Utilizing food in video games as a way to heal, increase specific skills, or provide any sort of buff has been a core mechanic for decades. So it’s hard to encounter a game nowadays that doesn’t have some cooking mini-game or challenge. But aside from impressive feasts of medieval meats or the foraged greens of open space, there’s still a mass of sugary treats to tempt any sweet-toothed gamer.
From the cat-like pastries in Calico to one of the most referenced cakes in gaming history, baked goods and sweet treats have left gamers with rumbling tummies for as long as they can remember.
10 Monster Cake - The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
Despite its questionable ingredient list, this devilishly indulgent cupcake is one of Breath of the Wild’s most delicious-looking items. Harnessing the power of healing it’s also a valuable addition to any Hylian’s inventory if they find themselves in a sticky situation.
After speaking to Gotter and receiving the side-quest ‘A Royal Recipe,’ players will need to research the Castle Library Books to find the ingredient list to recreate these marvelous monstrosities. Alongside this recipe is one for a fruitcake, but when placed next to a Monster Cake, it’s effortless to decide which would be more delicious.
9 Moms Homemade Cake - Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Animal Crossing is home to a considerable amount of delectable goods, but nothing feels as satisfying as receiving Mom's Homemade Cake. No matter a player's palette, there’s a cake for every occasion. Whether it’s strawberry, chocolate, or carrot, whichever a player receives will be just like Mom used to make it.
Players will receive this in-game item every birthday, alongside a horde of cakes and goodies from villagers keen to celebrate. Even though there’s no way to guarantee which flavor will be arriving via post, these cakes can also be customized to fit any island theme.
8 Chocolate Cookie - World Of Warcraft
These cheeky chocolate cookies are a simple snack for any well-worn adventurer. Even with no healing properties, buffs, or hidden abilities, these sweet treats have been a highly appreciated addition to the World of Warcraft series for years. They’re more than the average gingerbread, even if all they do is make a player smile.
Chocolate Cookies are available for purchase in Suramar or can eventually be crafted by the player. They’re a level thirty item but well worth the grind to get there.
7 Sweetroll - Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
It’s safe to say that Sweetrolls have been leaving adventurers with a rumble in their stomachs since their debut in The Elder Scrolls: Arena. Even after facing a few redesigns through games, Sweetrolls (or Sweet Rolls) have been a staple in video game dining and have become a running gag in many Bethesda titles.
Typically, Sweetrolls take inspiration from a Gugelhupf cake, but in more recent additions to the Elder Scrolls series, they’ve appeared more like a Bundt cake. But either way, fans of the series struggle to go a day without wanting to sink their teeth into one.
6 Bunny Dango - Monster Hunter Rise
Even though Monster Hunter Rise is filled with towering terrors and constantly has players fearing for their lives, the Bunny Dango that lines a hunter's stomach before the battle is as sweet as it gets.
No matter the combination, this adorable dessert, and its accompanying catchy cutscene have created severe stomach aches for any hungry hunter. So whether it’s used to increase HP or to encourage a longer Wyvern riding time, these soft, spherical rice balls are incredibly inviting.
5 Magic Rock Candy - Stardew Valley
Even though the whole of Stardew Valley looks sweet enough to eat, this Magic Rock Candy takes pole position for fine dining. Although consuming one is probably as detrimental to dental health as chewing actual rocks, the benefits that accompany the sugar rush are well worth the effort it takes to find one.
With a 0.13% chance of being dropped by Haunted Skulls, Magic Rock Candy is a relatively rare item to come across. But for any avid archeologist, one Magic Rock Candy will be rewarded for donating ninety items to the museum. As soon as it’s consumed, players will receive an increase in mining, luck, speed, defense, and attack.
4 Cornet - Calico
With a game as cute as Calico, a menu of equally adorable goodies has to be involved. Since everything adopts a cutesy cat-like appearance, it’s hard to narrow down the list to find the most precious item. But this kitty Cornet is definitely one of the most adorable.
Considered a ‘fancy’ craft, it’s a little higher on the difficulty scale to craft, but customers of the cafe adore it, and it’s Lee’s favorite item - so it’s a worthy item to create despite its material costs. The recipe can be received through Oliver alongside the rest of Calico’s cutesy cakes and bakes.
3 Lighter-Than-Air Pancakes - Genshin Impact
Genshin Impact is home to a mouth-watering menu of treats, but these Lighter Than Air Pancakes are among some of the most appealing. Taking three berries, one egg, and two bags of flour to create, the recipe is simple with a satisfying reward.
Since this delicacy is based on the Tea-Break Pancake, the recipe can be purchased for 2’500 Mora from Good Hunter after hitting Adventure Rank 15. But to make the special edition Lighter-Than-Air Pancake, players need to practice the recipe with Noelle rather than any other character.
2 Cake - Portal
If there’s one thing that isn’t a lie about this baked good, it's how delicious this cake looks. As one of Portal’s most frequent references, a lot of attention has been drummed up towards this black forest cake, and its appearance toward the end of the first game pays off - even if players never get the satisfaction of a slice.
Covered in chocolate shards and topped with perfectly rounded cherries, the recipe can be found on various computer screens following Chell’s near-death experience. But they aren’t typical cake ingredients and call for more unusual things like fish-shaped candy-coated peanut butter pieces.
1 Butterscotch Cinnamon Pie - Undertale
This delicious-looking pie is offered to the player towards the start of their adventure and has incredible healing properties if the player decides to take a bite during battle. However, keeping this pie stashed away in the inventory until one of the final battles may open up new elements to the storyline which would be missed otherwise. So as well as being an impressive piece of pastry, it can also be used as a gateway to a past life.
To acquire this pie, the player must visit Toriel’s house and take a nap. During this time, Toriel will bake an entire pie - but when the player collects a slice, it’s explained that a dog has eaten the rest. But given how delicious its flavor combination sounds - who can blame them?