A TIGER King fanatic surprised her best friend with a six-inch-tall Joe Exotic birthday cake.

Childcare worker Tasha King, 31, spent eight hours whipping up the treat, based on the hit Netflix documentary.

The self-taught baker from York dropped it off from a two-meter distance on May 18 for her friend Melanie, 31.

Ms King bakes regularly for family and friends but this is the first time she attempted to create a celebrity snack.

She said: "It was my best mate's birthday - I figured I'd bake something for her that was guaranteed to fetch a few laughs.

"She had actually tagged me in a post earlier that week of a hilarious Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin cake and thought I have to bake this.

"I take credit for the tiger print effect though. It was a surprise cake - she had no idea I was bringing it round. 'She thought it was hilarious. She thought the show was equally as hilarious as I did."

The cake is a vanilla sponge with vanilla buttercream, coloured and baked in a marble effect.

Everything is buttercream except from the fondant eyes, nose and mouth.

Ms King added: "Being heavily pierced myself, the eyebrow ring is actually a 1.2mm ring (sterilised of course).

"It's a pretty bog standard sponge cake recipe, so nothing exciting to report there.

"Luckily I had enough caster sugar and flour in as it's been a nightmare to source in the supermarkets as of late!

"It was baked in my own kitchen, during lockdown. I am currently furloughed until further notice so between home schooling my children, I found the time to bake this.

"I don't intend on making any more Tiger King cakes, but who knows. If the demand is there."

The Tiger King-fanatic said Joe Exotic is 'hilarious' and suggested 'maybe I'll bake Carole Baskin next!"