The largest, longest-running annual event in Newcastle, the Mattara Festival, will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year. The festival kicks off on October 1 with official birthday celebrations, including blowing out the candles on the city’s largest-ever cake created for the occasion, a fireworks display and a grand street parade of floats dedicated to the history of Newcastle and five decades of the festival.

Up to 54 chefs have been making a gigantic birthday cake- pictured chefs (l-r) Dean Gibson, Lo de Winter, Paul Miranda and Rick Glass.

54 chefs have been baking up a storm in Newcastle, using half a tonne of baking materials to create the city’s largest ever birthday cake.

More than 6000 eggs, 150kg of chocolate and 450kg of flour will be turned into a three-metre-wide by six-metre-long chocolate mud cake by staff and students from Hamilton TAFE’s baking facility over the coming weeks.

Taking around 120 hours of baking time to create, the giant four-tiered baked good is being assembled from 100 individual slabs of mud cake and decorated by huge birthday candles made out of red and white blown sugar.

50 and counting- chefs Dean Gibson and Rick Glass prepare candles made out of red and white blown sugar 

The monstrous birthday cake will be the centerpiece of Newcastle’s 50th Mattara Festival and up to 1000 festival goers will be able to enjoy a piece of the cake when it’s cut on the opening night at 7:30pm.

Other highlights of this year’s free nine-day festival (October 1-9) include street markets, carnival rides, wildlife encounters and art displays.

For more information on the festival visit  www.visitnewcastle.com.au