"MuppetShow" news and stories

Swedish chef Lars Kuprik Bäckman. Photo: Courtesy Lars "Kuprik" Bäckman

Lars "Kuprik" Bäckman of Rättvik, Sweden, is again asserting his claim that he inspired the goofy Swenglish-speaking Swedish Chef character from Jim Henson's "The Muppet Show." He tells ABC News that a horrific cooking-show appearance on a morning talk show some 40 years ago is proof.

"I was live on TV in America, and I was paralyzed. I couldn't speak! I couldn't remember any English or any Swedish. But I knew the show had to go on, so I started talking, but the only thing that came out were these guttural sounds," Bäckman tells ABC News. "It was unintelligible, and I was still holding that silly pastry bag, shaking with fear. The only thing I wanted right then was to go home to my mother in Sweden."

But not everyone buys the story.

I was absolutely amazed when one of my fellow Slashfoodies, Kellye Agreda, sent me a link to this cake. I spent quite a lot of years as a cake decorator, and I know how much time and effort goes into a thing like this.

This cake took first place at the Kentucky State Fair in 2007. Can you imagine? The craftsmanship and level of detail on this cake is nothing short f breath taking. I've seen a couple shows On Food Network about cake decorators preparing cakes for a big competition, so I know they can spend some serious time making this type of cake. I wonder if the cake was made by a professional or by a hobbyist? Either way, I wonder how much they charge for a birthday cake?

If you want to see more views of this cake, check out Adam Newbold's Flickr set. I could stare at these images for long periods of time if I wasn't careful. So be careful, and make sure you have a few minutes!