Idle Talk original series Episode 2: Miss Trixie’s Alice Bennett

The second episode of the carsales original series Idle Talk has arrived, featuring Alice Bennett, the creative force behind the Melbourne baking phenomenon Miss Trixie Drinks Tea. Swapping the whisk for heated seats, Bennett joins host Feann Torr for a candid conversation about building a sugar-coated empire in the face of a global pandemic.

Alice Bennett didn't plan on becoming Australia’s most Instagrammable baker. As she reveals in the latest Idle Talk, she was working in PR for the Australian Grand Prix the day the 2020 event was cancelled due to COVID-19.

With her career on ice, she turned a "one cake a week" side hustle into a full-blown sensation, fueled by nostalgia, dad joke puns and a desperate need for joy during lockdown.

"I had to give people a reason to want to order cake," Bennett explains, detailing her signature style of pairing retro lollies like musk sticks with incisive wordplay.

The conversation dives deep into the "magic" of baking – or rather the science – as  Bennett cites the iconic Women’s Weekly Children’s Birthday Cake Book as her ultimate North Star.

However, it’s not all sprinkles and buttercream; Bennett gets real about the physical toll of the "tradie life" of baking, her hatred of messy kitchens, and her strict stance on ingredients.

"Dry cake is just murder in your mouth. And avoid that cooking chocolate. 'Compound' is just code for sh*tty chocolate."

The episode takes a star-studded turn as Bennett recalls the moment Hollywood actor Eric Bana appeared at her door to pick up an order.

"My mouth was on the floor," she laughs, admitting she had no idea she was baking for "The Hulk" until he called her from the driveway.

From navigating Melbourne’s bumps with a three-tier wedding cake to surviving her first car, a eucalyptus green Mitsubishi Magna, Bennett proves that whether it’s cars or cakes, it’s all about the quality of the "batter."

Stay tuned to the carsales YouTube channel for monthly episodes of Idle Talk, featuring more of Australia’s most interesting personalities behind the wheel.