Food Network’s “Semi-Homemade” guru Sandra Lee has gotten laughed at for years for her tragically bad “Kwanzaa Cake” recipe. The recipe calls for an angel food cake to be covered in chocolate cinnamon frosting, filled with apple pie filling, and sprinkled with pumpkin seeds and Corn Nuts — hilariously, Lee calls them “acorns,” but they’re clearly Corn Nuts.

Today the author/ghostwriter of the recipe, Denise Vivaldo, wrote a blog for the Huffington Post confessing the story behind the awful recipe that she penned for Lee (she also made the Hanukkah Cake recipe).



I can honestly say Ms. Lee had nothing against African Americans or Jews. She just has incredibly bad food taste. She was not discriminating about who would be harmed from her culinary “creations.” Think what your taste would be like if you came from carnival or circus people. Did I just offend Paris Hilton?”

As a matter of fact, the more tasteless the recipes got the more she liked them, the faster she approved them, and I could get home and drink some medium-priced wine after our meetings.”



Want to try out this cake-tastrophe for yourself? Here ya go:


Recipe: Sandra Lee’s Kwanzaa Cake

1 (10 to 12-ounce) purchased angel food cake
1 container (16 ounce) vanilla frosting
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (21-ounce) container apple filling or topping
1 (1.7-ounce) package corn nuts
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
1/2 cup popped popcorn

Special Equipment:
Kwanzaa candles

Using a serrated knife, cut cake horizontally into 2 layers. Place bottom cake layer, cut side up, on a serving platter. Mix frosting, cocoa powder, vanilla, and cinnamon in large bowl until combined. Spread about 1/4 of the frosting over top of cake layer on platter. Top with second cake layer, cut side down. Spread remaining frosting evenly over top and sides of cake to coat completely. Spoon apple pie filling into hole in center of cake. Place candles atop cake. Sprinkle top of cake with some corn nuts, pumpkin seeds, and popcorn. Sprinkle remaining corn nuts and pumpkin seeds around base of cake.

The popped popcorn is my favorite part…

Would you try Sandra’s cake recipe, Lovelies?