Sweet victory: a black swan and a wedding cake among baking show excellence

What do a black swan and a three-tiered wedding cake have in common? They are the baking masterpieces of two Kangan Institute students who were placegetters in the cake decorating competition at the 2024 Victorian Baking Trade Show in June.  

Rita Sagher received first prize for her wedding cake and Thi McCulloch received second prize for a novelty cake.   

Thi’s black swan cake, complete with its cygnet was inspired by an interest in Australian native animals. 

“To make this cake the hardest part was the neck of the swan, the difficulty was forming the beak and the feathers,” said Thi.  

“The way I did the feathers is my own secret technique. It took me four hours to do it right and the hardest was the baby’s feathers. 

“When I did it I wanted it to look alive, like it has a soul, a spirit in it.”

“I feel very happy to win second place in this competition because this will help me develop my new future career as a trainer in baking.”

(Thi with her award winning cake.)

Rita’s three-tier white wedding cake featured an exquisite white design with flower decorations that was meticulously put together. 

“I worked on each of the flowers, preparing them step by step, petal by petal, leaf by leaf. Everything took a lot of time and I had to be patient to create all the details,” said Rita. 

“I was glad to use my skills for decorating and now I want to develop the perfect recipe for the cake. When I do something I do it with all my passion, I want it to be perfect. 

“All my teachers have helped me, and I want to continue to learn and improve my skill.”

Rita says the secret to baking success is loving it! 

“If you just love it then you can do it, you need lots of passion and time to be hands on,” she said. 

(Award winning baking student Rita.)

The competition was a great opportunity for the students to test their skills and witness the mastery of industry professionals up close.  

Both Rita and Thi are enrolled in the Certificate III in Baking (FBP30521) at Kangan Institute which is delivered at the Broadmeadows Campus. 

Comments for attributing, Kangan Institute CEO Sally Curtain: 

“Congratulations to Rita and Thi for bravely entering the competition and embracing the opportunity to put their skills and training to the test. 

“I am constantly amazed by what our students create and for the knowledge and support they are offered by their teaching team to achieve great outcomes. 

“We can’t wait to see what masterpieces Rita and Thi will create next and look forward to following their career paths.”

(Baking educators and students at Kangan Institute celebrate the duo's wins.)