AUSTRALIA’S TOP 9 WEDDING CAKE DESIGNERS ANNOUNCED
Final nine to star at International Cake Show Australia in Brisbane in May

Australia’s top nine haute couture wedding cake designers have been announced in the lead up to the International Cake Show Australia which will be held in Brisbane from May 18 to 20. The nine finalists will now compete for the country’s most coveted cake industry award, the Australian Haute Couture Wedding Cake Designer of the Year award.

The finalists are Sarah Jane Wicks from Brisbane, Caitlin Mitchell from Brisbane, Monica Cavallaro from Sydney, Faye Cahill from Sydney, Louisa Massignani from the Gold Coast, Zoe Clark from the Sunshine Coast, Maria Shaw from Melbourne, Greg Cleary from Brisbane, and Shayne Greenman from Mt Tamborine.

Each designer now has the challenge to design and create a haute couture wedding cake in the theme of “Rich, Royal & Regal”, a fitting theme considering the winner will be announced on the evening of the “Royal Wedding” between HRH Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Each finalist will display their finished masterpiece in the Haute Couture Wedding Cake Designer’s Marquee at the International Cake Show Australia at Brisbane Showgrounds for the public to view. Members of the public attending the show on Friday 18th and Saturday 19th May, will vote to select the top design.
The winner will be announced at ACADA’s (the Australian Cake Artists & Decorators’ Association) Australian Cake Oscars on Saturday evening, presented by international cake heroes Paul Bradford and Karen Portaleo. The ACADA Australian Cake Oscar Awards are the most prestigious awards within the Australian Cake Decorating Industry.

AUSTRALIA’S TOP NINE HAUTE COUTURE WEDDING CAKE DESIGNER FINALISTS:

MONICA CAVALLARO
Moreish Cakes (Sydney)
Monica sprung to fame after becoming one of three finalists on the “Great Australian Bake Off”. Passionate about baking, after the show she opened her own cake design company, Moreish Cakes, based in Sydney. She now designs cakes for many celebrities and most recently was selected to design and make the wedding cake for several of the couples in the television series “Married at First Glance”. Her style is modern, contemporary with a quirky twist.

SARAH JANE WICKS
Cake That (Alderley Brisbane)
Over a decade ago Sarah Jane resigned from her job as a Chef with a Brisbane Five Star Hotel, to fulfil her career of making cakes for some of Brisbane’s finest events. Sarah loves challenges and creating something new, however she still has a soft spot for creating traditional and monochromatic cakes. Her background as a Chef, combined with her passion for sublime cakes has made her business what it is today. Ordinary is not in Sarah Jane’s vocabulary!

CAITLIN MITCHELL
A Little Cake Place (Brisbane)
Caitlin created her business A Little Cake Place, in 2012. Caitlin creates boundless exquisite cakes that often defy the boundaries. She heralded an industry first in Australia with her signature upside-down and chandelier hanging cakes. She has consecutively won the Queensland State Cake Design category of the Australian Bridal Industry Awards in 2015 and 2016, and in 2017 was awarded ABIA’s national award.

FAYE CAHILL
Faye Cahill Cake Design (Marrickville, Sydney)
Faye has been a professional cake decorator for more than 20 years. She is considered a luminary within the industry. Many of her wedding cakes have appeared in the pages of leading bridal magazines. Her cakes are easily recognisable by their exquisite design, clean lines, intricate detail and stylised sugar flowers. Amongst her many other milestones, in 2015 she was named the global wedding cake designer of the year at the international Cake Masters Magazine Awards. She also now travels the world sharing her skills with other aspiring wedding cake designers.

ZOE CLARK
Zoe Clark Cakes (Sunshine Coast, Qld)
With over 12 years’ experience in both the wedding industry and cake world, Zoe has become renown for her elegant and sophisticated style and has a global reputation for designing and creating beautiful bespoke wedding cakes and dessert tables. Her work is regularly featured in leading international bridal and sugar craft publications and many celebrities including Royals are numbered among her clients. Zoe has published eight cake decorating and sugar craft books and has taught a variety of highly sought-after techniques around the world.

MARIA SHAW
Sweet Affection Cake Designs (Coburg Melbourne)
Maria specialises in creating exquisite designs. She loves experimenting with new flavours. She is an emphatic believer that a cake must taste as good as it looks. Her trademark is her tall tiers, which are portrayed in most of her elegant statement cakes. Her designs are inspired by current trends in colour and style, texture and technique with a shared emphasis on beautiful florals in either natural or bold tones. It’s evident that Maria adores simple designs with a focus on romantic elegance and sophistication. She spends hours making beautiful sugar and wafer-paper flowers for her clients.

LOUISA MASSIGNANI
Cakes Alouisa (Gold Coast, Qld)
Louisa completed her apprenticeship as a pastry chef in Sydney. It was in her first job she became passionate about making wedding cakes. She then moved to the Gold Coast, where she got a job at Conrad Jupiters, where she trained with the incredible Serdar Yener. Later she was appointed as a pastry chef at Maddisons Café in Broadbeach, where she helped them build a successful wedding cake business. Realising it was time to create her own dream, she started Cakes Alouisa. Her cakes are nothing short of mind

GREG CLEARY
Sweetums Designer Cakes (Kenmore, Brisbane)
Originally from Mt Isa, Greg who is an internationally known pastry chef, sugar floral artist and wedding cake designer opened his own busy Brisbane based cake salon in 1997. Sweetums is renowned for its award-winning couture-style wedding cakes. Greg’s years of experience and knack for creative design allows him to create cakes that are truly stunning, sophisticated and stylish. His work has won a myriad of awards, including several highly coveted show champion awards.

SHAYNE GREENMAN
Mt Tamborine Wedding Cakes (Mt Tamborine, Qld)
Shayne who is originally from country Victoria began winning cake decorating competitions at the age of Seven (7). He is now a world champion artisan baker, pastry chef, chocolatier and sugar artist. He specialises in exquisite bespoke one-of-a-kind creations. His cakes have won Awards throughout Australia, Europe and the United States.

International Cake Show Australia 2018 Fast Facts
Date: Friday 18th May to Sunday 20th May, 2018
Location: Brisbane Showgrounds Exhibition Building, Upper Level Gregory Terrace, Bowen Hills
Info: https://www.acada.com.au
Tickets: EARLY BIRD TICKETS ON SALE NOW at https://www.acada.com.au/buy-show-tickets
Early Bird Adult One Day Entry $24 incl GST | Early Bird One Student/Pensioner Day Entry $15 incl GST

What’s happening at the show?
· Celebrity cake artists, chocolatiers, chefs and bakers appearing throughout the three days.
· A two-day televised, live international cake-off on the main stage featuring six of the world’s most famous cake artists – Paul Bradford, Dorothy Klerck, Timbo Sullivan, Verusca Walker, Margie Carter, Paul Delaney & Karen Portaleo
· Three (3) “Live, Laugh & Learn” demonstration stages holding free demonstrations on the hour every hour.
· A Haute Couture Wedding Marquis – Australia’s most awarded wedding cake designers.
· Hands-on Cookie Zone where the general public can decorate their own!
· Hands-on Create, Make & Take Zone and Classes.
· Chocolate, Sweet & Party Zone.
· Australia’s ultimate cake decorating competition.
· Huge statement cakes in various locations throughout show.
· Six workshop areas conducting masterclasses throughout the show.
· Pop up shops – you’ll be able to shop till you drop
· Feature booths where cake artists/chocolatier’s will be building live installations.

The Competition Program
Class 1: FEATURE CLASS: WEDDING CAKE TABLE – 3 OR MORE TIERS
Class 2: EDDIE SPENCE TRIBUTE – a spectacular royal cake Eddie Spence style, fit for a Royal Wedding!
Class 3: CUPCAKE BOUQUET
Class 4: REALISTIC SCULPTED BUST – Competitor’s Choice
Class 5: SUGARCRAFT
Class 6: TIERED MINIATURE CAKE
Class 7: TRANSPORTATION THROUGH THE AGES
Class 8: FLOWERING PLANT
Class 9: CONTEMPORARY CAKE WITH STYLISED FLOWERS
Class 10: SCULPTED ANIMAL/s
Class 11: GARLAND OR FLORAL CROWN
Class 12: A NOVEL CELEBRATION CAKE –open to students only.
Class 13: INCREDIBLE EDIBLE ART
Class 14: MULTI-DIMENSIONAL COOKIES – 12 multi-dimensional cookies.
Class 15: ROYAL DECORATED COOKIES –12 royal decorated vintage cookies.
Class 16: PRETTY PETALS AND PASTELS – a tiered celebration cake
Class 17: ARCHITECTURE – AN ICONIC AUSTRALIAN STRUCTURE
Class 18: Enchanted Forest – capture the magical spirit of an enchanted forest.
Class 19: GEOMETRIC AND ABSTRACT – 2 or more-tier cake, must be something truly outside the square.
Class 20: BUTTERCREAM – a buttercream cake of 1+ tiers, incorporating buttercream flowers and foliage.
Class 21: GRAVITY DEFYING – must be gravity defying, and animated.
Class 22: PROFESSIONAL CLASS – statement cake.
Class 23 COLLAB AUSTRALIA – A Global Online Collaboration “One Sweet Step at a Time” (individuals or teams of 2-4)