Southbank Institute of Technology (SBIT) in Queensland has added an extra sweet touch to its National Skills Week celebrations, hosting a two-hour ‘pop-up’ cake shop.

More than 600 freshly-baked cakes were sold at the event, raising $2500 for the TAFE Directors Australia National Scholarships Foundation – a charity launched in March to support students who need financial assistance to complete their studies.

The goods, which included chocolate sacher tortes, poppy seed cakes, swiss rolls and spanish vanilla and orange almond delights, were made by SBIT students from the College of Tourism and Hospitality (COTAH).

COTAH head of department Steven Schumann said the smell of the cakes drifting through the busy South Bank area drew in an impressive crowd.

“You could say the cakes were flying off the racks! It was simply two awesome-hours of pastry party buzz as we appeased the crowds with cakes of all shapes, sizes and tastes. There were also some great tasting cakes for our gluten-free friends,” he said.

“We really couldn’t be happier with the final result. It was a truly vibrant campus and everyone had a lot of fun raising money for a cause that at the end of the day supports our students,” Mr Schumann said.

SBIT Patisserie students made the cakes as part of their course requirements. On the day, students and teachers from SBIT’s Diploma of Events and Diploma of Hospitality courses also participated by manning the cake shop and alleviating the workload.

Steven said SBIT’s kitchen facilities are designed to make events like the pastry party manageable. “Once we’d baked the goods, all we then had to do was trolley them through campus. The cakes were then sold off in a pastry party spectacular, which also included free cake samples, live music, and course education.”