Bakery Fair 2011: cakes galore!

Baking enthusiasts and those with a sweet tooth: February 20 (Sunday) is the last day to visit Bakery Fair 2011 organized by the Filipino Chinese Bakery Association Inc. at the World Trade Center in Manila.

I had an interesting time at this fair ( & paying the P100 entrance fee like a good citizen) even though I was alone roaming the exhibition hall. Hubby and all the others wearing shorts weren’t allowed in, even though it was a hot, sweltering day in Manila. Why oh why? 😀

Animal-inspired cake creations inspired by 2011 being the Year of the Rabbit greeted visitors at the door. Note the real rabbits at the bottom of the table.

This three-layer handpainted cake from the booth of Bakels caught my attention. It was beautiful! I never thought you could put the canvas on a cake. Apparently, an artist was commissioned to do this.

From the same booth, cupcakes shaped like billiard balls using ready-made fondant.

The pop star, music-themed cake. I am now looking for cake ideas for my daughter Lucia’s first birthday. Am actually leaning towards Hello Kitty since my baby likes her. With the latest innovations in cake design and artistry these days, seems everything is possible.

Wedding cakes remain a big business in Manila. I like this Tiffany-inspired cake made by Uncle George Gourmet Bread. This is more like an engagement cake, judging from the rock of the Tiffany ring. Still, it’s good enough.

The Gluta or glutathione ice cream was quite a surprise. Hard to know if it’s a marketing gimmick or the real thing. But yes, it claims to have antioxidant properties to make the skin younger and fairer 😀

A giant mixer on display. (and I thought my Kitchenaid Artisan was good enough) If you’re planning to put up a coffeeshop or a bakery, events like this can really help since suppliers, distributors and manufacturers from the food industry gather in one roof.

A representative from Penco Inc. shows a small crowd how to make fondant, which is used to decorate cakes. There were lots of free baking demos in the venue and it’s good to take advantage of them for one’s basic knowledge since instructional classes can get expensive in Manila, especially if taken in baking or cooking schools. I enjoyed the short time I spent at the Beryl’s booth learning how chocolate lollipops are made. A few hours wasn’t enough exploring Bakery Fair!