Viral 'cake picnic' trend draws criticism over $170 fee for bakers

A local event organiser has drawn criticism for charging home bakers $170 to participate in its version of the viral cake picnic trend that originated as a free community gathering.

Art market organiser PlusSantai organised its third Slice Slice Baby event on Sept 14, marketing it as Singapore's take on the cake picnic concept - gatherings where amateur bakers share their creations with one another.

The concept, which began in San Francisco in 2024 and has since spread globally from Kuala Lumpur to Lagos, had just one rule: "No cake, no entry."

However, PlusSantai's model differs from the original one by charging home-based bakers $170 to showcase their creations, on top of an additional $33 fee if they intend to sample other bakers' offerings.

Non-bakers could also attend for $33, which entitled them to three cake slices collected during a timed seven-minute "dash".

"I don't think the organisers gave enough exposure to the bakers (for the amount they paid including their ingredients costs)," commented one attendee on Instagram, criticising the "chaotic" queues and heat at the venue.

"At this rate, they'd get better exposure sharing cakes for free at Marina Barrage and having a picnic there," wrote another user.

One home-based baker in attendance, who goes by the online handle Mizartlane and declined to share her real name, told The Straits Times she was initially excited when PlusSantai approached her to participate in the event.

She prepared three cakes: a cookie cake, a cinnamon haw flakes cake inspired by her grandmother's kek lapis recipe and a chocolate banana fudge cake.

"I understand that venue rentals in Singapore are expensive. However, a few days before the event, they posted that the venue, Malayan Council, was a sponsor. None of the bakers knew this prior to that," she said.

"I received feedback from my customers that the venue was hot, the cakes were messy, warm and melting because of the venue," she added.

Meanwhile, fellow baker Mai, an undergraduate student who declined to share her full name, said she was disappointed by how the event differed from the original concept after paying the $33 fee for a ticket.

She said the first-come-first-serve queue system was not communicated to attendees beforehand, so many cakes had no slices left by her turn, and many cakes had melted after sitting at room temperature for two hours.

"You bring one cake, and you get one ticket for entry and that was it - that was the original concept," she said. "But it was quite different for this Singapore one."

Faced with backlash, organiser PlusSantai published a post on Instagram on Sept 19 stating that the fees were used for the venue set-up, emcee, marketing and cake boxes.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, PlusSantai said: "We understand that this format may not suit every participant. However, many bakers - especially home-based and online businesses - have seen tangible benefits in sales, branding and exposure, which is why they have returned to participate in multiple editions."

Previous editions of the ticketed event - with a $150 fee for bakers - were held in February and May.

"While we stand by our event framework, we also take feedback seriously and will review ways to better communicate expectations and benefits to participants in future editions," said the spokesperson.

One home baker defended the event, commenting in response to detractors: "I was not in it for the money, I was looking to make new connections and friends in the cake world, regardless if I get to taste their cakes or not."

PlusSantai is not the only group to have done a local take on the cake picnic. Singapore's Cat Welfare Society organised a cake picnic in August where attendees donated $10 or more to participate.

TikTok videos of cake picnics around the globe have drawn millions of views on the platform, though not always because of positive fanfare. A cake picnic in Lagos, Nigeria, has become the subject of mockery online for its chaotic scramble for slices.