WHEN bushfires took hold near Port Macquarie last spring, Wodonga baker Ashini Wijayaneththi was touched by the images shared around the country.
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One photo, in particular, stood out; it was a firefighter rescuing a koala.
"Firefighters are our heroes and we should be proud of them," she said.
Having decided to enter her first major cake decorating competition in Melbourne, Ms Wijayaneththi knew the exact design of her cake to reflect the theme: Aussie Feel.
She made a bust cake of a firefighter and a rescued koala, named Andy and Chiko, respectively.
"I wanted to do a unique cake and something Australians could feel proud of," she said.
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Ms Wijayaneththi spent three days solid, working on the lifelike recreation.
"I worked on it 10 to 12 hours a day over three days," Ms Wijayaneththi.
"It's made from fondant and modelling chocolate, using Rice Krispies and marshmallow to mould the bust."
Ms Wijayaneththi won the novice section in the Art of Cake 2019 at Cake Bake and Sweets show and claimed the public vote too.
"I am really amazed; I didn't expect anything my first time around," she said.
"I just wanted to get some experience."
Sri Lankan-born, Ms Wijayaneththi moved to Wodonga with her husband in late 2012 to work on The Border Mail.
A graphic designer by trade, she founded her online cake business Cherry on Top two years ago.
A fundraiser #bake4bushfires will run on Saturday, February 22, in QEII Square in Albury from 9am. People can view the above cake close up.
