CAKE

by ARTISAN X, Magpie C. Cleaver (Editor)

"How can someone write something so disturbing, but delicious at the same time" - Anne Snow author of Little Red Riding The Dark Web

Harry is the largest baking influencer on the planet. He's amassed a large and incredibly loyal audience over the years. This has led to a profound sense of boredom. Thankfully for Harry, it's his birthday; Furthermore, his friends and fellow culinary content creators have come over to his apartment to join him. There's only one thing Harry wants for his birthday, to bake the most memorable cake of his career. *WARNING NOT FOR THE SENSITIVE OR FAINT OF HEART, READER DISCRETION ADVISED*

Genres: Horror

25 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 28, 2026

About the author

Hello my name is Artisan! My books are intricate, horrific, and made with love :). I'm an obsessed horror author with a deep love of esoteric knowledge and Ghūlz. I release often and spend hundreds of hours researching, planning, writing and staring directly into the void. I take nothing for granted because death can come any day.

Reviews

[Brittany | Lady in Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, Harry. Way to turn that childhood trauma into a super-fun adult hobby.

Harry has a successful online presence, and today’s the day he’s going to make the biggest cake he’s ever made and share it with his audience! And some of his online friends are going to help (unbeknownst to them).

If you love a lil sweet treat after dinner like I do, you’ll love this story. JK please don’t eat anything before reading this - especially cake. This is extreme horror at its literal goriest. Be very, very aware that this is splatterpunk. If that’s your jam, this is going to be right up your alley. I thought it was fun as hayull, in the nastiest way possible.👌🏻

[Magpie Cleaver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cake is one of those books that starts off a little strange, but tame, you don't suspect anything. It luls you into that false sense of security before dropping you into the deep end of a pool filled with gore and insanity.
Do not be fooled by the innocent cover, this is a 0-100 in 3 seconds kind of book.
A wholly unique concept, which Artisan delivers perfectly, with graphic detail, gruesome descriptions and gagworthy imagery.
If you haven't read Artisan's work before, this is the perfect novella to dip your toes in to.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll always be eager to read horror that focuses on cake and has plenty of gore. This extreme horror story is vile, foul, and so much fun. The descriptions of what Harry does to his friends' bodies made me gag a lot which means it lived up to what I expected from it. The ending was kind of abrupt but it didn't take from my enjoyment.

[Villanerareads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Welp... that was gross. 🤢

Artisan really has a way with words, and considering the content of his books, I'd suggest having a strong stomach before diving in.

This is a short story about a guy trying to recapture a feeling from his youth, and I'll leave it there because spoilers.

Disgusting, depraved and gory as fuck. Exactly what it set out to be.

Well done!

[Kieran Ackerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yucky in the best way 🎂

[R.J. Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal and grotesque short read. The end will stick with you forever!

[Gore Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

From start to finish does not stop or let you breath, have your cake and eat it too!

[H0rr0rbl0b · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever since he was young, Harry has never felt the same satisfaction he felt while eating cake and watching his mother die. Now, on his birthday, he has four guests coming over—fellow culinary influencers who may provide him with exactly the ingredients he needs to make the best and most memorable cake of his career.

Harry is the biggest baking influencer around, with a huge and loyal following, but all that success has left him pretty bored. With Ava’s help, he toys with his ingredients and manages to put together an eight-layer cake he’s happy with. He goes live, quickly racking up viewers. Some begin questioning his techniques, but Harry is more than happy to explain his process.

It’s a descriptive, gore-filled read, and the ending is a total banger. You need to check out Cake by Artisan
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

[Thebleedingspine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an arc of this and gobbled it up in one sitting. Do you love cake? Think again. This story is anything but sweet. Artisan ate and left no crumbs with this short, satisfying, sick extreme horror short story. Need something to get you out of a slump? This will be sure to do that. I was both engrossed and grossed out, my favorite combo to be. You may be holding your breath at the end.
Artisan is such a talented indie author, and I’m happy to be in the process of reading more of his works!

[Dollie Mortuarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This splatterpunk novella had some of the most unique gore I’ve seen in the genre, and the premise was just as interesting too! Who knew a birthday party for an influencer could get so messy? The ending was especially well written, giving readers a good like into the mind of Harry and what lead him to become so obsessed with having the perfect morsel.

This one was short, sweet, and very gory. I give this book a 4/5!

[Michael · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

33 pages, that’s all Artisan needed to tell a disgusting, twisted, and gory tale of an influencer’s descent into madness. It’s Harry’s birthday, and he couldn’t think of a better way to spend it than by throwing a party and having his friends over for desert, literally. Artisan does an amazing job describing the vile and horrendous acts that Harry commits, and you can’t help but to wince at some of the ways he goes about prepping his greatest creation yet, his birthday cake!

[christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

dark, disturbing, delicious, and delectable!! this short story really packs a PUNCH. such a gross and fun read! turns out you really can’t have your cake and eat it too

[CoryReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disgusting,vile,nauseating, foul and i ATE cake up. (pun intended)
Harry just wants to bake a cake for his viewers..but this is a Splatterpunk book, do you really think he’s using Betty Crocker cake mix?
This was such a fun and horror packed short read.

[Scare-o-Lyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A horny baking influencer makes himself a cake for his birthday party. Nothing about this is as normal as it seems.

This story was jam-packed with over the top gore and vulgarity that felt like a shot of adrenaline. A very fun, quick read!

[Tara Hanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very rarely do i read a story that causes me to experience sensations in my dreams.
This is a short, must read for fans of extreme horror.

[K D Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

How would you like to bake a cake? A cake with wholly taboo contents? If the answer is yes then you need to read Cake by Artisan! It is short, sweet, bloody and gory. I very much enjoyed this one!

[Éllïse TK · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wonder how such common ingredients can produce so much flavor ???
Of course, the secret lies in the hands of the artist, no doubt about it.

[Alicia Solarz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no idea that in such a small amount of time, I could go through that many feelings/sensations.... Disgust, Shock, Nauseated, Anticipation, Sadness, Laughter, and finally confusion.
Because why did I enjoy this as much as I did? And what does that say about me? 😳🫣
Well, no time to dwell on that now. I have more books to read! *Dives Down The Rabbit Hole*

[Irvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short story was brutal, vile, and it was disgustingly delicious 😋.

[Christian C · Rating 3 out of 5]

LOVE IT!! Haven’t read a splatter punk book in a while and this book definitely makes me wanna read more. It was only 25 pages but boy did it have details and story’s. Great read

[riley · Rating 3 out of 5]

short, fun and gross!

[Constant Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC reader. It was an interesting take! Very short story (30 something pages on my kindle) but packs a punch. Loved the writing and stylization of it. However, with it being relatively short, I didn't feel like I had a chance to really grasp the character and his motivations. Not enough time to build that understanding.

Still, based on the writing style, I'd love to read more by the author!

[C J BRUCE · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved being an arc reader! This book. Was definitely on the more entertaining side of shock factor, and one part even made me grossed out!

[Ames · Rating 4 out of 5]

REVIEW OF ADVANCED READER COPY

If you’re dipping your toe into extreme horror, or just need a good, fun story to start you off, then this is an excellent place to start! Cake is short, punchy, and fits so much nastiness into a one short story. I liked how the gore and horror starts pretty much immediately, and definitely doesn’t relent until the ending! I also appreciated the visual at the end of the book (which I won’t reveal because of *spoilers*).

I do feel that the book ended too abruptly and I wanted to see the MC’s vision for the cake - frosting, topping, colours, taste, but that’s just my personal take! I also would’ve liked to have seen more about their socials (described as them not being very good at creating delicious cakes, but instead doing it for the algo) and more around trauma they experienced as a kid, leading up to the atrocities they commit as an adult.

Overall a solid read and one I would recommend as an introduction into extreme horror, I would’ve just preferred it to be a little more fleshed out (pun fully intended) 💜

[Zaq Cass · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author sent me a file of this book and told me I didn't have to review it, but I'm damn well going to anyway.

Artisan's writing voice has been something that has been sucking me in every since I started reading his main series (Dark Places: Origins Arc. Go read it) and CAKE did not disappoint in that regard. Artisan has a way of bringing the reader along, causing every word to draw you in more and more as he dissects the scenes much like Harry dissected his friends.

On the story front, CAKE is an extreme horror story that cements its place along the genre, starting off strong and not looking back. The characters, as expected, were well fleshed out, something that is always a good surprise in shorter fiction like this. The fans of this genre will not be disappointed.

[Celeste · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those extreme horror short stories that'll stick in your head for a very very long time. Grotesque, graphic, and bloody.

The best way I can describe it is like riding a rollercoaster in the dark. You think you know what to expect and what may happen...but then it not only drops you - it flings you upside down.
I got pulled in at least 10 different directions while reading this. Accomplishing that in a short story is no easy feat, yet ARTISAN did it. I'm never going to look at a tiered cake the same way ever again...which will make any future weddings or large birthdays quite interesting!

In fact maybe consider your timing when you read this. Don't make the same mistake I did and read it the day before a loved ones birthday :')

[Cassie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was a fun short story. Unfortunately, I feel like in this case, the shortness might have been working against it a little bit. In some ways, the story seems more in-depth in the summary than in the work itself. I feel like a bit more attention to the plot and characters would lend itself well to this book. While the EH parts of it are entertaining enough, the characters' motives, personalities, and circumstances seem a bit rushed and lacking.

I think it could work well for someone trying to see if they enjoy the genre or someone just looking for a quick read (as short stories tend to be), but I think it doesn't quite realise its potential.

[Lucy R · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my review of an advanced reader copy which I received from the author:

I enjoyed this story, it was short and sweet and managed to add quite a lot of intriguing details such as character backstory flashbacks which made me wish it was longer, or that there would be more in the series with the same characters to explore further.

It is an extreme horror so proceed with caution if you're not experienced with the genre, but as a fan I found this to be a great entry.

There were a few errors I spotted which should have been picked up by an editor - homonyms being mixed up such as peak/peek and creek/creak, and a couple of instances where there wasn't a space added after a comma.

[Skye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brutal! Cake follows Harry, a baking influencer who invited his content creator friends over for his birthday. But all Harry wants to do is to bake the most unforgettable cake.

Fun, quick read! It’s a short story so we don’t get much background information on the side characters, but we do get a quick glimpse into Harry’s childhood. Vile and disgusting, bloody and gory. I didn’t like that the story ended abruptly, but I did like the graphic at the end.

Thank you to Artisan for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Kazoo Mazoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cake is exactly the kind of filthy, depraved, completely unhinged extreme horror story that knows what it wants to do and commits to it. It’s grotesque, absurd, and surprisingly entertaining, with some genuinely memorable imagery and a dark sense of humor running underneath all the brutality. The escalation is relentless, and the story manages to keep finding new ways to make you say, “What the fuck am I reading?”

If you’re looking for something short, nasty, and absolutely not interested in playing it safe, Cake delivers.