A Sunshine Coast cake maker has been judged the cream of the crop in an international competition – thanks to her life-size bust of a global pop star.
Renee Jarrett claimed a gold certificate and first prize at the International Cake Show Australia with her edible creation of singer Pink.
The competition was held in Brisbane this month and attracted hundreds of entries from 27 countries.
Ms Jarrett said her Pink cake took about 45-50 hours from design to finish.
“I did that over a five-day period – so long hours, but loved every second of it,” she told Sunshine Coast News.
The cake was entered in the ‘bust cake’ category, which had the theme ‘someone inspiring’.
“She’s relatable to so many and her music has personally helped get me through some tough times in my life,” Ms Jarrett said.
“To be producing shows at the incredible calibre she does, with a family and such an attitude of gratitude, is just amazing.
“I’ve been to three of Pink’s Australian concerts, including recently in Brisbane, and it was just sensational.”
She also shared some insights into how the cake was made.
“Once I decided that I would create Pink, I had to plan out the scale and internal structure of the cake to ensure it would survive five days in the competition hall without collapsing,” she said.
“From there, a lot of research, and I mean a crazy amount. I had not made this type of cake before, so I had to learn more about structures and had to learn some sculpting techniques as well. I did this by watching many, many hours of cake and clay sculpting tutorials and taking online classes.
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“Because this cake was for a show, I created the internal structure with rice krispy treats (RKT as it’s known in the cake industry – rice bubbles and marshmallow) instead of actual cake, but everything has to be 100 per cent edible and food safe.”
The competition has 25 categories including wedding cakes, sugar modelling, cookies and all sorts of different cake styles.
The gold certificate is awarded to entries with a score of above 85 per cent against four criteria (Ms Jarrett got 92 per cent). She was also awarded a purple first place ribbon.
“When I walked into the exhibition hall on the first day of the show and saw that purple ribbon, I just couldn’t believe my eyes,” she said.
“I had to go into the foyer for a bit because I was overcome with emotion. I’m still a bit in shock but so proud of the first-place win.”
Ms Jarrett, who runs Daisy Cakes and Bakes at Currimundi, got into the hobby after she and her sister bought their mum a cake-decorating class for Mother’s Day 10 years ago.
“From that first cake experience that was a gift for my mum I practised a lot, and before long people started asking me to make cakes for their celebrations,” she said.
“I set myself up as a business, slowly reducing the hours of my actual job, and growing my business.
“It’s been wonderful venture in its ninth year, and given me the flexibility in raising my two daughters.
“Some weeks I make multiple cakes, others it’s just one, and the time it takes varies from a few hours up to a day depending on the design.
“I also make between 500 and1000 decorated sugar cookies each week, which are sold in my pod store at Vend Marketplace Virginia Brisbane, and I make lots of other delicious baked treats and teach classes too.”
Hosted by the Australian Cake Artists and Decorators Association, the International Cake Show Australia was established in 2017.
This year’s event in Brisbane attracted almost 10,000 adults, and the show champion hailed from Paris.
International Cake Show Australia CEO Joan McDermott said she started the event after visiting the world’s largest cake show, Cake International at Birmingham in the UK, which attracts more than 100,000 visitors.
“I saw the passion and how many young people travelled from near and far to be involved and started researching,” she said.
“There were a number of international cake shows established around the world, in Italy, Germany, USA, India but there wasn’t anything like them in Australia.”
Ms McDermott said the competition was about so much more than cake.
“Every entrant competes to grow and improve their skills, however it really means so much more to many of the competitors. It’s about the creativity and building a network of a like-minded community,” she said.
“Some of the most incredibly talented decorators we’ve seen have come from extraordinarily difficult backgrounds, including domestic violence and extreme anxiety. They leave that behind once a year and find an environment where they can express themselves, be acknowledged, rewarded and grow.
“Even the big-name internationals who visit the show say International Cake Show Australia is different from all the other shows they visit. They say it’s got a heart and true community spirit.”
Ms Jarrett said other Sunshine Coast cake makers participated, including Beck Jericho from Be Caked in Buderim and Robyn Brown from Brownz Bakes in Caloundra, who both also won certificates.
“The three of us offered each other encouragement and support via a group chat, sometimes at crazy hours of the morning whilst working on our entries,” she said.
“My motto is community over competition and I’m proud of all three of us just for entering a competition at international level, and the certificates and wins are the icing on the cake.”
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