Is AI Taking Over the Kitchen? Our Showdown Between AI vs Human Hands!

We’re doing something a bit quirky. We’ve pitted a homemade blueberry coffee cake, made in my very own kitchen, against a version whipped up by our futuristic friend—AI. Yes, you read that right.

You might be surprised (or not?) to learn that the AI’s take on our recipe turned heads and made people drool. I showed the photos around, and let’s just say, the bot’s “baking skills” look impressive.

Which cake wins the beauty pageant? Is it all about looks? 

Let’s find out if AI is giving grandma’s recipe a run for its money.

Keeping it Real

Before we jump into this showdown, I want to assure you of one thing: every recipe you see on our website has been tested by real people in real kitchens—and yes, that includes lots of taste-testing! 

All the photos, except for our AI experiment today, are truly authentic and edible, taken with a good old-fashioned camera. We’re all about REAL home cooking here, just like the kind our grandparents would be proud of.

So, while I have a little tech fun, rest assured that the heart of our newsletter (and food blog) remains grounded in real, touchable, and most importantly, edible food! We will NEVER show you an AI generated photo to deceive you into thinking you can get the same results. 

Did you guess? The AI photo is on the left, and my real cake is on the right. 

As you can see in our side-by-side comparison, the AI-generated photo of our blueberry coffee cake might catch your eye as the more delicious-looking one. I have to admit, even I was a bit taken aback by how appealing it turned out—visually, it’s a knockout!

But here’s the scoop: the gorgeous cake in the AI photo isn’t quite what it seems. If you’re thinking of whipping up this recipe at home, it’s important to know that the AI version takes some creative liberties. 

For starters, the blueberries in the AI image aren’t baked into the cake as they would be in my recipe. Instead, there is a layer of blueberry pie filling spread on top of a baked cake. And that creamy cheesecake layer? It’s also not baked in, which means the whole ensemble you’re seeing is more of a ‘concept cake’.

I’m confident I could develop a recipe that would turn out closer to that picture-perfect look, but to be honest, some parts of that cake would not get baked in a real kitchen scenario. So, while the AI gives us a visually tempting version, it doesn’t quite match the real, edible coffee cake you’d get from following our tried and true recipe.

Our real recipe for blueberry coffee cake cheesecake marries two classic favorites into one delicious dessert. It has a creamy cheesecake baked into a moist blueberry coffee cake. Unlike its AI-generated counterpart, this cake is not just a feast for the eyes—it’s a tried and true recipe that promises real flavors.

Ok, I had a little fun with this AI stuff, primarily because I am seeing so many AI generated food photos these days.

It’s a bit disheartening to see the impact this is having on the food blogging community. Many talented bloggers are finding their recipes stolen and repurposed without permission. Moreover, these stolen recipes are often paired with AI-generated images designed to look more appealing than the real thing. This not only misrepresents the recipe but undermines the hard work of genuine creators, potentially affecting their livelihoods.

This trend raises important questions about authenticity and ethics in the digital age.

Rather than dwelling on the negatives, we choose to highlight the authenticity of our work. We’re committed to transparency with our readers, and we’re grateful that you’ve stuck with us, appreciating the charm and realness of our photography—even though AI has a perfectly delicious image.