It all ends in tiers as Taylor Swift cake pulled from show after damage on way

A life-sized Taylor Swift cake intended to be the star of an international competition has been withdrawn after it was badly damaged as it was taken to the event.

The cake, wearing an outfit from the singer’s Eras Tour, was created by Elza Baldzhiyska for the Cake International show at the NEC in Birmingham.

But the award-winning cake artist and the show organisers decided to pull it from the show after it was damaged while being transported in a van on Thursday.

Pictures of the cake sculpture show it bent sideways at the knees and the structural damage meant it could not be repaired. They also revealed it had no hands but organisers said they were intended to be added later.

The three-day event at Birmingham’s NEC, which brings together cake artists and enthusiasts from all over the world, features live demonstrations and workshops alongside the competition.

Competition entries are expected to be in the thousands, with the judges adding a wildcard category for people to enter – creating a wearable masquerade headdress from cake.

A life-sized Queen Elizabeth I cake, created by sugar artist Emma Jayne Cake Design, is also being showcased.

Other extravagant items on display this year include a Mrs Macabre’s Toy Emporium showpiece from Sugar Screams, a seven-foot-tall birthday cake to celebrate 30 years of Cake International and a large dragon slayer cake from film industry expert sculptor Gary Pollard.