Which Image is Real? Apple Cake

Below are 4 images.

Only one is real. I know this because I took it myself.

My photo is of an Apple cake I enjoyed at a restaurant we got to by taking the Romsdalen Cable Car in Andelesnes Norway.

The other 3 images are AI-generated. I created them using Ideogram.ai and ChatGPT.

Which one do you think is the real image? See the answer below!

The real image of the real apple cake is:

Image #1

Some clues that give away the AI images:

🍎 1. Apple Layer Structure and Texture

#1 (REAL):

• The apple chunks are irregular in size and orientation — some are slanted, overlapping, or sunk into the cake. This randomness is typical of real baked goods.
• There’s a visible mix of textures: cooked-down apples, cinnamon-sugar residue, and gooey filling — all naturally varied.

AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is basically when computers get smart—really smart. Imagine if your c... More:

• #2, #3, and #4 all have impossibly uniform, perfectly stacked apple slices. The layers look like they were built with a ruler and glue — not baked.

🍰 2. Cake and Crumb Consistency

#1:

• The cake base shows crumbly texture, uneven browning on the crust, and a natural break near the front edge of the slice — subtle imperfections that only come from real baking.

AI:

• #2 and #4 have cake textures that are too smooth or “airbrushed,” with no crumb variation or evidence of actual baking.
• #3 has an oddly shiny outer crust and suspiciously dry-looking interior layers — classic signs of AI confusion between cake and pastry.

💧 3. Cream and Plate Details

#1:

• The whipped cream has a soft slump and mild pooling — exactly what real cream does when sitting for a few minutes.
• Flower petals are scattered in a messy, irregular pattern, and there’s a small, real-looking crumb and sauce smear near the plate edge.

AI:

• #2 and #3 show whipped cream that looks piped from a 3D printer — too stiff, too white, and too glossy.
• #4 has petals placed with suspicious precision, and the cream mound has zero signs of melting or gravity.

📸 4. Background and Lighting

#1:

• The lighting has depth: shadows cast naturally across the plate and table, with subtle falloff in brightness toward the back of the slice.
• The setting includes realistic clutter — a crumpled napkin, a glass, and a hand — all slightly out of focus, just like a real snapshot at a café.

AI:

• #2 and #3 feature backgrounds that are too “perfect” — they look like styled product shots in a showroom kitchen.
• #4 has flawless wood grain, spotless surroundings, and a lighting setup that feels more like a studio render.

The Romsdalen Cable Car – Have You Ever Seen More Stunning Views??!!

The Romsdalen Cable Car in Norway is one of the most jaw-dropping rides you’ll ever see—no hiking boots required.

Glide up a mountain and take in panoramic views that look straight out of a postcard (or a Windows wallpaper). Trust me, you’ll want to watch the video below and see this engineering marvel in action. It’s breathtaking—in a good way!

More From the Senior Tech Cafe ‘Real or AI?’ Challenge

You can check out our archive of ‘Real or AI?’