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 Willy 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, Cookie and Sweet Show at Brisbane Showgrounds.
From Friday, May 13–Sunday, May 15, the Ekka precinct 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, 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.
Other highlights include stalls and shops, which'll help you bake up a storm at home, as well plenty of tasty fare to devour. Basically, when you're not learning how to make sweet treats, you'll be eating them — including at a doughnut smashdown, which is exactly what it sounds like, and a blindfolded cookie and buttercream challenge.
Oh, and you'll be looking at them, too — and not just your regular old desserts. Get ready to scope out a giant Marvel-themed cake and one shaped like a Jurassic Park velociraptor, aka the sweets that sugar dreams are made of.
