Powerpuff Girls created by Craig McCracken and all related characters owned by Cartoon Network.
Author's notes: This story takes place shortly after the episode 'Jewel of the Aisle'
The cakes mentioned here are real and the links at the end will take you to the actual recipes for them. I have changed the names of two of them to fit the story line.
EXT-TOWNSVILLE SKYLINE-EARLY MORNING
[We see the sun rapidly rise over the city. We see a MONTAGE of assorted citizens eating hearty breakfasts in their homes or in diners, and enjoying it. Everyone we see looks happy and is really tucking into whatever they're having. We see toast popping out of a toaster, juice being poured, eggs being fried, pancakes being flipped, coffee being poured, a waitress setting plates in front of people seated on stools, two cops in a squad car eating donuts, etcetera.]
NARRATOR: The City of Townsville...sure knows how to eat! Yes, these folks start out each morning in a big way, because they know the secret to a successful day is with a delicious, nutritious breakfast. And nowhere is this better demonstrated than at the home of our favorite superheroes, the Powerpuff Girls!
CUT TO: EXT-UTONIUM HOME
CUT TO: INT-KITCHEN
[BLOSSOM, BUBBLES and BUTTERCUP are still in their nighties and are sitting at the table facing the camera. They are wolfing down bowls of their favorite cereal, Lucky Captain Rabbit King. We see an open box sitting on the table, featuring the goofily grinning character of that name.]
NARRATOR: Who begin each day with a heaping helping of vitamin-packed goodness so they can fight those felons and mash those monsters. Save some for me, Girls!
[The camera zooms in on Buttercup, who grabs the box to refill her empty bowl. She frowns when nothing comes out of the box.]
BUTTERCUP (angry): Fooey!
[The camera pulls back to include all three. Blossom points to somewhere beyond Buttercup.]
BLOSSOM: Relax, Buttercup! Just open another box!
[Whip pan to an open cupboard. All of its five shelves are packed with boxes of the same cereal. Pan back to the table.]
BUTTERCUP: Oh yeah, I forgot!
[She zips out of the picture to get another box, zips back in and goes about pouring herself some more cereal, while they continue the conversation.]
BLOSSOM: It sure was nice of the folks at Generally Food to send us all of this Lucky Captain Rabbit King!
BUBBLES: Yeah! (she tosses a handful of little blue marshmallow fish shapes into the air and catches them in her mouth) Mmmmm, tuna! My favorite!
BUTTERCUP: I still don't get it, Blossom! Why'd they do it, it wasn't their jewel that got stolen? This must be costing 'em a fortune!
BLOSSOM: They probably just did it out of the goodness of their hearts, Buttercup!
[She smiles, and they continue to eat as the camera pulls back from the table.]
NARRATOR: What? A giant corporation doing something out of the goodness of its heart? You don't say! Well, why don't we see for ourselves?
[Whip pan across Townsville to the huge factory complex of Generally Food Cereal Inc. The camera pans along the length of it and moves in toward the portion that looks like a modern office building. It continues to zoom in on the top floor.]
NARRATOR: For at this very moment, across town, our Girls are the subjects of an important meeting!
CUT TO: INT-A CORPORATE MEETING ROOM
[Standing next to a flip chart on an easel is a young man, indicating the lines on the chart with a pointer. Before him is a conference table, where we see five executives seated; three men and two women. All have pads and pens in front of them. The center chair is occupied by an older, gray-haired man. He is the company's CEO, but everyone calls him 'Sir'. On either side of him are the two women. On the chart is a picture of a box of Lucky Captain Rabbit King cereal, and the chart reads 'Sales' and the line zig-zags up and off the chart.]
CHART MAN: Now, as you can see, sales of our top selling cereal have skyrocketed since the Powerpuff Girls caught that jewel thief. Folks, you can't BUY that kind of publicity! And it's only costing us a few measly cases of product!
[A janitor enters the room and starts emptying wastebaskets into a trash cart. No one pays any attention to him.]
SIR: Yeah, yeah, yeah, so we're doing okay with the breakfast division. But we've got problems in other areas!
CHART MAN: Uh, yes, Sir.
[He flips the chart over the back, revealing another. This time, the line is going down sharply. On the chart appears a picture of another box, on it is a picture of a smiling elderly woman.]
CHART MAN: It does seem that our Betty Hynesbury cake mix division isn't doing so well.
SIR (looking at all of his staff): Well, I'm not paying you to sit here and look pretty, come up with something!
WOMAN EXEC #1 (on the left): If only we could find a way to get the same kind of publicity...
JANITOR (bored-sounding voice): Why don't you just have a bake-off contest using your cake mix and get the Powerpuff Girls to be the judges?
[All of the executives' eyes go wide. SIR jumps to his feet, smiling, and shakes the janitor's hand. He pulls something out of a pocket and gives it to the janitor.]
SIR: That is an EXCELLENT idea! Why, you deserve a key to the executive washroom for that!
[The janitor wears a huge smile.]
SIR: Well, don't just stand there, man, get moving! The place is a pigsty!
[The janitor's face falls and he takes his trash cart and leaves. Once he's gone, everyone chuckles.]
MALE EXEC #2: Sir, having the Powerpuffs as judges is a GREAT idea!
WOMAN EXEC #2: Good thing you came up with it, Sir!
SIR: Heh heh! That's why they pay me the big bucks! Now, let's get to work!
NARRATOR: Goodness of their hearts, eh? I hope they at least spring for some decent prizes. And so, the company makes its pitch to our Girls...
DISSOLVE TO: THE SAME BOARDROOM-SOMETIME LATER
[The Girls are standing, looking up at SIR and the two female staffers. #2 is holding a two-handled loving cup style trophy.]
BUBBLES (excited): Oh, goody! Prizes!
BLOSSOM (exasperated): No, Bubbles, WE don't get the prizes, WE pick the winners and THEY get the prizes!
BUBBLES (disappointed): Oh.
SIR: That's right, the winner gets this trophy and $500. The runner-up gets a week's all-expenses-paid trip to Citiesville. And third place gets...
[He turns to his aides and whispers.]
SIR: What does third place get again?
WOMAN EXEC #1: Two weeks in Citiesville, Sir.
GIRLS (clearly not impressed): Oh, brother!
SIR (clearly not getting it): Hey, we're nothing, if not generous!
BUTTERCUP (arms crossed, frowning): And you expect us to sit around all day and do nothing but eat cake, huh?
SIR (smiling): So what do you say, Girls?
[Close-up shot of Girls. They are thinking about it, but don't appear sold on the idea. Pan to close-up of the executives. They look concerned.]
WOMAN EXEC #2 (whispers): I don't think they're buying it, Sir.
[Zoom out to include everybody in the shot. The Girls suddenly throw their arms up, with that familiar eyes-closed expression of joy on their faces.]
GIRLS: WE'LL DO IT!!
NARRATOR: And the next day...
CUT TO: INT-UTONIUM LIVINGROOM-DAY
[Blossom is sitting on the couch, her face hidden by the Townsville Tribune, the newspaper that she's reading. The headline above a picture of the Girls reads: 'LET THEM EAT CAKE!'. Bubbles is sitting to Blossom's right and Buttercup to her left.]
BUBBLES: Y'know, Blossom, maybe this wasn't such a good idea...
BUTTERCUP: Yeah, Blossom, I keep thinking about our birthday party. What if our enemies all enter booby-trapped cakes in this contest to try and get us?
[Blossom puts the paper down.]
BLOSSOM: Relax, guys! It says right here in the rules that they've got somebody to pick the ten finalists that we'll be judging. There's gonna be hundreds of entries and there's no way any villains are gonna get past the screening! Besides, it isn't their style!
BUTTERCUP: Heh, yeah, Blossom, the Amoeba Boys would probably bake themselves inside the cake by accident!
BLOSSOM: Hee! And Princess has never SEEN the inside of a kitchen! And I think we can rule out Fuzzy and the Gangreen Gang.
BUBBLES (suddenly worried, puts her hands to her mouth): Eeep! What if we get a devil's food cake from...HIM!
CUT TO: INT-HIM'S LAIR (accompanied by that eerie echo effect)
[The red demon is slouched on his couch, one arm draped across the back, with his legs crossed.]
HIM (creepy voice): Why, Bubbles, you disappoint me!
[Pan to the television screen on which he is viewing the Girls' conversation. His shadowed face is seen in profile.]
HIM: You know I'd never dirty my claws on something as trivial as...
[Close-up shot of his face.]
HIM (evil voice, his eyes flash yellow): ...a CAKE MIX!
[Pan back to the TV screen, which suddenly changes to show MOJO JOJO hidden by the same edition of the paper the Girls are reading. Only his hands and his turban are visible. He lowers the paper and grins evilly.]
HIM (creepy voice): But, I WOULD worry about Mojo if I were YOUUUUUU! (evil chuckle)
CUT TO: INT-UTONIUM LIVINGROOM
BLOSSOM: Nah, Bubbles, Him wouldn't dirty his claws on something as trivial as a cake mix! But, Mojo does worry me a little...
BUTTERCUP: Mojerk? Hah! He can't do anything right! He'd probably try ta' stuff it with a bomb or a dumb robot or somethin'!
BLOSSOM (grins): Yeah, you're right, Buttercup!
[She turns her x-ray vision on Bubbles and we see Bubbles' skeleton.]
BLOSSOM: And we'd be able to find that easy!
BUBBLES (giggles) Hey, that tickles!
[The camera pulls back, leaving them all giggling.]
NARRATOR: Oh, I wouldn't be too sure, Girls! All of a sudden this doesn't seem like such a sweet deal!
CUT TO: EXT-VOLCANO MOUNTAIN OBSERVATORY, THE LAIR OF MOJO JOJO-DAY
CUT TO: INT
[The evil monkey is holding the lowered paper, just as we saw him on HIM'S magic TV set. He still has the same grin.]
MOJO: Hmmm, it says in the paper that the ten finalists will be announced on the morning of the contest. Excellent! I, Mojo Jojo, will substitute my cake for one of them and the Powerpuff Girls will then eat it, meaning that my cake will not be one of the ones that will not be eaten! And at last, those accursed Powerpuffs will get their just desserts! Then the world will know that I am not only a genius, but a master of disguise and a pretty darn good cook, too! Muahahahahaa!!!
NARRATOR: Oh, my stomach hurts just thinking about it!
[DISSOLVE to the rapidly flipping pages of a calendar, indicating the passage of two weeks. DISSOLVE to Mojo in the same position, holding the paper which shows the Girls beneath the headline 'JUDGEMENT DAY FOR POWERPUFFS!'. His face is hidden by the paper.]
NARRATOR: And look, it's already the morning of the contest!
MOJO: Ah, here are the ten finalists! Let's see, which one do I want to replace with my masterpiece? Hmmmm.....ah, here it is! Perrrrfect!
[He lowers the paper, and has a broad smile on his face.]
MOJO: Now, to get busy! Good thing I remembered to stock up on Betty Hynesbury cake mix when it was on sale!
NARRATOR: What half-baked scheme has he got in that evil brain of his? A bomb? A robot? A .....
[DISSOLVE to Mojo standing in his kitchen, ingredients and utensils spread out before him. He is wearing a white chef's hat, monogrammed with a red 'M', over his turban; and a white apron festooned with little bananas. On the table in front of him, we see: a large mixing bowl, a wooden spoon, an egg carton, a bottle of oil, two boxes of Betty Hynesbury cake mix, a yellow box with brown lettering that reads 'Me-Con' and has a picture of a rat on its back, legs in the air, and two more boxes with skull-and-crossbones labels on them.]
NARRATOR: Oh, no! This is in bad taste, even for you, Mojo! It's definitely a case of ptomaine-y cooks spoiling the 'Puffs!
[Mojo begins tossing ingredients into the bowl. First, the contents of the two boxes of cake mix go in, then he empties the entire box of rat poison.]
MOJO: First, the required cake mix, as it is required. Then...there, that should be enough to fix those accursed rodents!
[Next he adds eggs, then some oil, and dumps a good portion of powder from one of the two remaining boxes of poison into the bowl.]
MOJO: Eggs, oil, some arsenic to give it the proper lightness...
[He briefly stirs the mixture with a large spoon, while humming. Then he sprinkles in a bit of powder from the last box.]
MOJO: ...and a dash of cyanide, and it's sayonara, Powerpuffs!!! Muahahahaha!!!
[He stops for a second, looking at the bowl.]
MOJO: Oh, why not?
[Grinning, he empties the box of cyanide into the bowl and stirs some more.]
NARRATOR: I wish I could stay and make sure he licks the spoon, but we better get over to the Generally Food Company and see what's happening. Maybe they'll call the whole thing off...
CUT TO: EXT-COMPANY HEADQUARTERS-DAY
CUT TO: INT-AN AUDITORIUM
NARRATOR: ...or not.
[We see a distant shot of the stage and the seats that are filled up with people. The camera moves in toward the stage. The set-up: On the left, is a podium with an attached microphone. Center stage is a table with a tablecloth hanging over the front, showing the smiling elderly Betty Hynesbury logo. To the right is a small table that holds the trophy cup that will be awarded to the winner. Standing at the podium is the CEO of Generally Food, SIR. To his right, at the far left of the stage, stand the two women executives we saw earlier, and SARA BELLUM, the assistant to the Mayor of Townsville. Standing between the podium and the center table is a person inside of a large mascot-type costume of Betty Hynesbury. She looks like the typical granny, wearing glasses and a bun-style hairdo of gray hair. The thing has an oversized plush-toy like head. The occupant's eyes see out through the smiling mouth, and can be seen only at very close range. Behind the table stand three chairs and in front of each are place settings consisting of plates, forks, and glasses. A glass container that reads 'MILK' is also on the table, presumably for 'rinsing' between cake samples.]
[Whip pan to podium.]
SIR: Welcome, everyone to today's finals of the bake-off sponsored by the Generally Food Company. I'd like to thank everyone who entered for purchasing Betty Hynesbury cake mixes. I will now turn things over to our master of ceremonies for today, Ms. Sara Bellum, who is filling in for the Mayor of Townsville.
[As she gets polite applause, the two of them exchange places.]
BELLUM: Thank you, Sir. The Mayor sends his apologies for not being able to get here in time. He spent all morning at home looking for his car keys...until I reminded him that he doesn't drive!
[A roar of laughter goes up from the audience.]
BELLUM: And now, will you please welcome our judges for today's event, the Powerpuff Girls! Come on out, Girls!
[From behind the center of the closed curtain, the Girls fly out to a huge ovation, and float proudly, waving and smiling. The camera pans briefly on the cheering audience, then whips back to the Girls as they take their seats at the table. From left to right sit Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup; each of them has a clip-on microphone attached to the collar of her dress.]
BLOSSOM: Thanks, everybody! We're really happy to be here today!
BELLUM: Did you bring your appetites?
GIRLS: Mmmm hmmmm!!!
BELLUM: All right, let's get started! First, I'll announce the ten cakes that made it to our final round. Then Betty, here, will bring them out one by one for the Girls to try, and they will pick the winner and first and second runners-up. Then, we'll have the awards ceremony, and finally, before you leave, each of you will receive a copy of the recipes for all of our wonderful creations, and the names of the contestants who submitted them. One of our finalists, and I won't say which one it is, came from the kitchens of our sponsor, and is not eligible to win.
[Whip pan to the executives.]
WOMAN #1: More free publicity, Sir?
WOMAN #2: Great idea, Sir!
[He wears a smug smile.]
[Whip pan to Sara. She is holding a sheet of paper.]
BELLUM: OK, here we go! Oh, these all sound so SCRUMPTIOUS!
[As she reads the names of the various cakes, the crowd oohs and ahhs.]
BELLUM: Here they are, in alphabetical order...first, an Ambrosia cake, then an Apple Blossom...very nice!
[Whip pan to Girls. Blossom smiles while her sisters frown.]
[Whip pan to Sara.]
BELLUM: Next, we have Butterscotch Bonanza, Death By Chocolate...oh, I WANT to try THAT one! Huckleberry cake, Pineapple Upside-Down cake, Sock-it-to-me coffee cake, Sugar-n-spice angel food cake...see, we got you other two in there!
[Whip pan to Girls. Bubbles and Buttercup grin at each other.]
[Whip pan to Sara.]
BELLUM: Townsville sheet cake, and last but not least, Volcano cake!
[Whip pan to Girls.]
BUTTERCUP: Awesome! I want that one right now!
BLOSSOM (frowns): Buttercup! We're judges! We're not supposed to show any favoritism!
BUTTERCUP: I'm not! It just sounds coooool!
[The camera pulls back to include Sara and Betty Hynesbury in the shot. Sara chuckles and the audience joins her.]
BELLUM: That's OK, Buttercup, we're just as excited as you are! Betty, will you bring out the first cake, please?
[The mascot quickly goes behind the curtain and comes back out with a cake on a plate.]
BELLUM: This one's a Pineapple Upside-Down cake!
[It's shaped, in cartoon fashion, like an upside-down pineapple. Betty trips on something and the plate smashes to the floor of the stage, while everyone looks on in surprise.]
BUBBLES: Ooops! Not anymore!
BUTTERCUP: Aw, a little dirt never hurt us!
[They zip out of their seats and begin stuffing handfuls of cake into their mouths, making happy sounds and a big mess.]
[Quick fade out/fade in, to the Girls sitting back in their seats, all cleaned up. There is a large flat cake pan sitting in front of them and Betty is putting slices on their plates.]
BELLUM: Well, now that we've got you all cleaned up, let's try the Townsville sheet cake!
[Whip pan to the executives.]
SIR (smiling): This one's ours!
[Whip pan to previous spot. At the same moment, the Girls shove forks full of cake into their mouths and chew. Simultaneously, they make awful faces and loudly spit it out.]
BLOSSOM: PHHBBTT!! That was TERRIBLE! What WAS that?!
BELLUM (sounding a bit embarrassed): Uh, that was the sheet cake...
BUTTERCUP: You can say that again!
BUBBLES: Whose sheets were they, Fuzzy Lumkins'?
[Whip pan to the audience, they laugh uproariously.]
[Whip pan to the red-faced executives.]
SIR: Let them eat cake, indeed! Someone's head is going to roll for this!
WOMEN EXECS #1 and #2 (looking at each other): The janitor's!
[Another quick fade out/fade in. Betty brings out what is obviously the Volcano cake and the Girls' eyes light up. We see that it looks like a 'mountain'. It's actually a chocolate bundt cake with the 'crater' filled with chocolate ice cream and cherries, which is the 'lava' that also flows down the sides. They don't wait for it to be served and messily devour the entire cake in seconds. While Betty hands them napkins and they clean themselves up again, Sara speaks.]
BELLUM (chuckling): Well, I think we know what that was! Getting full yet, Girls?
BUTTERCUP: Heck no!
BELLUM: Good, because we have one more cake, then you Girls have some tough decisions to make.
BLOSSOM: Can we try them again?
BELLUM: Unfortunately, you ate every last crumb, except for the...
GIRLS (quickly): NO THANKS!
BELLUM: Well, this is it. Betty, will you bring out the final cake?
NARRATOR: Ah, the final cake, and no Mojo! He must have got caught in traffic or something...hey, maybe he licked the spoon!
[The mascot disappears behind the curtain. Suddenly, a loud crashing sound is heard. The camera zooms in on the Girls. Blossom and Bubbles react with worried surprise, while Buttercup leans over, a smirk on her face.]
BUTTERCUP (whispering): Man, she's clumsy!
BLOSSOM (disappointed): Yeah, but our cake!
BUBBLES (concerned, turning to look): Are you okay, Betty?
[Whip pan to the curtain, as Betty has recovered and comes out with a large cake. The camera zooms in tightly on her face. Through the open mouth of the costume, we can see two slanted pinkish eyes.]
NARRATOR: Oh no! That's not Betty! It's Mojo Jojo!
MOJO (falsetto): Oh, I am fine!
[Mojo sets the plate on the table and serves them each a nice big slice of the huge chocolate cake.]
BELLUM: This is the one I'VE been waiting for, Death by Chocolate! Don't worry if you can't finish it, Girls!
MOJO (falsetto): Oh, they won't! I mean, they will save you some, won't you, Girls?
BUTTERCUP: Don't bet on it!
[Extreme close up on each of the Girls as, one at a time, Blossom first, then Bubbles, then Buttercup, each takes a large forkful of the cake and slowly chews, her cheeks bulging. She then swallows and closes her eyes, with an enormous smile on her face. She sighs happily. When Buttercup has completed this sequence, the camera pulls back to show all three. At the same instant, their eyes fly open wide, then shut as they pitch forward unconscious onto the table, knocking over their glasses of milk. The camera zooms out to take in the Girls plus Mojo and Sara.]
BELLUM (chuckling): Looks like they're all caked out!
[Pan on the laughing audience. Whip pan to and zoom in on Mojo. The costume suddenly flies apart in every direction, revealing Mojo as himself. A MONTAGE of quick shots from various angles shows him with his fists held high, jubilant, and the Girls slumped over, motionless. During this MONTAGE, we also see a shot of Sara and hear an audible gasp from her, and a few rapid-fire shots of different members of the audience, gasping in shock. The sequence ends in a tight shot of Mojo, fists raised and a huge smile on his face.]
MOJO: Indeed they are! At laaaast, I have finally WON!!!!
BLOSSOM (off camera): You sure did, Mojo!
MOJO (shocked): HUH?!
[Camera pulls back to show Mojo staring in horror at the Girls, who are floating happily above the stage. Blossom and Buttercup's eyes are now the same shade of blue as Bubbles'.]
BLOSSOM: You WON, Mojo! That was the BEST cake I EVER ate!
BUBBLES: Yeah, it was even better than Mayor's candy!
BUTTERCUP: A little too much cyanide, though. It always turns my eyes blue!
MOJO: WHAT?!!!! There was enough poison in there to destroy all of Townsville!!!
BLOSSOM: Silly Mojo! THAT stuff can't hurt US!
BUBBLES: Yeah! Can we have the recipe?
MOJO: AGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!
[He begins to bawl like a baby, tears pouring from his eyes. Pan on Buttercup as she zips over to the trophy and takes it, and floats up to him.]
MOJO: Muawhawhawhaw!!
BUTTERCUP: Aw, don't cry, Mojo! You won the trophy!
[He stops crying and looks at them.]
MOJO: What? You mean, after all this, I still get to keep it?
[He smiles. The Girls smile back.]
BLOSSOM: Sure! 'Course, we're gonna have to bash your head in for trying to destroy us in the first place!
[His smile disappears and he snatches the trophy away from a surprised Buttercup.]
MOJO: Never mind! I'LL DO IT MYSELF!!!!
[He begins to beat himself silly over the head with it. The camera pulls back, showing Sara, the executives and the Girls all laughing.]
NARRATOR: Hahahahaha!!! Mojo may have won the prize, but you Girls take the cake!!
CLOSING 'FLASHING HEARTS' SEQUENCE
NARRATOR: So once again, the day is saved...thanks to the intestinal fortitude of...the Powerpuff Girls!
THE END
The links below take you to the actual recipes.
Ambrosia cake
Apple Blossom
Butterscotch BonanzaDied-and-went-to-Heaven chocolate cake (Death By Chocolate)
Huckleberry cake
Pineapple Upside-Down cake
Sock-it-to-me coffee cake
Sugar-n-spice angel food cake
Vanilla Texas sheet cake (Townsville sheet cake)
Volcano cake
Story Written January 2001