Where to Get Gorgeous Custom Wedding Cakes in Vancouver

These seven local bakeries and designers make cakes that are (almost) too pretty to eat.

These seven local bakeries and designers make cakes that are (almost) too pretty to eat.

Forget about simple chocolate or vanilla icing! These bakers turn wedding cakes into works of art. And though prices can be steep (they vary depending on the complexity of the design), a cake from one of these bakeries will surely be the pièce de résistance at any wedding reception. (Photo: Jasalyn Thorne Photograhy.)

1. A. Elizabeth Cakes

Owner Anna Elizabeth Wawzonek handcrafts and paints her cakes to create realistic images and shapes (it may be hard to believe, but everything—including the lifelike flowers and figurines—is edible). Clients can order one-of-a-kind creations (starting at $9 per slice depending on the intricacy of the design) or select a pre-designed cake from the Collection Cakes series (these start at $500 and can be customized to fit the couple’s wedding theme and colours). (Photo: Butter Studios Photography.)

2. The Cake and the Giraffe

The Cake and the Giraffe designs cakes that are as creative as the company’s name. Owner Dalana Flemming particularly enjoys using natural and organic-looking elements (think handcrafted birch bark and buttercream that looks like stone or marble). Only offering custom designs, The Cake and the Giraffe’s prices range from $8 to $20 per slice—or more depending on the level of detail. (Photo: Vasia Han Photography.)

3. Cake By Annie

Though her custom designs feature everything from geometric shapes to hand-painted landscapes, it’s Annie McTavish’s floral creations that really catch the eye—her sugar flowers are so delicate, it’s hard to believe they aren’t real. All of McTavish’s cakes are custom-made, ranging from $6 per slice (for basic designs) to $14 per slice (for more complicated work); there’s a minimum charge of $350, but most couples typically spend between $500 to $1,000 for her sweet creations.

4. Momo Chen Cakes

Momo Chen’s goal is to design “haute couture” wedding cakes (one of her creations is a six-foot tall cake with lace embroidery and thousands of sugar flowers!). All of the designer’s cakes are made specifically for the client and can take up to several weeks to create; prices range from $450 for a two-tier cake that serves 36 to $1,300 or more for a six-tier cake that serves 180. (Photo: Simply Sweet Photography by Nomo Akisawa.)

5. Le Gateau Bake Shop

Pastry chef Tanya Mueller’s boutique bakery offers cakes that range from simple, textured buttercreams to whimsical and extravagant multi-tiered creations in unique flavours (some of her most popular are vanilla salted caramel, strawberry Prosecco and lemon-berry). For Mueller’s custom cakes, expect to pay $6 per slice for simple (but still delicious) designs—think buttercream or “naked” cakes—and anywhere between $9 to $12 per slice for cakes with more intricate hand-painted or edible gold details.

6. Cadeaux Bakery

With all the delicious smells wafting out of the open kitchen, it’s hard to leave this Parisian-syle bakery empty handed. Cadeaux offers a selection of standard cakes that are made-to-order, but weddings cakes can also be custom-designed to include sugar gumpaste decorations and rolled fondant, fillings or flavours such as chocolate mint and lemon brown sugar (you can even choose more than one!). Prices start at $7 per slice and increase depending on the amount of work involved and the number of flavours in each cake; the minimum spend on a wedding cake is $250.

7. Sweet Tooth Cakery

For couples who are gluten intolerant (or just cutting back), this boutique bakery is a great option. All of their cakes are 100-percent gluten-free—and they can create dairy- or egg-free and vegan options, too. Flavours include chocolate, vanilla, red velvet, coconut, lemon and carrot. While prices vary depending on the style of cake, size and level of detail, most fall between $150 to $450.

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