Cake me Baby doesn’t do chintz or vintage china. At first glance, the demure display of madeleines, cookies and muffins seems to play second fiddle to the stylish Scandi café decor. But don’t be distracted by the minimalist selection. These top-quality French and American bakes and excellent gluten-free cakes will have us coming back for more.
Our toasted coconut and parsnip muffin, flecked with surprise hits of roasted pineapple, was fabulous for its on-trend fruit and veggie pairing. Equally impressive were dense chocolate cup cakes filled with a sweet spot of raspberry and rose jam. Our gold star went to fudgy beer batter cake pops dunked in Valrhona chocolate – a grown-up tribute to Willy Wonka.
If it’s all simplicity and sweet innocence in the ground-floor cafe, there’s a subversive theme to the whipped buttercream and beaten batters in the basement kitchen. Downstairs is home to the venue’s bespoke cake order business. From black-iced gothic wedding centrepieces, to risqué birthday displays, and sexed-up cake erotica, there’s nothing these guys won’t do.
There is no bread on sale, no scones to play safe with, and the only frilly pink flounces are probably piped over a bespoke cake. And yet this café remains a family-friendly space to have a chat, enjoy a cake, and mull over muffin tops.