Get those magnifying lenses out and bring forth your inner Gordon Ramsay, because come February 17th at Sheikh Zayed’s Zest, we’re set for quite the kooky show. Always at the forefront of culinary ingenuity, Egypt’s gourmet cupcake bakery NOLA in collaboration with Zest is about to cause quite a stir with Egypt’s first-ever ‘Bake-athon’ - and just in case you’re running low on caffeine and a will to live, that’s a bakery marathon.

It's no surprise that Ramadan, with its month-long family gatherings, awkward pleasantries, late-night TV binges, and, of course, spiritual transcendence, has also become synonymous with one thing - or rather, one phenomenon: innovative dessert recipes.

We've seen the 'Metdalla’a' spoil its way into our hearts, indulged in Kunafa volcanoes, and savoured a plethora of Kunafa lotus popcorn bites. So, the lingering question is, what comes next? And that's precisely the question on NOLA’s mind.

“Every year we’re setting the bar with something new, and we always get requests from people who have so many ideas and recipes they want us to implement,” Adel Sedky, CEO & Partner at NOLA tells SceneEats. “One day the teams at NOLA and Zest just thought, ‘why not do some sort of baking marathon?’ and so all the dots were connected, and we decided to introduce Egypt’s first Bake-athon.”

Giving bakers and amateurs alike a platform to make their wildest Ramadan concoction dessert dreams come true, NOLA’s Bake-athon at Zest is searching for the next big thing; will it be - and hey, don’t you steal my ideas, you! - Kunafamisu? Could we possibly witness a ‘Metbahdela’? Mayhaps a lotus Basboosa sorbet? The possibilities are endless and remain undiscovered.

But one thing is certain: the winner of the Bake-athon will have their creations featured prominently on NOLA’s Ramadan menu. Oh, and there's a substantial cash prize at stake, and in due time, all will be... revealed.

Always introducing best-selling desserts every Ramadan season, NOLA will also be adding a completely original recipe to their menu, but the only sneak peak we can give is this: It’s going to be nostalgic.

“I can’t wait to see everyone bring their A game this year. The competition is heating up.” Sedky admits. And truthfully? Neither can we.