Bakers across the city are being asked to get their mixing bowls at the ready to help create an enormous edible map of Liverpool and New York, as part of the Transatlantic Cake Fest.
The 70 square metre cake map will be served up during the ‘Eat the Atlantic’ food festival, part of the city’s Transatlantic 175 weekend. Taking place on 4–5 July, the event directed by designer Wayne Hemingway MBE, marks Cunard’s 175th anniversary and celebrates Liverpool’s internationally renowned maritime history and transatlantic links with America.
To take part in the mouth-watering challenge, amateur and professional bakers simply have to select their favourite Liverpool or New York landmark and bake it out of cake to add to the artwork.
Familiar sights unexpectedly covered in icing will include everything from the Liver Buildings or the Ferry across the Mersey, to the Statue of Liberty or Times Square. Why not try a:
- Fondant Fancy Ferry
- Central Parkin
- Madeira Mann Island
- Bronx Brownie
- Albert Choc Cake
The finished map will feature a host of appetising structures across the two cities, separated by an edible Atlantic.
The Transatlantic Cake Fest is the brainchild of food innovator and director of the ‘Eat the Atlantic’ food festival, Simon Preston. He said: “Eat the Atlantic is all about celebrating food culture from both sides of the pond and having fun exploring food in different ways. It’s about creating something different, something with a unique twist to mark Liverpool’s summer of celebrations.
“We already have a Very Big Catwalk in the line-up, and it wouldn’t be a celebration without cake – so sticking with the size theme and not one to do things by halves we want to create the biggest cake Liverpool has ever seen! And in keeping with the 175th anniversary, it will be packed full of the most loved locations from both sides of the Atlantic.
“We want to capture the imagination of both amateur and professional cake-makers across the city, so whether you are a solo baker or working as part of a team, we can provide all the advice and support you need to take part and bake something spectacular. We can’t wait to see what the people of Liverpool come up with, from the cathedrals to the football stadiums there’s a whole host of landmarks to help inspire creativity”.
Individual cakes will be baked in advance and brought to the two-day food festival, where Simon and his team will be tasked with the job of assembling them on the edible base located on Mann Island. It will be completed on Sunday afternoon (5 July) and free slices of the finished creation will be shared amongst the crowds on the waterfront.
It is just one of the events at the free ‘Eat the Atlantic’ food festival, which will also see food demonstrations and street theatre spanning the docks offering a variety of speciality food paying tribute to the dishes from both sides of the pond.
The food festival, organised by Liverpool City Council, is part of Liverpool’s ‘One Magnificent City’ seven week programme of spectacular events taking place this summer.
It forms part of the finale Transatlantic 175 weekend on 4 – 5 July, which will also see a record-breaking catwalk attempt for ‘most models on a catwalk’, which is being sponsored by Liverpool-based online retail giant Very.co.uk.
‘The Very Big Catwalk’ in front of the city’s historic Three Graces, will be followed by a huge free disco on the docks. ‘The Very Big After Party’, DJ’d by Merseyside legend Greg Wilson, will relive Liverpool’s musical history playing the influential sounds the city first heard from across the pond.
The glitz and glamour of bygone ages will also come to life as a bespoke version of Wayne Hemingway MBE’s highly acclaimed Vintage Festival comes to town. ‘Vintage on the Docks’ hosted at Albert Dock will celebrate the fashion, music, dance, film and food that have travelled across the Atlantic over the ages.
The Transatlantic 175 weekend festivities will also give visitors the chance to enjoy Liverpool’s inaugural car cavalcade on Sunday 5 July, when a convoy of vintage vehicles take a land cruise through the heart of the city.
If you are interested in finding out more about how to create a landmark cake to feature on the map, follow the registration details on the website www.onemagnificentcity.co.uk to register your interest or follow @OMCLpool on Twitter and One Magnificent City Liverpool on Facebook.