Life-sized Taylor Swift cake collapses on its way to international baking competition

The fated cake was meant to be the star attraction of the Cake International competition

Olivia Hebert
Los Angeles
Friday 01 November 2024 21:01 EDT
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Life-sized Taylor Swift cake collapses en route to baking competition
Life-sized Taylor Swift cake collapses en route to baking competition (AFP via Getty Images)

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A life-sized Taylor Swift cake collapses on its way to an international baking competition, Cake International.

According to BBC, artist and baker Elza Baldzhiyska planned on showing off the Swift cake at the competition taking place near Birmingham on November 1.

The cake captured the pop star, 34, rocking her iconic pink-and-blue jeweled Versace bodysuit and those glittering knee-high boots—her go-to look for the Lover era on tour, now reimagined in frosting and fondant glory. However, as the cake was being transported, it began to fall apart.

Photos capture the cake starting to buckle at the knees, with Baldzhiyska desperately propping up the drooping Swift with one hand while attempting emergency repairs. Photos of the wilting cake revealed a handless Swift, though event organizers noted to the BBC that her hands were always planned to be a last-minute addition.

Ultimately, though, the artist had to bow out of the competition—her life-sized masterpiece simply couldn’t shake it off.

Cake International, marking its 30th anniversary this year at the National Exhibition Centre from November 1 to 3, is all about “cake decorating, sugar art, and baking” alongside showcasing “the jaw-dropping talent of cake artists worldwide.” Visitors can catch live demos, view edible art installations, and stock up on baking essentials.

Elza Baldzhiyska trying to salvage her life-sized Taylor Swift cake after it was damaged
Elza Baldzhiyska trying to salvage her life-sized Taylor Swift cake after it was damaged (AFP via Getty Images)

The life-sized Taylor Swift cake was planned as the star attraction and focal point of the anniversary celebration, according to the event’s website. The Swift cake wasn’t the only humanoid cake set to reportedly be on display, with artist Emma Jayne showing off a life-sized rendition of Queen Elizabeth I.

This isn’t the only super-sized tribute to the Tortured Poets Department artist to pop up lately. Just this past Thursday (31 October) Indianapolis’s Lucas Oil Stadium snagged the traveling giant friendship bracelet that first made its debut at the New Orleans Caesars Superdome.

Elza Baldzhiyska attempting to fix her Taylor Swift cake for the Cake International competition
Elza Baldzhiyska attempting to fix her Taylor Swift cake for the Cake International competition (AFP via Getty Images)

Originally crafted for Swift’s shows in New Orleans as a playful nod to the beloved friendship bracelet trading at her Eras Tour, the bracelet was a fan-suggested idea to “trade” it between stadiums, letting each venue get in on the Swiftie spirit as the tour heads toward its Canadian finale in December.

Caesars Superdome General Manager Evan Holmes decided to make things official with Lucas Oil Stadium’s Eric Neuburger—offering up their oversized friendship bracelet as a token to cement their stadium’s friendship.

“Indy has a longstanding tradition of cooperative relationships and they don’t stop at the downtown mile square outline, or the city limits, or a state line,” Neuburger told the press. “We like to believe that hospitality has no limits and friendships can exist everywhere. We saw the bracelets on the Superdome early on and thought it was such a cool idea, so we happily accepted the offer to bring them to Indy and are grateful to New Orleans for its generosity.”

Created by artist Shawn Kolodny, these giant friendship bracelets are no ordinary arm candy—the inflatable “beads” stand seven feet tall each, and the strands stretch a jaw-dropping 140 feet.

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