Welcome to Cake Picnic, Sydney edition.
It's the viral event that's already sold out dates in San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles. Tickets in Dubai, London, and Mexico City were harder to come by than a double-yolk egg.
And now it's landed on Australian shores, with a Melbourne event earlier this month boasting 1,600 cakes in one sitting.
I had no idea that I could ever go on tour for cake, laughs Cake Picnic founder Elisa Sunga, part-time hobby baker and full-time Google employee specializing in AI.
People go on tour for music and whatnot, but for cake, Sunga says. It just seems so whimsical and delightful to be able to do that.
The concept is simple. Two years ago, Sunga - who moved to San Francisco aged 12 from her hometown of Baguio City in the Philippines - posted an online invite for a small gathering with one request: everyone must bring a cake.
To her amazement, close to 200 people came with more than 180 cakes devoured. Her simple, sugar-laden summons has since caused ripples across the foodie world.
It feels unreal, Sunga tells the BBC. I had no idea that thousands of people all over the world would be as excited as I am.
There's plenty of excitement among the 500-plus crowd gathering at Saturday's event in Sydney's Botanic Gardens. As they line up to have their cakes inspected, many participants baked well into the night.
From home bakers to professionals, influencers to non-bakers, everyone places their cakes on tables stretching across the grassy knoll, with Sydney's famed Harbour Bridge as the backdrop.
But the only architectural feats eliciting oohs and aahs this autumn morning are of the sponge variety, as enthusiasts peruse the gravity-defying gateaux from the city’s bakers, showcasing a range of innovative styles from coffee pecan torte to spiced pear sponge with miso caramel.
When the cakes have been laid out, pictures snapped, recipes shared and compliments sprinkled, small groups take turns decimating the decadence before them, with five minutes to cut, carve, and cram as many morsels into a large pizza box. From a metre-high life-sized swan to cupcakes arranged as bouquet flowers, the colorful display rivals any cake shop window.
It's vibrant and inclusive, says Eunice Lim, a Sydney-based influencer originally from Singapore. There's no judgment here – just people and cakes of all shapes and sizes.
Elisa reflects on how her event captures a broad demographic, bringing together families, bakers of all ages, and creating community connections through shared passion for cake.
I want to have my cake and eat it, too, she concludes, highlighting the joyful intersection of creativity and flavor celebrated at Cake Picnic.
