International Cake Show

Overview

Forget finding a golden ticket — while scoring a free pass to a chocolate factory was everyone's fantasy as a kid (and, let's face it, is still a fantasy now), there are other ways to indulge your Wonka dreams. Cakes as far as the eye can see, classes on how to make them and a dedicated sweet zone aren't just things that floated through your head while you were asleep. They're real, and they're part of the returning International Cake Show at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.

From Friday, April 12–Sunday, April 14, the South Brisbane venue becomes the sweetest place in the city, so prepare your tastebuds and stomach accordingly. The three-day show will feature a mixing bowl worth of live cake-making and decorating sessions, 100-plus how-to demonstrations, hands-on classes and a two-day cake sculpture challenge — as well as hosting the Australasian Cake Oscars, the tastiest awards you're ever likely to come across.

Trina Thomson, Sweet Ruby Artisan Cakes

Other highlights include 60-plus stalls and shops, which'll help you bake up a storm at home, and plenty of tasty fare to devour. Basically, when you're not learning how to make sweet treats, you'll be eating them.

Oh, and you'll be looking at them, too — and not just your regular old desserts. This year's event will feature a life-sized Bumblebee Transformer made out of sugar cake, a Sweet House of Horror that you can walk through, an attempt to build the world's tallest cookie tower and an edible sugar rainforest. And on Sunday, expect to see plenty of pink, with Barbie in the spotlight.

Updated April 8, 2024.