I’m thrilled to share that I attended the very fist cake picnic in Lagos, Nigeria. This cake picnic was inspired by similar events in countries like Malaysia, Canada, Ghana, Kenya and etc, which caught my interest on Tiktok. I jumped at the chance to experience it firsthand. Thanks to my sister’s invite, we went with our mutual friend and the kids for a fun filled day of cake, laughter and adventure.
We arrived early at the venue, only to find out that ‘African time’ was in full swing. The organizers created two types of ticket: cake bringers and non - cake bringers. We were part of the cake bringers, we brought two beautiful cakes. Although the event started a tad late, we snapped some pictures of the cakes and made a swift exit, considering our long journey through Lagos traffic.
I feel the event could’ve benefited from a bit more planning. Perhaps next time, everyone should bring a cake even if it is store bought to balance things out, and should be boldly written on the ticket 'No cake, no entry'. Let’s hope the next cake picnic will be a success.
Talk to you in my next post, be you, be kind, stay blessed and remain humble.
Wow! So many beautiful cake. Well, too bad the event didn't turn out well in the end.
ReplyDeleteThey are indeed beautiful.
DeleteYour idea of a "No cake, no entry" rule is brilliant! It would certainly add to the excitement and guarantee that everyone has a stake in the outcome. Perhaps they could even have a separate, designated tasting area just for the cake bringers to ensure they get to try the fruits of their labor.
ReplyDeleteThat's an excellent suggestion, A designated tasting area would be a fantastic way to honor the bakers and make sure everyone gets to enjoy the delicious results of the "No cake, no entry" rule.
Delete...Benita, this looks like a "sweet" event, thanks for showing me around.
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure, Tom.
DeleteThese cakes are all so beautiful! You have so many talented bakers in your area! I'm in awe. Too bad about the tasting. I like your no cake no entry idea or maybe only being able to try a limited number of cakes. I hope it runs more smoothly in the future.
ReplyDeleteHi Laura, I'm glad you see reasons with my idea, Hopefully, the next event will be even better,
DeleteSuch a lovely event, Benita! It's easy to see that the cake picnic festival was held in a beautiful location. Congrats on the bakers, as those cakes seem delicious. My favourite is the one with slices of kiwi on top. Nice post :-)
ReplyDeleteThe location was nice, cakes beautiful, but didn't taste any. The one with kiwi is also one of my favourite. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteThat sounds like such a sweet adventure! So cool that a TikTok trend brought that experience to life in Lagos. Nothing better than cake, laughter, and making memories with your crew.
ReplyDeleteIt really does! It's amazing how a simple, fun trend can bring people together for such a sweet and memorable time.
DeleteWhat a delicious way to make core memories! Love that this global trend found its way to you.
ReplyDeleteThank you Sadia,)
DeleteSuch yummy 😋pictures. Love the idea behind this event. The bakers did a nice job. I saw pictures of the London cake picnic and it was equally beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThe bakers actually did put effort, London and Malaysia cake picnic caught my attention.
DeleteI love this. Now I want cake.
ReplyDeleterkrsrue.blogspot.con
Haha, I know right.
DeleteSo many pretty cakes with unique designs!
ReplyDelete,,indeed. Tganks for stopping by.
DeleteUy que ricos pasteles. Te mando un beso.
ReplyDeleteThank you Alexander.
DeleteThis is amazing.. so many wonderfully creative cakes!
ReplyDeleteThey are indeed creative.
Deletei want to eat all those cakes so badly xd
ReplyDeleteHaha, I understand.
DeleteAll of these cakes look really good!
ReplyDeleteJennifer
https://curatedbyjennifer.com
Thank you Jennifer.
DeleteThose look like lovely cakes. What a great event :-D
ReplyDeleteSomewhat a great event.
DeleteAll of these cakes look really beautiful. I'm sure they were delicious. I can see why the tasting turned into chaos. One needs rules at these kind of events. I think your rule- no cake, no entry is a good one. Perhaps some store bought cakes could have helped bring in a sense of balance. People who didn't have the time to bake could have bought some cakes in store. That way everyone would get a chance to taste their own cake- and hopefully others. Another good idea is to have everyone seated and have a couple of people in charge of the cutting and the bringing of cakes. That way people in charge can make sure everyone gets a slice and there's no rush to get to the cake.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
A "no cake, no entry" rule, whether homemade or store-bought, would certainly ensure everyone contributes. And having a few people in charge of serving slices is a brilliant way to prevent a chaotic rush and ensure everyone gets a fair taste.
DeleteWow beautiful cake and your blog is so nice.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteI have never heard of a cake picnic, but WOW the beauty of these cakes! I am sure they were just as delicious inside!
ReplyDeleteCarrie
curlycraftymom.com
First time too, unfortunately didn't get a chance to have a taste.
DeleteWow some of those cakes were really decorated beautifully, a lot of work went into those, above the baking time, so pretty you wouldn't want to cut into them, like you said maybe they can take what they learned from this one and make next years even better :)
ReplyDeleteYou're so right! The effort put into decorating those cakes is incredible. It's a shame to have to cut into something that beautiful, but hopefully, the organizers can use this as a learning experience to make next year's event even more enjoyable for everyone
DeleteThe cakes look really great! This could be a great party in the future. I really enjoy these kinds of events and attend them often.
ReplyDeleteThis type of event is actually good for networking.
DeleteWhat a cool festival! All of these cakes look incredible. I wouldn't know which one to eat first!
ReplyDeletehttps://www.kathrineeldridge.com
I know right, so many beautiful cakes.
DeleteOh gosh! Too bad about the whole drama, but the pictures do look awesome! All those cakes look soooo good!
ReplyDeleteDespite fhe chaos, the cakes were beautiful.
DeleteWow those cakes are really beautiful!
ReplyDeleteBjxxx,
Pinterest | Instagram | Subscreve a nossa newsletter
They really are.
DeleteA very interesting event. Fantastic cakes ❤️
ReplyDeleteIt was a real shame that the tasting was so chaotic. I agree with you, it should be "no cake, no entry."
Hopefully the cake picnic gets better next time.
DeleteThis picnic is so cool and the cakes are wonderful, wonderful! I love cakes and I would feel great at this event!
ReplyDeleteBest wishes to you!
It was supposed to be a wonderful event until pandemonium broke loose,
DeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteI have to say that the cakes are very photogenic; they look beautiful in the photos! I love the variety of colours! It's a shame that tasting the cakes was such chaos! But your description of the scene made me laugh!
Maybe next time everything will be better organised and everyone will get a cake!
Have a great weekend!
Thanks for your kind words! I'm glad you liked the photos and that my description made you laugh. It was a chaotic day, but it was definitely memorable. I'm already looking forward to a more organized event next time, where everyone gets to enjoy a cake.
DeleteOh wow, what an absolute beautiful event! The cakes look amazing, almost too good to eat but I bet they are all delicious.
ReplyDeleteWhen they look almost too good to eat, that's when you know the bakers did an amazing job.
DeleteWow! It looks so nice and delicious. Cakes must be very tasty!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by.
DeleteSuch a beautiful cakes and wonderful event!
ReplyDeleteI know right, thanks for stopping by,
DeleteSo many beautiful cake. I love the idea of having just cake in an event :)
ReplyDelete:) thanks for stopping by.
DeletePretty cakes. I was also at this event and I'm glad to see my cakes made it to your post :)
ReplyDeleteAnnie,
Annies Food Diary
Just checked your blog and your cakes were part of my favourite. Someone else mentioned that too,
DeleteThe cakes are delicious, and the presentation looks very creative. This is an interesting festival that promotes the talents of Nigerian women.
ReplyDeleteIt was a great event that really highlighted the incredible skills and creativity of Nigerian women. I'm so glad you enjoyed the cakes and the presentation, they were both truly amazing.
DeleteTudo muito lindo e colorido, adorei
ReplyDeletebeijos ♥ blog | insta
It was indeed a colorful event.
DeleteWow, so many beautiful cakes!! And they must have been delicious ;)
ReplyDeletehttps://www.heyimwiththeband.com.br/
I didn't get to taste any though, but they are all beautiful.
DeleteSome of the cakes there were quite beautiful. It's a shame that the event took an ugly turn. Hopefully they are able to do another cake picnic but with better planning next time.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree, the cakes were stunning, and it's a real shame things went so wrong. The vision for the event was truly beautiful, and it's disappointing that the execution didn't match.
Deletelovely
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteWow. Those cakes are gorgeous and what a huge party!
ReplyDeleteI know right.
DeleteI agree that those cakes look so pretty and I bet taste delicious!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by.
DeleteBeautiful photos, dear Benita! The cakes look really delicious! Thank you so much for sharing. Warm greetings from Montreal, Canada.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by.
DeleteThese are some stunning cakes...thanks for sharing dear :-)
ReplyDeleteBeauty and Fashion
Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteHola Benita. Menuda exposición de pasteles la que nos has dejado. Ignoro de que eran, aunque el aspecto es fabuloso, lástima que hubiese un poco de desorden al finalizar el evento y que no se pudieran probar esas delicias. Otro año será.
ReplyDeleteUn abrazo.
Thanks for your kind words about the cakes! Hopefully, the next one turns out well.
Deletevery beautiful photos thanks
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteI had opened this post more than a week ago and kept it aside so I could comment when I had the time. Yes, I knew about the Lagos Cake Picnic Festival. My sister was actually one of the planners, perhaps in charge of decorations or something along those lines. We already had an ongoing project together, and it bothered me that she didn’t take ours as seriously. Meanwhile, she was actively promoting the cake picnic and seemed so excited about it. I suppose the organizers shared that same excitement.
ReplyDeleteBut here’s the thing: when people try to start a new event or tradition, they often forget that adequate planning is key. It is the foundation that determines how people will remember the program, especially when it’s the very first edition in a place like Lagos.
For instance, how could there be a cake picnic without a “no cake, no entry” rule? That should have been the first consideration. It wouldn’t even matter if the cake was homemade or store-bought—everyone should bring one. Secondly, tickets should have been factored in. If someone isn’t coming with a cake, then they should buy a ticket. That way, the cost of what they eat and drink is covered.
Beyond that, there should have been better decorum. It shouldn’t have looked like a crowd just moving about. Simple organization, like arranging mats for groups to sit, could have made the event more orderly and enjoyable.
I watched the videos and reviews, and to be honest, it wasn’t the kind of impression you’d want from a first-time event like this.
Wow! I didn't know your sister was part of the team. Anyway, you have said it all Mel. A first-time event, especially one in a busy city like Lagos, needs a strong plan. Your points about the "no cake, no entry" rule and the alternative of a ticket price are brilliant, and was my same thought. It's a tough lesson for the organizers: the foundation of planning is what people remember, not just the fun concept.
DeleteHopefully, they can take this feedback and nail it next time.