The first baking focussed Cake International show is taking place this weekend at London’s Excel and I had the pleasure of nipping in the car down the road to see the opening day this morning.
This is a lightning, timely post for anyone mulling over whether they want to go. It’s bigger than the Squires sugarcraft show and slightly more mainstream in focus. It is however a total mecca for sugarcraft geeks wanting to collect virtually any cake decorating tool, paste, nozzle, whatsit, whatever.
These pics are smaller than usual since I just wanted to get them up quickly – I’ll tidy up and pop hyperlinks into various people afterwards.
If I’ve tempted you to attend the show, enjoy!
This whopping flamingo cake had a stand of it’s own.
I’m just speechless. It’s made of chocolate.
Judging in the competition area with some filming going on to – for TV I think?
Not quite sure what this cake depicts but I love the two figures and the dinky handbags.
The buxom bride’s wedding cake of choice. I probably looked quite similar to this cake (minus the ruffled bits) actually.
Everyone agog at detailed piping work. Look how fine this lace piping work is.
Hurrah for Waltham Forest sugarcraft classes! Glad to hear these have been brought back to my home borough after a few years.
Time for a friendly chat with Ruth at The Pink Whisk stand promoting her new book The Busy Girl’s Guide to Cake Decorating (published by same folks as mine, David & Charles).
The ultimate baker/sugarcrafter’s shopping fix – all the fabulous stuff you normally see only online right there in front of you to BUY (my advance is take plenty of cash – the chip and pin machines at the venue are horribly slow and you can whip round buying bits much quicker with cash plus stay more “aware” shall we say, of how much money you’re spending!).
Renshaw have a huge stand showing off their melting buttons and jubilee red white and blue sugarpastes.
It’s gadgets-a-crazy including this stand for The Cake Pop Kit – it was so mobbed I could barely see what was in the kit but it appears to comprise melts, sprinkles, sticks and most importantly, a transporter to move those fiddly cake pops around in. Cake Pops are an absolute nightmare to transport without something like this.
Wonky cake tins – you know I’m so daft I actually thought people lopped off bits of cake to make these.
Cupcake boxes, cake stands…. you got ’em.
Piles and piles of Magic Sparkles.
Genius idea for craft kits to decorate kids’ cupcake wrappers. They’re themed “royal”, “monsters” and “wildlife” with more themes in the pipeline. I bought a set for Ted and I to play with.
There seems to be a never ending desire for gadgets to display and transport cake – these pretty cardboard standards and paper HANDBAGS if you please.
PME cake pop demonstration. I picked up some nifty tips for stopping your cake pops slide off their sticks.
Cake Craft & Decoration magazine stand with seriously impressive tiered cakes.
Some crazy cake decorating challenge going on – not quite sure what was happening but I think they were professional cake decorators/businesses having some kind of filmed “ice-off” for want of a better word.
My favourite cake of the show. Me want Cookie.
Jo Wheatley giving a macaron demonstration. Seriously I would have keeled over if I had to do this infront of all those people.
This is a mould apparently. You get bears in a row. I can’t decide whether it’s too sickly sweet or whether I want one.
Jubilee paraphrenalia everywhere!
Candy melt mountain!
Taste my icing! Don’t mind if I do…
Fancy Stand – the magazine from Julian Graves which I rarely see as I don’t have a branch near me. But what’s that you say? £15 to subscribe? Bargain!
Finally, my new friends at The Sugar Shack. This was my favourite stand at the show – they’ve got heaps of gear from PME and Wilton and a shop in North West London to boot. I’m going to lobby them to open a branch in Walthamstow as it’s sugarcraft desert here and we need them.
Cupcake Courier boxes at The Sugarshack Shop – £30 each holding 36 cupcakes. They worked out a lot cheaper than the chap opposite selling 24 cupcake holders if you want to transport 100 or more cupcakes at a time.
So that’s it! A quick whizzy look at Cake International. There was a sign on the way out advertising the 2013 Cake International and it’s in my diary already. But such a long time to wait… fortunately there’s also a show at Birmingham’s NEC in November. Hurrah!
Fab pictures! I went to Cake International in Birmingham last November and came back with very heavy bags and a very light purse!! 🙂
So glad I found this post. I had no idea such an amazing exhibition existed. I am in heaven just looking at the posts. And my mission before son’s birthday is to figure out how to make cake pops.
I heard on Twitter tonight that there are some smaller shows around the country – Telford was mentioned so I’d check out the website and see if there’s one near you soon.
what a lovely round up for those of us who can’t go…but what did you buy????
I got some of the cupcake courier boxes and a cake pop mould – oh and the cupcake wrapper craft kit to amuse my son. It’s probably a good thing so many stands were so busy as it stops you spending too much money!
Gosh, sugar overload! What a lot of fun. Hope you are going to share some of those tips you picked up at the show. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Fantastic recap! And thanks for posting it so quickly! I can’t wait to go tomorrow, but seeing this has made me realise that I’m going to need to bring a lot more money than I thought I should!! Tell us what you bought!! Perhaps they should have scheduled it for next weekend instead – AFTER payday!
I’m impressed you got to write this comprehensive review so quickly! Love your pictures – the cookie monster cake was my favourite too 🙂 I’ve barely dabbled in cake decorating so was awed by what’s out there – I learnt a lot today! The cupcake carriers are amazing – I have one already but was tempted to buy another. I’m not sure I can wait another year so might have to plan a trip to Birmingham in Nov 🙂
oh wow that looks like a dream of a place to waft around… love all the photos… especially the cookie monster cake – amazing! Thanks for sharing Sarah!
Wow I don’t believe these cakes, just amazing- great photography
your favourite cake was made by the lady who made our wedding cake, shelly, and if that’s anything to go by it will taste as amazing as it looks!!
I’ve already had a chat with her on Twitter since 🙂
Loved the round up. Couldn’t attend the show but your pictures make up for what I’ve missed.
Happy to help – I love events like this.
Great write up! I love the cupcake courier wish I’d had one years ago for all the birthday cupcakes I’ve made!
And if you need any extra images for your blog from Cake International just drop me a line. I was the show shooter.
OMG this looks so fabulous no wonder you went! This is just amazingly colourful and gorgeous – I’m so envious you got to go and can understand why you want to return sooner!
So amazing and such vivid images – I wish I could have been there to taste everything as well!
Fab round up – looks like I missed a great show!!
PS You’re not daft – most people do carve wonky cakes, those special tins are hideously expensive!!
OMG – there is an entire show at Excel on my doorstep devoted to cake decorating! That is one loop I am so out of… The cakes are awesome though – look at that flamingo! And the COOKIE MONSTER!!
Went to cake international on Friday. It was my first time going to a cake inspired expo and loved every minute. The demos and mini classes were great and loads of bargains to be had. I decided to by some wilton candy melts @ £1:50 A PACK!!! ( and other stuff) They only had black, yellow, starburst and green but it’s a start got me to try out cake pops. Defo going again 😀
Thanks you for such a bright article that really captures the spirit of a very impressive cake show. As a point of order can I please emphasise that the “magazine stand with seriously impressive tiered cakes” was in fact my own, Cake Craft & Decoration Magazine. Could you please change the text to reflect this.
Amending that now Julie – thank you for reading!
I was there the same day and thought it was a fantastic show. I was so impressed with the competition cakes. You got some fab shots of all the things for sale – I never spotted the wonky cake tins. I’ll definitely go back next year. I loved those cupcake wrappers too, I can see myself making some in the future, my oldest son would love it.
You know I’d have taken even more pictures if it hadn’t been for all the people in the way!!