Every day on social media noticeboards I see people asking for details of local cake makers. With so many people having started cake businesses during the last year I’ve been thinking about who are the best cake makers, designers or decorators (because there's a lot more to it than just baking!) in our area. Some are well-established, some are brand new and born out of lockdown.
Since becoming a self-employed cake maker I've always been about collaboration over competition, there are so many of us but as I have found over the last 5 years, there is always plenty of work to go around. I follow other 'cakers' and love seeing all of their creations. We even have a little group where we can share our work and successes, pass on jobs to each other where necessary and help each other out with last minute supplies! (This was especially helpful during the first lockdown of 2020 when all the supermarkets sold out of baking supplies!)
Chocolate drip overload cake by The Sugar Rose Kitchen
Gloucestershire is full of lots of incredible bakers, cake designers and decorators, covering so many different specialisms. There are far too many to mention them all, but here are nine that I absolutely love…. plus me of course!
When choosing your cake maker please make sure they are insured, registered, hygiene trained and checked in order to ensure the best service, cleanliness and security for you.
Bespoke Bakes
Siobhan Holmes from Bespoke Bakes specialises in gluten free cakes but makes non GF also. Siobhan had always loved baking but further to her partner and daughter both being diagnosed as Coeliac 5 years ago she needed to adjust her recipes to suit them. Siobhan is self-taught and practised her skills for years as a home-baker before setting up in business last year.
Bespoke Bakes provide gorgeous cupcakes and brownie stacks but also the most amazing novelty cakes. All available as gluten free!
A gorgeous fondant rose and gold leaf cake by Bespoke Bakes
Big Bird’s Bakes
Mark Davidson has been a chef for over 25 years working in pastry sections of restaurants, golf clubs and other establishments. He worked under the guide of the late Gary Rhodes as well as in Harrods learning many different skills in dessert making.
About 18 years ago Mark started moving into cake making and helped out a few friends by making their wedding cakes. This led to bespoke birthday cakes and the idea to start Big Bird’s Bakes; a small cake venture where Mark (or Big Bird – as he was known in his first full time chef position!) can showcase his bakes and passion for all things sweet and savoury. Mark says “(Gloucestershire) has a great network of local, talented cake makers and I'm so happy to be part of this popular sector.”
A gorgeous chocolate ganache rose cake by Big Bird’s Bakes
Cake of the Day
The absolute artist behind Cake of the Day is the super-talented Pip Day. Cake of the Day is based in Cheltenham, and Pip specialises in unique and delicious hand-crafted wedding and celebration cakes for all occasions.
Pip’s favourite cakes to make are buttercream floral designs and decadent chocolate loaded drip cakes. She also makes incredible wedding cakes and delicious treat boxes
Pip says “I am passionate about creating cakes that taste just as good, if not better, than they look.”
Abstract flower painted cake using Swiss meringue buttercream by Cake of the Day.
Carly Cakes
The newest business on the list, Carly Cakes is located in Cheltenham and covers the whole of the Cotswolds. Carly’s passion is to create stunning and memorable cakes for any occasion. She offers ‘boucakes’ (cupcake bouquets which look like gorgeous floral displays!), cupcakes and celebration cakes.
Carly enjoys researching recipe ideas and experimenting with different flavours, specialising in vegan and gluten free bakes. You may even have come across one of Carly Cakes delicious vegan cupcakes in a café near you!
Carly strives to create the best tasting cake creations with the most beautiful designs. “To me it’s important to evoke the customers’ senses through bright colours, textures and smells creating an overall sensory experience.” Watch out for Carly’s incredible edible crystal cakes at Cheltenham bar Imperial Haus.
Buttercream dinosaur cake by Carly Cakes.
Forever Cakes by Prity (previously Prete’s Cakes)
Prity is based in the village of Woodmancote and specialises in occasion cakes, cupcakes and hand-crafted sugar flowers. Prity creates devilishly yummy cakes all customised to your needs. She is accommodating to her customers needs and so talented in many different styles of cake making including fondant work and buttercream styles both of which you can see illustrated in the stunning rainbow cake below. Prity also makes treat boxes, beautiful cupcakes and novelty cakes. You name it she can make it!
Rainbow buttercream drip cake with fondant decoration by Forever Cakes by Prity.
Pippa’s Sweet and Savoury Treats
Filipa Semião, runs Pippa’s Sweet and Savoury Treats, a local, home-made cake and food business based in Bishops Cleeve. Filipa started the business in 2017 and for the last three years has provided homemade cakes and traybakes to several pubs in the area, as well as making celebration cakes and decorated cupcakes.
Recently, Filipa has decided to further explore her passion for bespoke celebration cakes. She’s now focused on creating fun and colourful children’s birthday cakes and elegantly decorated cakes for all occasions. All cakes are bespoke and personalised according to customer's requests.
Filipa is also every other cake maker’s best friend as she supplies personalised edible prints and card cake toppers for us and any parents who want to have a go at making their own cakes!
First birthday cake with hand-made fondant modelling by Pippa's Sweet and Savoury Treats.
Powdered Sugar Bakery
Lorraine’s passion for cake decorating started 25 years ago making sugar flowers for wedding and anniversary cakes. After working as a phlebotomist then later a beauty therapist, in 2019 Lorraine was desperate to get back to her baking roots. “One morning I literally thought - I wonder how you make a French macaron”.
Six months later The Powdered Sugar Bakery was born. Selling macarons at markets and local delis Lorraine soon added meringues and pavlovas to her collection.
Then came one more show-stopper…. the overloaded cheesecake, topped with your favourite chocolate and fruit toppings. These make a stunning table centrepiece or individual dessert to impress your guests. Lorraine also makes an incredible ploughmans’ cheesecake, a complete savoury affair topped with cheese and chutneys. Her business is going from strength to strength all from a little macaron.
Incredible Ploughmans’ cheesecake by Powdered Sugar Bakery.
Sugar Bowl Bakes
Multi award winning Anna Newman from Sugar Bowl Bakes won UK's Baker of the Year 2020 at the Cake Professionals Awards. She makes stunning wedding cakes and bespoke cakes for all occasions. How lucky we are to have her in Gloucestershire!
Based in Cheltenham serving the whole of the Cotswolds, Anna makes the most exceptional wedding cakes for which she has been nominated and won various professional awards. Following the drama that was 2020 and a postponement of many weddings, Anna has found herself making lots and lots…. and lots of smaller cakes for birthdays and other occasions. In all manner of styles and designs you can be sure that Sugar Bowl Bakes can provide exactly what you need!
Some stunning cakes by Sugar Bowl Bakes.
Tasha's Sugar Art
Established in 2019, Tasha’s Sugar Art is run by award winning sugarcraft artist and cake designer Tasha Barry. She has been making cakes since the birth of her second Daughter Olivia in 2010.
With her eye for design Tasha’s passion is to give customers great memories by creating visually stylish buttercream cakes that taste just as good as they look!
Tasha is due to open a bigger cake shop with a cake counter stocked full of homemade treats in Cheltenham on the London Road this summer 2021!
Chocolate ganache and gold leaf cake by Tasha's Sugar Art.
The Sugar Rose Kitchen
Well I had to put myself in the list didn’t I (and just to clarify, it is alphabetical, not in order of priority)!
When I first started my business I mainly made birthday cakes. Five years later I’m selling postal brownies, luxury cupcakes and afternoon tea! I have a home baking group on Facebook and I used lockdown one in 2020 to write a recipe book.
Celebration cakes are still a big part of my business, but of course in the last 12 months the types of requests have changed massively. I’m making mainly 6” 4 layer cakes for customers at the moment, with chocolate drip, loaded with chocolate bars or biscuits and sugar roses like the one below. I pride myself on taste first and foremost and I am known for large luxurious portions so the overloaded cakes massively appeal to me!
Vanilla and raspberry buttercream drip cake by The Sugar Rose Kitchen.
I hope this shows that you don’t have to forgo a cake for a small event, such as a ‘rule of six’ garden party. It can still be just as fabulous, ask any one of these 10 amazing cake geniuses and we'll be happy to help!
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