And Started Baking To Pass Time Between Job Apps. It’s Been Such Great Help With My Mental Health
Image credits: raavenash
#69 Made A Key Lime Pie A Few Years Ago And Spilled The Entire Bottle Of Food Coloring In It
Image credits: Vegetable-Star-5833
#70 I Made A Cranberry Orange Olive Oil Layer Cake
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#71 I Couldn't Find Anything Else To Hold The Cake Pops Upright
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#72 Made Macarons For A Family Gathering
Image credits: No-Supermarket-2900
#73 Apple Ratatouille
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#74 You Didn’t Have To Raise This Much 🤨
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#75 Strawberry Cake!
Image credits: Memento-Mori00
#76 Giant Poptarts Are Next Level
Image credits: Icy_Algae4434
#77 My Best Cheesecake To Date
Image credits: _wrpd
