Elisa Sunga's Cake Picnic expands to Sydney, with attendees bringing elaborate cakes for a communal gathering.
Elisa Sunga, a Google employee specializing in AI, organized the Cake Picnic event in Sydney, where over 500 people gathered at the Botanic Gardens to share and enjoy cakes. The event follows sold-out dates in cities like San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Dubai, London, and Mexico City, with a recent gathering in Melbourne featuring 1,600 cakes.
Event Origins and Concept
Sunga started the Cake Picnic two years ago in San Francisco as a small online invitation for people to bring cakes, expecting only a dozen attendees but drawing nearly 200 with over 180 cakes. The 35-year-old, originally from the Philippines, described the event's global spread as "unreal," emphasizing its whimsical nature that encourages real-life social connections.
At the Sydney event, participants brought cakes at least 20cm wide and 7.5cm tall, creating a colorful display of desserts including a metre-high swan cake, cupcake bouquets, and flavors like coffee pecan torte and jackfruit with palm sugar. Attendees ranged from home bakers to professionals, with one participant, Hilary Lindgren, 54, sharing that she baked a carrot cake late into the night with her daughter for the occasion.
Once cakes were laid out, groups took turns selecting slices to fill pizza boxes, fostering a sense of community. Influencer Eunice Lim from Singapore called the event "vibrant and inclusive," while Marcus Ehrlich, 42, noted it as a positive activity in a big city, enjoying cakes like pandan and ube with his wife.
Other participants included Tanya Mouchawrab, 37, and her daughters, who made lemon, red velvet, and rainbow cakes, highlighting family bonding through baking. A lawyer, Reg Leones, 40, presented a koala-shaped cake with Filipino flavors that took three days to prepare, underscoring baking as a stress-relief hobby.
Sunga, who grew up in a savory-focused household in the Philippines, contrasted her AI work with the hands-on creativity of baking, stating it provides a meditative break. The event's success continues to draw crowds worldwide, with no competitive element, just shared enjoyment of diverse cakes.
