Cutting Edge: The Cricut Cake Debuts

Like, OMG! The Cricut Cake is now available! 

...ok, I'll admit it, when I first heard about it, I wasn't exactly sure why I should be excited--but then again, I wasn't sure exactly what a Cricut was. However, thanks to the power of the internet, I found out that the Cricut actually started out as a scrapbooking tool--it is a kind of printer on which you can create customized die cuts and designs on command. Actually it's kind of cool--check out a video of how it works here.

So now you have an idea of why it's such a big deal that they've made a food-safe version of the machine: what an excellent tool for cake decorating!

Here's the 411 from the HSN press release:

The Cricut Cake is an easy-to-use personal electronic cutter designed to cut gum paste, fondant and other edible materials, while providing precise, professional-looking results every time.  Accompanied by the Cricut Cake Basics cartridge, featuring hundreds of images for cake decorating, the Cricut Cake is designed to work with pre-existing Cricut cartridges as well as Provo Craft's Gypsy and Cricut Design Studio software. The wide array of shapes, fonts and designs found on compatible cartridges makes the Cricut Cake perfect for all culinary decorating occasions, including birthdays, graduations, weddings and holidays.

The machine is similar in design to the existing Cricut cutting machine; however, specific modifications have been made; stainless steel dials, trim, cutting blade and roller, to make it safe for use with food. Additionally, the keypad features a full silicone cover to protect the screen and allow for easy clean-up.

Of course, this awesome doesn't come cheap--the Cricut cake (which comes with bundle including a 12x12 food safe mat, cartridge skirt, cleaning brush, blade cleaning basket, Cake Basics cartridge, the Elegant Cake cartridge as well as icing sheets) retails for a hefty $429.95. But can a price really be put on a beautiful cake? Well, apparently yes--but you know what I mean. If you're interested, you can be updated on the initial offering at HSN.