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The Nosh: Let us eat cake!

๐Ÿ“ฐ Crosscut ๐Ÿ• July 2, 2026 at 7:00 AM
The Nosh: Let us eat cake!

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Everyone should experience theย dopamine-fueledย joy of standing in a room with 130 cakes, piled high with fruit and frosting,ย with permission to try a slice of every single one!ย Last July, Iย got to do just thatย afterย snaggingย aย covetedย ticket to Seattleโ€™s first Cake Party, an event that sold out in three minutes andย promptlyย crashedย the website.ย ย 

Cakeย Party was organized by Zoe Kahn, a Seattle content creatorย who donated ticket saleย proceedsย to the Ballard Food Bank.ย The concept is simple:ย Youย must bring a cake, the crowd is divided intoย groupsย and each is given eight minutes to walk the rows of cakes,ย plopping asย many slices asย theyโ€™dย likeย into a bakery box. Being in the last group mayย soundย stressful, but there isย plentyย of cake to go around.ย Cake Partyย was inspired by Cake Picnic,ย aย publicย potluckย dreamed upย byย San Franciscoย home baker Elisa Sungaย thatย hasย sinceย expanded worldwide.ย Last October, 2,000 people showed up to a Bay Area Cake Picnicย withย 2,068 cakesย to share!ย ย 

But before Iย could go toย Cake Party, Iย neededย a cake decorating lessonย and,ย in my opinion, nobodyย makes more creative,ย playfulย and beautiful cakes thanย Seattleโ€™sย Paper Cake Shop, ownedย byย restauranteurย Rachel Yang andย pastry chefย Gabby Park.ย Their Asian-flavored sheet cakes are whimsicallyย topped withย frostingย swoops,ย squigglesย and splotchesย in shades of purple (ube), pink (raspberry) and green (matcha) andย accentedย with everything from Fruity Pebbles cereal to guava gelย รฉย eย andย candied hazelnuts.ย ย