When it comes to birthday cakes, it's always fun to get a design that reflects your interests, whether that be a long-beloved favourite movie or an unusual hobby.
For one Marvel-loving birthday boy, it had to be the Hulk, a fictional character who transforms from mild-mannered physicist to lime green, extraordinarily strong humanoid whenever he starts feeling angry.
Having hoped for a Hulk cake ahead of his big day, the superhero fan - whose name is Brent - had all sorts of ideas about how he wanted it to look, but couldn't have anticipated just how far from the mark (Ruffalo) the end result would be.
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In a video shared to TikTok, Brent showcased an array of spectacular-looking Hulk cakes, ranging from the Hulk blasting through a brick wall to a terrifying close-up of his enraged face.
Each cake was notably very different from the last, but felt true to the Hulk's frenzied essence. Most importantly of all, they were all crafted with a high level of artistic and technical skill, the sort of impressive confection you probably couldn't whip up in your own kitchen.
Remarking, "all I wanted was a Hulk cake", disheartened Brent - who goes by the username brenttelevision - then showed what he actually got, a creation that was monstrous in all the wrong ways.
The cake in question was certainly green but didn't bear any of the Hulk's other characteristics, looking more like a jelly baby than a powerful, pitiless beast capable of deadlifting a bus.
Instead of a snarl, the cake featured a thin black line that could be a half-hearted smile or a blank look of general boredom, while its undefined, spongey limbs look more flippers than muscle-bound weapons.
Brent couldn't look more disappointed with his birthday 'treat', but at least his followers have been given a good laugh, comparing "Honk" or "Mulk" to everything from a "Mincecraft zombie" to Shrek, to the squidgy, friendly Pokemon Ditto.
One person chuckled that it was like "when your mom says we have Hulk at home", while another joked that it reminded them of "when my sister thinks her cooking is good".
Have you experienced a cake or birthday-related disaster? We pay for stories. Email us at julia.banim@reachplc.com
