As the holidays and 2026 approach, this time of year can definitely stir up a lot of negative emotions for people: not feeling supported, feeling isolated, anxious, or lonely, and sometimes feeling dissatisfied with how the year played out. It’s so easy to compare our years to other people’s on social media, and while some are off traveling the world and chasing their dreams, it’s hard to remember this isn’t always the norm. To pivot the new year towards positivity, Gen Z creators have started posting their 2025 accomplishment cakes, which are designed to celebrate the small wins and show yourself some grace to realize how much you actually did grow this year.
What is an accomplishment cake?
An accomplishment cake is pretty self explanatory: it’s a cake to celebrate yourself! Baked and decorated however you’d like (or even just bought from the grocery store), each accomplishment cake contains little toothpicks with Post-It notes or slips of paper stating each individual accomplishment from this year. They can be big or small, but the cake is designed to celebrate and appreciate 2025 for all that it was and all that you did, even if it isn’t something grand or groundbreaking.
How does the trend work?
In these videos, creators start with a blank cake and introduce themselves before each new accomplishment is added. This gives every different item its own moment of celebration. Once completed, the accomplishment cake is full of tons of big or small wins to enjoy alone or with others. Cassandra Lepore, or @dietitiancass on Instagram and TikTok, celebrated her accomplishments solo with a vulnerable accomplishment cake stating all the ups and downs she went through in 2025. Other creators like Garbo Zhu (@garbo.zhu) and Morgan Bailey (@morganbaiiley) turned the trend into a group celebration where each of their friends and family featured in the video got to contribute one exciting accomplishment they had this year. There is no right or wrong way to do the trend as long as you’re celebrating yourself and others!
Why are these accomplishment cakes trending?
In a world with so much hatred, anger, and concern, this trend feels like a breath of fresh air for people online. As mentioned above, it can be hard to view social media as a positive outlet when it’s common to fall into a trap of comparison and negative self-talk. This trend is putting a better spin on how to recap the past year, and instead of crafting or viewing it as a highlight reel, the accomplishment cake keeps it real, raw, and impossible to not be happy for others.
What are some accomplishments people are including?
The best part of this trend is that the contents of an accomplishment cake are super individual and up to the creator to decide! We have seen cakes talking about engagements and weddings, but on the flip side, pride for leaving relationships that no longer suited them. There have been mentions of exciting travels, local moves or big ones across the country, and surprises to see long distance friends, family, or significant others. From a more professional standpoint, there can be promotions, new jobs, internship offers, and graduations, but also lay-offs and redirection that turned into passion projects or new hobbies. The accomplishment cakes are so versatile, and I encourage everyone reading to think of what to include for your own.