A Brisbane-based cake show has been named among the world’s best, mixing it with rivals from Europe, the Middle East and India.
International Cake Show Australia was one of six finalists for the “Best Show in the World” honour in the industry leading, UK-based Cake Masters Magazine Awards.
Australian Cake Artists & Decorators Association (ACADA) President Joan McDermott said the awards recognized the best cake artists and show organisers around the world.
Ms McDermott said while Cakeology in India took the title, Brisbane mixed it with the best in the world , with other finalists being London’s Cake & Bake Show, Cake Talks (Oman), Cake & Bake Show (Germany) and Cake International, the largest cake show in the world, in Birmingham, in the United Kingdom.
She saidACADA and the International Cake Show Australia was started by a group of creative women around a kitchen table.
“Every year as more people hear about the show, it has grown. It’s now in its eighth year and the International Cake Show Australia is now the largest Cake, Cookie & Sugar Art Show in the southern hemisphere.
“It attracts visitors and competitors from all parts of Australia and more than 30 different countries,” she said.
“The global cake event calendar is big business, and it’s a major tourism drawcard.”
Ms McDermott said the Australian event started after visiting a similar show in the UK, which attracted more than 100,000 visitors annually.
She said ACADA’s goal was to deliver a major international similar tourism event with economic benefit for Queensland and Australia.
“Originally, we just wanted to create a not-for-profit organization and event that provided free training for home based decorators and sweet loving foodies, of all ages. We wanted to encourage them to have a go.
“Motivated by shows like The Great Australian Bake off and Dessert Masters, the number of people moving from corporate careers to start home based cake and cookie decorating business is mammoth, there are literally hundreds of thousands in the sector,” she said.
Ms McDermott said there was a misconception the event was for the older generation and focussed on traditional cakes.
“The show hosts Australia’s largest cake and cookie decorating competition, it’s a bigger cake and cookie show than the Royal Sydney Easter Show or the Ekka.
“Everyone from students, beginners to executive pastry chefs are invited to enter, and we welcome so many international cake an cookie artists – every year there’s more that make the trip to Brisbane from around the world.”
The 2025 event will be held at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, South Bank form April 11 to 13, with entries now open via the ACADA website.
