Islamabad's 'Cakenic' gives dessert lovers reason to celebrate

More than 300 women home-bakers, cake lovers bring wide variety of desserts to city-wide event

ISLAMABAD:

Strawberries in the fall weather, cherries whipped into cream and cakes steeped in orange juice defined Islamabad’s very own cake picnic.

Following the trend of events themed around niche interests and inspired by similar events hosted in other regions, home bakers and cake enthusiasts in the capital spent an evening tasting unique cake flavours and divulging baking secrets over matcha.

With 175 cakes in a variety of autumnal and chocolate flavours and 300 attendees from across the twin cities, the Islamabad ‘Cakenic’, hosted at the MMM Arena, featured the largest dessert spread in the city.

The cake picnic, a concept popularised on Instagram, invites bakers to bring their own delectable creations to a city-wide picnic, where they each receive a box to fill up with slices of as many cakes as they can while mingling with the local cake community.

With similar gatherings having occurred in other cities and themed picnics having become a sport, groups of sweet-toothed friends and families eagerly gathered under the Cakenic’s pink-ribboned canopy to enjoy cake by the sunset.

Cakenic event hosted at the MMM arena in Islamabad. PHOTO: EXPRESS

While cake-bearers were able to join the picnic by purchasing passes priced at Rs1,500, no-bake passes were also available for Rs2,000, with ten per cent of sales going towards Gaza appeal.

Despite the premium prices, bakers spared no expense in turning up with multi-tiered cakes dressed in elaborate frosted designs and topped with fresh fruits and nuts. From rich cheesecakes to the laborious opera cake, the picnic table at the event offered a one-of-a-kind tasting menu.

Each dessert amongst the extensive variety boasted the flavour of fresh ingredients and homemade cookery, a quality which would be hard to come by at any other occasion. Savoury options and drinks were also available from vendors to round off the picnic.

“We saw cake picnics happening abroad, so, when we heard about one being held here, we definitely wanted to join,” said Maseerah while speaking to The Express Tribune, who had come to the event along with her sisters and brought multiple cakes. She loves the company of her sisters while baking the cakes.

The event was also a perfect opportunity for home-based bakers to promote their businesses, survey the market and find inspiration. “I was listing down unique flavour combinations in my notes app,” said Maliha of Milo’s Bakeshop, who was awarded second place for the best-looking cake. “It’s a good thing I decided to come at the last moment. I had to buy a ticket from someone who was reselling hers, because the event had sold out weeks ago,” she added.

Bakers were awarded through polls held for the best-looking and best-tasting cakes. Aminah of Midnight Bakes won first place for the best-looking cake and Faria of accidental baker won third place. The best-tasting cake was won by a mother of two who shared that she simply loved to bake for her family.

When asked about the success of the event, organiser Maryam Malik said that seeing people genuinely excited, tasting cakes, taking photos and engaging with the concept proved that the idea had landed. She shared that Cakenic was not only successful in terms of profitability but also because she was able to pull off an event that was safe and welcoming for women while being part of an all-women team.

Mayram runs a home-bakery called Melts&Co, and this was her first time organising an event. “It’s clear that people in Islamabad are ready for something different, something more personal, more playful, and more curated. There’s real demand for experiences that feel thoughtful and joyful, not just transactional,” she said, promising to bring more events like this one.