Community
11 June, 2025
How you can bake your way to this year’s Ekka
It has been uears since Mount Isa has had a fruit cake entry worthy of being sent to the Ekka.
The gauntlet – or should we say mixing bowl – has been thrown down to the men and women of Mount Isa.
It has been several years since the Mount Isa Show has had a fruit cake entry worthy of being sent to the Ekka.
And now the organisers of next week’s Mount Isa Show hope to attract newcomers to the culinary sports at the exhibition pavilion.
The fruitcake competition stands along preserves and jerky making as cherished mainstay events at agricultural shows across the state for more than a century.
The Mount Isa Show fruit cake competition bases its rules on the Queensland requirements for the cake to use 500 grams of cake mixture including about 2.25kg dried fruit – with prunes and figs not permitted.
The cake has to be baked in a 22.5cm square with the local winner submitting an entry to the regional titles and the Ekka competition in a specific wooden box.
A look at the list of previous Ekka winners shows there has not been a North Queensland victory for more than 25 years, which is something the Mount Isa Show organisers are hoping to change.
Guido Pittis is among the intrepid locals who plans to enter the fruitcake competition despite never have baked a cake in his life.
The veteran MICO worker said while he was comfortable making spaghetti or standing at a barbecue, he has had to spend a bit of time online searching simple fruitcake recipes.
Guido said he was motivated by the chance his final cake might just make it all the way to the Ekka.
“I think if I can have a go then anyone can do it,” he told North West Weekly.
“I have been Googling the secrets to a good fruit cake, so I might just know them all now. I want to throw down the challenge to all the other blokes in Mount Isa – everyone and anyone should have a go.
“Mount Isa is well known for mining but maybe we can become well known for having the best fruitcakes in the state.
“There are some pretty handy fellas in this town, so I challenge them to a bake off.”
Cookery steward Lorna Fisher said new entrants to the cookery competitions enjoyed the challenge of making something from scratch.
“I have been a steward for several years and I have seen what the judge is looking for,” she revealed.
“The fruit in the cake shouldn’t be too dense and it should be evenly distributed. The cookery competition is a lot of fun and to have a cake that is suitable to go to the Ekka is quite an accomplishment.”
Entry forms for the fruit cake competition must be submitted by 6pm on Friday, June 13. Entry costs a gold coin donation and details can be found at https://www.mountisashow.com.au/
All cakes must be delivered to Buchanan Park Entertainment Centre Pavillion between 5pm and 7pm on Wednesday, June 18.
The Mount Isa Show is also looking for volunteers to assist with the setting up of the event next week.
Anyone interested in lending a hand should call 0427 430 146.