Cakemantle: An Exhibition of Cakes of Fremantle

Cakemantle: An Exhibition of Cakes of Fremantle

Part cake competition, part ideas exhibition – this event asks what our cities would look like if we designed them to be edible. Designers, Freo locals, bakers and thinkers are invited to select a site in Walyalup / Fremantle and reimagine it as a cake landscape. Join us for an exhibition of cakes, followed by judging, prize-giving and tasting. For cake designers, their friends and anyone who thinks about the built environment – or simply enjoys cake. Hosted by Rosie Halsmith and Loren Holmes.

If you’d like to enter a cake, register by getting a 'Cake Entry' ticket . Both team and individual entries are welcome. It's $20/cake, with all money donated to Gondwana Link. 

If you’d like to come along for the exhibition, judging and tasting, grab a 'General Admission' ticket.

Host Bios:

Rosie Halsmith is a consultant in landscape architecture and co-design and a Lecturer in Landscape Architecture at the School of Design, University of Western Australia. Rosie’s is focused on a design process that allows listening to, learning from and designing with both human and more-than-human residents of a site. Rosie is passionate about communicating what design is and can do. She has held positions on state and national committees for the Australian Institute of Landscape Architecture and is a regular contributor to publications such as Landscape Australia, Foreground and The Architect.

Loren Holmes is a multidisciplinary designer with over 20 years' experience translating complex ideas into clear, compelling work across built environment, arts, and communications. Her practice spans landscape architecture, architecture, public art, and graphic design, with a particular focus on place-led storytelling. She also teaches in landscape architecture and architecture.

About Fremantle Design Week (FDW):
This event is a FDW satellite event.
Fremantle Design Week is a biennial festival of design and design ideas.
The third Fremantle Design Week will bring seven days of exhibitions, conversations, tours, workshops, films, open studios and special events to Walyalup from 17 – 25 October 2026.

Information for cake makers

Q: Do you have any images of what you’re thinking?
A: Yes!

https://www.instagram.com/p/Dd6k84SCTXN/?stkn=amE2Y2lweTJ6dXR6
https://secretldn.com/london-buildings-made-of-cake/
https://landscapeaustralia.com/articles/urban-landscape-cake-competition/

Q: When can I drop my cake off? And to where?
A: Please bring your cake to UDLA’s Fremantle Studio (Level 2 Atwell Building 3 Cantonment Street, Fremantle, WA, 6160) between 12.30-1.30pm on the day of the competition (Sunday Oct 18). The event will begin at 2pm.

Q: How big should the cake be?
A: Whatever size is manageable for you, your oven, your idea, your transportation logistics etc. There’s no minimum or maximum size.

Q: Are there any rules?
A: Just that

1)      the cake is edible. It can include some non-edible structural elements, if those elements don’t negatively affect the edibility of the cake.; and

2)      the idea behind the cake relates to a place in Fremantle – it might be a building, a landscape, a waterbody, an artwork, a soil profile, a landmark, a forgotten corner or a hidden layer. You may choose to represent the place in a literal way or an abstract way. You’ll be asked to briefly describe the idea and the cake on the day. So be ready to talk about it for 30 sec – 1min.

Q: Does it have to be cake, or can it be biscuit, savoury, etc?
A: As long as it’s edible, it’s allowed. It can sit anywhere on the flavour spectrum.

Q: Who are the judges?
A: We’re stoked to announce that our three auspicious judges are Blaze Young (Foxtrot Hospitality Executive Chef and 2025 WA Chef of the Year), Sarah McGann (UWA School of Design Dean) and Scott Lang (UDLA Director)

Q: How will the cakes be judged?
The judges will be asked to consider both taste and idea in their scoring. The decision of the judges will be final.
There’ll also be a people’s choice award that’ll be based on idea / visual impression.

Q: Will there be prizes?
A: There will indeed be prizes, but we’re keeping them a surprise until the day.

Q: What happens to my cake at the end?
A: We’ll conclude the event with everyone eating the cakes. If you’d like to save your cake to take it home after the judges’ tasting, let us know in advance.