Cake Picnic? More Like A Sweet Cake Garden

For October’s Vancouver Cookbook Club, we hosted the second edition of our beloved Cake Garden event.

What better way to spend a rainy autumn Saturday morning than sharing homemade cakes with your community, especially when there are 50 different cakes (including Meg's Savoury Salmon Avocado Cheesecake) to try? Our October Vancouver Cookbook Club turned into Cake Garden 2.0, a celebration of creativity, baking, and connection.

Our first Cake Garden took place in the summer, and the response was overwhelming. After sharing the recap on Instagram and TikTok, people who weren’t able to make it had serious FOMO, so we knew we had to do it again! This time, we hosted it indoors at the stunning second-floor studio of Garden Strathcona. Surrounded by plants, natural light, and cozy ambiance, it was the perfect setting for a cake-filled gathering.

Setting the Scene

The atmosphere was elevated with live piano by Ann and two gorgeous bouquets from Lana at Stemly, which beautifully adorned the cake table. Every detail was designed to make the event feel special and welcoming.

Bouquets from Stemly

The Awards

This edition of Cake Garden came with a bit of friendly competition: three awards were up for grabs—People’s Choice, Host’s Choice, and Tessa’s Choice.

People’s Choice Award: Guests voted for their favorite cake based on appearance and aesthetics (because let’s be honest, not everyone wants to try 50 cakes in one sitting!). Each cake had a number, and participants submitted their votes in a ballot box. Cynthia and I counted the votes, and the majority ruled.

Winner: Coco's Apple Pie Spiced Cake with Miso Caramel

Host’s Choice Award: Cynthia and I selected our favorite cake based on presentation and taste. Once we narrowed it down visually, we sampled and voted to determine our winners.

Winner: Luna's Earl Grey Cherry Cake

Tessa’s Choice Award: We were thrilled to invite Tessa Huff, cookbook author and food writer, to judge. She evaluated cakes on appearance, creativity, uniqueness, and technique, keeping the stakes deliciously high.

Winner: Sharon's Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice Cake

Creativity on Display

We also brought in our talented friend Sophia from Jane Doodle to capture the event in live watercolour. She painted stunning cakes during the gathering and even prepared personalized paintings for Tessa and the three winners.

Adding another fun twist, Cynthia baked handmade polymer clay cake keychains for each winner—a sweet and lasting keepsake from the day.

Community Touches

As always, our DIY photobooth encouraged guests to snap memorable photos, enhanced by Garden Strathcona’s natural light. Guests also received custom name pins designed by Cynthia, featuring one thing they’re passionate about. We grouped participants by cake pin type—matcha, chocolate, and strawberry shortcake—so people could easily start conversations based on interests that they shared with us upon signing up for the event.

Every cake was beautiful, and the community touches made them even more special. (Well…except my White Forest Cake, which melted—but that’s part of the fun!)

A rainy Saturday morning, homemade cakes, creativity, and connection: that’s Cake Garden 2.0 done right.

Interested in joining our Vancouver Cookbook Club? Make sure to sign up for our Interest Form or discover more events through The Social House.

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