As most Floridians packed up their belongings, made travel arrangements or stocked up on emergency supplies in preparation for Hurricane Irma鈥檚 imminent arrival, a few individuals planned for the powerful storm in a different way - by baking cakes.
Because, you know, why not?
Images of colourful cakes with blue, yellow and green icing swirled to resemble satellite images of the hurricane started popping up on social media this week. The Florida-based supermarket Publix was one of the first to offer up hurricane-themed cakes in their stores.
In one photo uploaded to Twitter on Thursday, a Publix cake is shown with green swirly icing and plastic palm trees and a surfboard poking out of the top as well as a Muskoka chair that appears to be tossed on its side from the storm.
Publix has hurricane theme cakes.
鈥 Danielle Terpko (@Dterpko)
Another elaborately decorated cake designed by the same grocery chain includes the text 鈥淕o Away Irma鈥 written on the platter bearing the dessert.
Publix Bakery for the WIN: GO AWAY IRMA! Stay safe friends 鉂わ笍
Posted by on
A chocolate chip cookie cake photographed in one of Publix鈥檚 locations had a green icing 鈥渉urricane鈥 with a red eye of the storm beside the text 鈥淲eather it out鈥 on its top.
Governor: Escape this hurricane and evacuate Florida immediately
鈥 Nika Hatt (@nikahatt)
Publix: we made cakes
The Publix employees weren鈥檛 the only ones baking up a storm ahead of Hurricane Irma. A few independent shops and at-home enthusiasts joined in on the fun and created stormy treats of their own.
One Twitter user said they baked a 鈥渉urricake鈥 with blue whirly icing to celebrate Hurricane Irma 鈥渘ot wiping out Puerto Rico.鈥
Made a to celebrate not wiping out ! Imma eat you Irma!
鈥 Natalie Lorch (@OboeManatee)
A small bakery in South Carolina, Hey Sugar Shop, baked Hurricane Irma-themed cookies that were shaped like clouds and raindrops. They were also selling cookies with satellite swirls and images with the text 鈥淗urricane Evacuation Route.鈥
Meet our HURRICANE sugar cookies!!!
鈥 Hey Sugar Shop (@HeySugarShop)
$25 includes one hurricane sugar cookie package (5 cookies per package) & 1DZN cake truffles鈽
Despite the seemingly light-hearted nature behind the baked goods, a few online commenters took issue with the themed treats.
One Twitter user made a joke aimed at pointing out the frivolity of the cakes during such a devastating storm.
hey susan i know ur house was completely demolished by that hurricane just absolutely obliterated u lost everything but i bought u this cake
鈥 Doug Life (@LiveDougLife)
A talk show host in Miami questioned the timing of the cakes in a tweet posted Wednesday.
In good taste? Available in Plantation. (: )
鈥 Andy Slater (@AndySlater)
One Twitter account based in Tennessee used the cakes to poke fun at Florida.
Tennesseans: Wow this hurricane looks bad i hope everyone in Florida is safe
鈥 Everything TN (@Everything_TN)
Floridians: Anybody want cake?
And another user remarked on her mother鈥檚 鈥減riorities鈥 during the emergency.
We have barely any water and no non-perishable food yet here my mom is trying to order a hurricane Irma cake from Publix. Priorities.
鈥 Sienna Davis (@SiennaaDavis)