This is an attractive setup, well-lighted and photographed. I especially like the choice of plate and how it fades into the background. However, the angle and relatively large DOF make it a bit too flat. The cropping could be quite a bit tighter, especially on the left.
This is a tough challenge to vote. I'm torn between "what are you trying to do here" and "what do I expect here". Further complicating matters is the question "what would I do here".
What I would expect would be a technically strong piece of eye-candy that would present the dessert in a way that I would want to at least sample it, if not order it. Along these lines I'm looking at technicals: backgrounds, distracting elements, exposure, sharpness. I'm also looking for creativity, imagination, and originality, which can make up for less than perfect technicals.
So, where does this leave me with your image?
Nice idea, very well shot. I would have recommended your rotating it slightly to where the facing corner was running straight up and down. Other than that, this is a nice, menu-ready stock shot.
Great texture, tones and lighting on the chocolate cake. The photo has great detail in the chocolate toppings and the layers of the cake. The white backdrop allows the browns and coffee cream of the cake to pop off of the backdrop. While it allows the cake to pop visually the tradeoff is that it is an environ that is stark and cold. The lack of warm color tones to complement the cake makes it visually appealing but unsatisfying to taste (the looks better than it tastes). Still, a very good shot, but in my opinion it would be stellar if it had some warmer tones in the backdrop to complement the cake.
I like the reflection of the cake on the handle of the fork. It would be fun to play with that a bit. I wonder what it would have looked like with the fork reversed and that reflection on the tines?
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