A Colorado woman’s disappointing birthday cheesecake recently turned into a viral social media sensation that has since been dubbed “Cheesecakegate.”
Claire Johnstone shared a post on Threads on May 8 after ordering a cheesecake for her daughter’s birthday from a local baker recommended in a neighborhood group.
“My daughter requested a cheesecake for her birthday,” Johnstone wrote. “We just moved to the area so I asked on the neighborhood page for recommendations, and a ton of people raved about a local mom in my neighborhood who makes cheesecakes people are ‘still dreaming about.'”
Johnstone then shared several images of the berry-topped cheesecake she ultimately received, which appeared flatter than a typical cheesecake, measuring around 1 inch tall at its thickest point, according to one photo that included a picture of the dessert next to a measuring tape.
“Y’all. For FIFTY dollars, this is what I got,” she wrote.
The post quickly gained traction online, with social media users joking about the dessert’s unusually flat appearance and adding #cheesecakegate.
Johnstone later shared a TikTok video further detailing what happened.
“As you can see, the raspberries are actually taller than the cheesecake,” she said in the video.
The viral frenzy caught the attention of The Cheesecake Factory, which posted, “Wait, why are people talking about us on Threads.”
The restaurant chain then shared an image of one of its famous cheesecakes next to a measuring tape, indicating the dessert was around 4 inches tall.
“Just saying,” it joked in the caption.
The Cheesecake Factory later sent Johnstone a $100 gift card, according to Johnstone.
Johnstone requested a refund for the original cheesecake through Venmo, but the baker declined. She said she is letting the situation go, now that she has a cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory in her future.