When the doors of Cake International opened at Birmingham’s NEC this Halloween weekend, visitors were greeted by a familiar figure—one that seemed to have moonwalked straight out of the 1983 “Thriller” music video. Standing tall, clad in his signature red jacket, and frozen mid-dance, the King of Pop was back—this time as an extraordinary life-size cake sculpture crafted by renowned South Wales cake artist Emma Jayne Morris.
The 55-year-old mother of three spent six painstaking weeks creating an edible masterpiece that captures Michael Jackson at his most iconic, blending technical mastery with artistic vision in a way that has left spectators both amazed and delighted.
Emma Jayne’s latest creation, unveiled at the world’s largest cake show, is not merely a confectionary display—it’s a detailed tribute to one of music’s most memorable eras, timed perfectly to coincide with Halloween. The sculpture, which replicates Jackson’s look from the legendary “Thriller” video, highlights both the precision of her craft and the creativity that has made her one of the leading figures in the international cake art scene.
From Royalty to the King of Pop
For those familiar with Emma Jayne’s work, this grand tribute to Michael Jackson continues a pattern of awe-inspiring life-size creations that blur the line between sculpture and baking. Over the past few years, she has stunned audiences with her full-scale edible figures of King Charles III in 2023—the year of his coronation—and of Queen Elizabeth I in 2024. Each of those projects reflected her fascination with history and portraiture, a passion rooted in her background as a professional artist. But this time, the inspiration came not from royal grandeur but from pop culture’s most famous Halloween icon.
“The first day of the show is Halloween, and we’ve chosen the Thriller era, so everything just seemed to fit in,” Emma Jayne explained. Her choice proved perfect for the occasion. Cake International is a celebration of artistry and innovation, and what better way to mark the spooky season than with a tribute to the world’s most famous horror-themed music video?
Standing alongside her creation, dressed as a zombie with her husband Owain, Emma Jayne immersed herself fully in the theme. “We’ve all grown up with the King of Pop,” she said, smiling as crowds gathered to take photographs. “Most people that have walked up to us today have said, ‘Oh, we love him.’ It was a no-brainer.”
Every element of the edible sculpture reflects meticulous research and execution. From the curls in his hair to the shine of his shoes, Jackson’s likeness has been brought to life through materials more commonly found in a baker’s pantry than an artist’s studio. The head, which took a full week to complete, was built from Rice Krispies, modelling chocolate, and sugar paste. Each detail was sculpted with the precision of a portrait artist, ensuring that the final product evoked the same energy and charisma that defined Jackson’s stage presence.
A Masterclass in Craft and Patience
Creating a life-size figure entirely out of edible materials requires not just artistic flair but deep technical expertise. Over the six-week period, Emma Jayne had to balance creativity with structural engineering to ensure that the sculpture could stand, travel, and endure the three-day exhibition. The process began with detailed research into Jackson’s “Thriller” outfit, followed by sketches and model prototypes.
Once the vision was finalized, she built the internal armature—the framework that supports the weight of the cake’s components—before layering it with edible materials. One of the greatest challenges was transportation. The finished figure had to make a three-hour journey from Emma Jayne’s studio in Aberdare, South Wales, to Birmingham.
To minimize risk, she separated the head from the body, carefully packaging each part for the trip. “We had to hire a big van with a tail lift, and it travelled on its back lying down because even though it’s got an armature in it, it wouldn’t take the rocking to get here,” she said. Despite the fragility of the piece, it arrived almost perfectly intact, with only a small repair needed on the back of the lapel.
That precision and care extend to every element of the sculpture. The head, as Emma Jayne explained, is the most critical component because it determines the likeness. “You’ve got to get the likeness of the person,” she said. “It may not be 100% on, but the likeness is there, and then when you put it on the body with the clothing, the red and everything else that goes with it, it just adds to the full likeness of him.”
To complete the display, she also created tombstones and other Halloween-themed decorations for her booth, transforming the space into a miniature haunted scene. Together, the decorations and the life-size “Thriller” figure captured the eerie charm of the original video, immersing visitors in a nostalgic and festive atmosphere.
Beyond its visual impact, the piece demonstrates the extraordinary evolution of cake artistry as a medium. What was once considered a domestic skill has become a serious art form, with international recognition and technical disciplines comparable to sculpture and design. For Emma Jayne, this journey has been deeply personal. Her early background as a portrait artist gave her an advantage in shaping human figures, but her entry into cake making came unexpectedly—sparked by a conversation at home.
She recalls how her husband once teased her for buying too many cakes for their children’s birthdays. “I said fine, I’ll make one myself,” she laughed. “And for me, it was art using a different medium—that’s all it was, from the first cake that I made.” That first experiment would eventually reshape her career. “I just loved it,” she said. “Learning about the mediums, learning about what sugar could do, what chocolate could do.”
An International Career Built on Sugar and Imagination
What began as a family hobby quickly turned into a global enterprise. Emma Jayne’s reputation grew as her unique approach—treating cake like sculpture—caught the attention of the wider baking world. Cake International, in particular, became a defining platform for her artistry. It not only showcased her creations but also introduced her to a worldwide community of cake enthusiasts, fellow artists, and students eager to learn her techniques.
“Cake International helped introduce me to people from all over the world who asked me to teach,” she explained. “You wouldn’t think just from making a cake that your career would go off in that direction. It’s crazy.”
Over the years, her work has taken her across continents, teaching masterclasses in sugar artistry and demonstrating advanced techniques for creating realistic figures and portraits. Her sculptures—often larger than life and rich in personality—have earned admiration for their craftsmanship and emotional resonance. Each project demands patience, precision, and an artist’s intuition for expression, especially when capturing well-known faces.
This year’s Michael Jackson piece may be one of her most ambitious yet, both in scale and cultural impact. The “Thriller” video remains one of the most recognizable pop culture moments in history, blending music, dance, and horror in a way that redefined entertainment. Reimagining that moment in sugar and chocolate required more than technical mastery—it required an understanding of the icon himself.
Visitors to the NEC this weekend have responded enthusiastically. Crowds gather to take photos, marveling at the detail and realism of the edible statue. “All you can hear is people saying ‘Michael Jackson, Michael Jackson’,” Emma Jayne said, smiling at the reactions. “It’s definitely making an impact, and that goes a long way.”
Even as she celebrates the success of her latest creation, Emma Jayne remains humble about her achievements. She emphasizes that each project begins with the same process—research, planning, and a commitment to bringing a subject to life through patience and love for the craft. “There’s a lot of work and effort and planning that goes into every feature that we do,” she said. “I just took my time with it.”
When Cake International concludes, the King of Pop will make one final journey—back home to Wales. Unlike many of her large-scale creations, which are often dismantled after display, she plans to keep this one. The “Thriller” cake, it seems, has earned a special place in her heart.
Emma Jayne’s story is not just about extraordinary skill but about the transformation of passion into profession. What began as a creative experiment in her kitchen has become a career that bridges art, performance, and confectionery science. Her life-size Michael Jackson tribute stands as both a technical marvel and a symbol of how far edible art has come.
As thousands of visitors walk through Cake International, pausing to admire the King of Pop brought back to life in sugar and chocolate, they are witnessing more than a tribute to a legend—they are seeing the embodiment of one artist’s imagination, dedication, and sheer love for her craft.
In the soft lights of the exhibition hall, surrounded by the scent of sugar and the hum of admiration, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” plays faintly in the background. And there, among tombstones and dancers dressed as zombies, the King of Pop stands once again—this time sculpted not in marble or bronze, but in the sweetest of materials, as only Emma Jayne could envision.