A two-foot cake recreating OG Anunoby’s unforgettable Knicks tip-in has turned a Finals highlight into an edible New York sports shrine. The towering creation features Anunoby shoving the ball toward the rim, a tiny newspaper front page, and enough celebrity cameos to make it look like the city’s guest list got baked into the frosting.
The cake video has drawn widespread attention, and according to the New York Post, it was created by Don Donneruno, the Whitestone native better known as “The Cake Don.” Donneruno made the centerpiece for Knicks president Leon Rose after receiving a text at 7:58 a.m. and racing to finish the elaborate commission later that day.
The Cake Replays A Finals-Defining Knicks Finish
Anunoby’s tip-in came with 1.2 seconds left in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on June 10, when New York completed a 29-point comeback to beat the San Antonio Spurs, 107-106. NBA.com described the basket as the finish to the largest comeback in Finals history and said it gave the Knicks a 3-1 series lead.
This is not a sheet cake with a Knicks logo slapped on top. The fondant-and-modeling-chocolate sculpture shows Anunoby pushing the ball into the basket, while printed wafer-paper images include Spike Lee, Mariska Hargitay, Timothée Chalamet and Ben Stiller, according to the New York Post.
Donneruno Built A Cake Career From A Facebook Post
Donneruno did not start out as a traditional pastry chef. A profile by Greater Long Island says he began making cakes from home after posting an early creation on Facebook, eventually turning his artistic instincts into a full-time business.
His Queens roots are part of the brand’s identity. Donneruno has said that growing up around Whitestone and riding the 7 train from Flushing into Manhattan exposed him to the graffiti, fashion, music and pop culture that later shaped his cake designs.
The Cake Don Has A Long Sports Highlight Reel
The Anunoby commission joins a portfolio that includes cakes for Mets owners Steve and Alex Cohen, Giants great Michael Strahan and NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal. In a feature on the baker, amNY reported that Donneruno treats each cake less like a standard dessert and more like a custom art project.
That approach helps explain why the Knicks cake feels closer to a miniature museum piece than a birthday dessert. Donneruno’s current business, The Cake Don, continues to market custom edible creations from Huntington, where its official website describes the work as a blend of culinary skill and visual design.
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