A chef creates desserts that look like random everyday objects — and his optical illusions will play tricks on your eyes

At first glance, Ben Churchill's Instagram and Facebook pages seem to be filled with photos of random, inedible objects and savory dishes like eggs over toast.

But the professional chef, who taught himself how to make desserts three years ago, is actually an expert in all things sweet. A self-described food illusionist, Churchill regularly transforms decadent cakes into dirty kitchen sponges, fresh parfaits into moldy oranges, and panna cottas into ashtrays — all while ensuring his creations remain delicious, despite what they may look like.

We recently spoke with Churchill to find out more about his expectation-defying desserts. Take a closer look at his mind-blowing illusions below.

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Churchill makes desserts that look exactly like random everyday objects.

One of his most well-known creations is an olive oil sponge cake that's disguised as a dirty kitchen sponge. Churchill tops the cake with a mint crumb, which resembles the abrasive side of a sponge, and foamed sweet milk "soap suds." He also adds toffee sauce and a baked apple coulis to mimic the appearance of dirty dishwater and dishwashing soap, respectively.

 

Many of his creations are intentionally designed to look inedible.

If you're willing to take a bite of this moldy orange, you'll find that it's actually a fresh orange parfait, covered with a dusting of white and green bubblegum meringue powder.

Although he's been a professional chef for over a decade, Churchill is self-taught when it comes to desserts.

Speaking to INSIDER, the chef said that he started teaching himself "standard" pastry techniques in 2015. One day, he "decided to see if [he] could make a chocolate shell shaped like a lemon," which he says sparked his passion for food illusions.

His sweet experiments clearly paid off. In the past three years, Churchill has amassed over 100,000 followers on Facebook and Instagram combined.

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