Giant Cake Picnic Brings Sweet Delights to Sydney

Sun Mar 29 2026 17:58:13 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

The Cake Picnic event has exploded in popularity, culminating in a vibrant gathering at Sydney's Royal Botanic Garden where bakers and cake lovers unite over thousands of delicious treats.

In a delightful display of community spirit and creativity, Sydney's Royal Botanic Garden recently hosted the Cake Picnic, an event that has taken the world by storm, allowing participants to showcase their baking skills and enjoy a variety of cakes together. Founded by Elisa Sunga, the event emphasizes inclusivity and fun, attracting bakers of all levels in an atmosphere filled with laughter, shared stories, and, of course, sweets.

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.

People go on tour for music and whatnot, but for cake? 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 invitation for a small gathering with one request: everyone must bring a cake.

The 35-year-old figured maybe a dozen or so people might turn up and brought seven cakes to make sure everyone would get a taste.

To her amazement, close to 200 people came with more than 180 cakes devoured. Her simple, sugar-laden summons has since caused ripples of the buttercream variety 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 Royal Botanic Garden. As they line up to have their cakes inspected – which must be 20cm (8 inches) wide and 7.5cm (3 inches) high – there are a few bloodshot eyes in the queue.

Among them, Hilary Lindgren, 54, wearing an eye-catching outfit and with a carrot cake in hand, says she and her daughter were baking their cake late into the night.

It was crazy – a big mess, flour and sugar everywhere, but lots of fun. There's just so many negative things happening in the world at the moment that it's nice to do something like this.

From home bakers to professionals, influencers to non-bakers, everyone places their cakes on the tables stretching across the grassy knoll, with Sydney's famed Harbour Bridge as the backdrop.

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 gourmands. From a metre-high (3ft) life-sized swan creation to a bouquet of flowers made entirely of cupcakes, the colourful displays rival any cake shop window.

Once 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 of cake into a large pizza box.

Elisa Sunga reflects on the event and her journey and emphasizes how cake picnic events bring together families, older women that bake together, Gen Z girlfriends that have got out of the group chat, people in college or young women that are exploring creative activities. It's just fun to see everyone coming together, she adds.

Overall, the Cake Picnic in Sydney was not just a feast for the senses but also a celebration of community, creativity, and a sweet escape from the everyday grind.