26 Jan Cake-Killing Party: New Social Gathering

Cover Picture XHS user @Xuanxuanxuan

As festive moods build and social needs intensify, pastries are taking on a new role in China’s urban lifestyle. Beyond birthdays or celebrations, a new phenomenon is emerging among young consumers: the “cake-killing party” — a social gathering centered on tasting and sharing multiple cakes together.

What Is “Cake-Killing”? A New Social Trend on RED

#Cake-killing (3.4 million views, 33K discussions on RED) is a rising social trend, where young urban consumers gather offline to share and taste multiple cakes together. Instead of buying a single cake for a specific occasion, participants intentionally organize meetups centered on collective dessert tasting, often featuring viral or hard-to-book boutique pastries.

The concept originates from group buying and online coordination: dessert lovers eager to try a wide variety of trending cakes turn to social platforms to form small, purpose-driven gatherings. Once a post goes live, cake-killing meetups often fill up within hours, reflecting strong demand and emotional resonance.

Christmas featuring kill cake party, photo of RED user @Xuanxuan

How Cake-Killing Turns Tasting into Participation

A typical cake-killing party involves 10–20 participants, each contributing a fixed amount around RMB 100–200 (~€13–26). The group collectively orders several cakes from different bakeries, then meets in a café, studio, or home setting to “kill” them together.

These gatherings typically involve slicing cakes and sharing tasting portions, rating flavors, textures, and aesthetics, exchanging opinions and recommendations, and posting reviews and visual content back on RED.

Photo of RED user @kamadidi and @halfmoontomato

The Cultural Meaning Behind Cake-Killing

At a deeper level, cake-killing reflects how young Chinese consumers are redefining social connection. For those who crave offline interaction but feel pressure around traditional socializing, cake-killing offers a low-risk, low-pressure entry point into real-world connection. In an uncertain, fast-paced urban life, this sense of certainty, warmth, and shared pleasure is deeply appealing.

More broadly, cake-killing signals a shift from individually owning products to shared enjoyment, from formal gatherings to emotionally safe micro-communities. By bringing together people who enjoy sharing life and appreciating small pleasures, cake-killing turns pastry into a social glue, and sweetness into something that lasts beyond the last bite.

Photo of RED user @Professor. P invited by Waldorf Chengdu

Key Takeaway for Brands

The next growth opportunity lies in enabling collective tasting moments through mini formats, tasting sets, limited-edition assortments, and social-ready experiences that draw attentions to community participation.

Contact us to learn more about the beauty, luxury market trends & strategy in China