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[title]Perhaps you’ve seen them flooding your Instagram feed, or they've caught your eye in the window of a cake shop. Frilly, primped cakes loaded with enough frosting to give you a second-degree sugar high just looking at it, the ideal cake for the likes of Marie Antoinette.
Often times these cakes are inspired by the Rococo period that commenced in early 1700s France. Dreamy pastel palettes, visions of cherubs and clouds, extravagant gowns and cake. It is, after all, Marie Antoinette who was known for saying “Let them eat cake”.
The Rococo period is often idolised for its overly luxurious foods, art and fashion, yet it was also a time that was knee-deep in politics, with Rococo ending with the fall of the French monarchy. Just as that time was political, so too are these cakes which make a statement in their own ways. They are the Riot grrrl answer to patisserie. A delicious, modern-day revolution of their own.
“I literally write political stuff on them [the cakes]. I have a PhD in Creative Writing (ha! What was I thinking!) so writing on cakes and writing on Insta is a nice way to keep my writing skills at least partially alive,” says Helen Addison-Smith from Icecream Social. Their cakes are often adorned with slogans like “Free Britney" or "I mean, are you going to liberate us girls from male, white corporate oppression?"
“They are not perfect! That's the main thing. In every cake we make, you can see the hand that made it. All of our decorators have their own style, and our disdain for factory produced gloop and stabilisers means that we love things that are a bit droopy and derpy."
Beautiful imperfection seems to be the trend amongst Melbourne-based cakemakers such as Icecream Social and even Good Good Cakes.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t influenced by the thousands of images of perfectly decorated, frothy, colourful cakes flooding my Insta feed, but I also love an imperfect, chaotic, over-the-top mess. Wanting to find a balance between the two helped me create a style of my own,” says Pip O'Shea, owner of Good Good Cakes.
“Without a doubt the regal, ridiculous excess of the Rococo period has become a massive influence on many cake makers, myself included, but I also look to more modern, minimalist and stripped back styles. Does this cake look like an alien life form? Yes? Great!”
Another common occurrence? “Folks go wild for the vegan stuff,” says Addison-Smith.
“About half the cakes I make are vegan. There’s something so luxurious about celebrating with cake, and I want everyone to be able to enjoy that experience,” says O’Shea. “It tends to change, but my most requested cakes are my funfetti vanilla cake, vegan Snickers, and my candied citrus peel-studded pistachio cake.”
"I get inspiration from retro cooking magazines like Wilton, Wes Anderson films and all the
amazing local artists here in Melbourne," says Patchanida Chimkire of Mali Bakes. "Recently I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with other creatives from floristry, film and illustration and that has been a great inspiration to respond to them and try something different."
For cakes with a Samoan influence, Kefe Keke 69 is one to keep a keen eye out for. “I currently have five flavours on my menu, all of which can be made vegan. The pandan cake with gula melaka coconut and avokaya cream cheese icing is a crowd favourite (massive shout out to Dennis at Furrmien for always coming in clutch with his avokaya!). [I] think my Koko Samoa flavour would come in second after that – which is a Koko Samoa chocolate cake, with dark chocolate ganache and a salted siamu popo (salted coconut caramel) filling,” says Ruby Tupua is the brains behind Kefe Keke 69.
Her cakes are often towering, lacy works of art studded with edible pearls or cheeky messages that simply say ‘Daddy’. “I would describe my cakes as fun, and to some degree, chaotic. More is more in my opinion! I have always thought vintage style cakes were so beautiful... I love how busy but intricate they can get,” she says.
“My cultural heritage is a really important element that’s loud and unapologetic in my cakes. The Samoan culture and language are not widely popularised or known as far as I have been able to see, so being able to include the Samoan language and flavours in my cakes and business was really important to me.”
“In terms of the name itself, I wanted to make it a bit of joke if I’m honest, without it being censored. Since swear words and food are usually the introduction most folk have to new cultures, Kefe Keke 69 seemed the most appropriate reflection of me and what I was wanting to achieve. Kefe is my favourite Samoan swear word, and keke is cake in Samoan.”
Looking to get your mitts on one of these cakes? Follow them on Instagram to stay up-to-date and place your orders now.
Good Good Cakes
Order here.
Ice Cream Social
Visit them in-store at Brunswick, Thornbury or Castlemaine.
Order here.
Kefe Keke 69
Order here.
Mali Bakes
Order here.