However, the "toy" was actually a meticulously crafted cake in the shape of a Labubu monster, which is colorful little doll with long fangs and sharp teeth made by Chinese company Pop Mart.
The video creator, Ky Nam Qui, said he made the cake using flour, cornstarch, spices, sugar, yeast, food coloring, and shrimp paste for texture, achieving a remarkably lifelike appearance that left many netizens "stunned."
Qui shared that he has frequently experimented with baking. About a year ago, while making bread, he crafted two lizards from dough, using food coloring to make them look real.
Impressed by the video’s popularity, he continued making cakes shaped like various animals, including spiders, mice, and worms, often inspired by viewer suggestions.
The Labubu cake was made two months ago.
Qui experimented with different ingredients such as rice, tapioca flour, green bean paste, minced meat, and chocolate for fillings. Initially, he struggled with dough ratios and kneading techniques needed for detailed shaping. After much trial and error, he developed his own formula.
Creating intricate animals like centipedes, spiders, and cockroaches required considerable effort, he added.
For larger animal-shaped cakes, he layered dough and added dumpling-style fillings. His process involved mixing the dough with yeast, allowing it to ferment, then wrapping fillings like minced meat and chopped cassava before steaming for shaping. The final step was to add an outer layer for detailed features before deep-frying.
A Labubu-shaped cake created by Ky Nam Qui with chocolate filling. Photo courtesy of Ki Nam Qui |
While small animal cakes take around an hour to make, large and complex creations cost him 1.5 to four hours. One of his most time-intensive projects was a three-kilogram spider cake, which took nearly four hours.
After each creation, his family either consumes the cakes or uses them as food for their fish, chickens, and ducks.
Thanks to his videos' popularity, Qui has earned additional income from his content.
"In the future, if the opportunity arises, I'd love to open a bakery and teach others who share this passion," he saud.
Some other animal-shaped cakes made by Ki Nam Qui: