You deserve cake: 5 new Seattle-area bakeries are here to help

As the first year of pandemic restrictions flows into a second, those born in spring approach their second birthdays celebrated without gathering with friends and family for a party. They deserve cake. We all deserve cake.

At the same time, perhaps coincidentally, Seattle-area pastry chefs looking to turn their hobby into a profession or their job into their own small business see the need for more cake. Since the beginning of the pandemic, these five shops started serving impressive, artistic, delicious cakes of all types and shapes in every corner of the city – and for ordering online.

Deprived of the community festivals, rites of passage, and annual events that people generally mark by slicing into a sweet treat decorated in brightly colored frosting, everyone should take the opportunity to order themselves some cake.

Call it a birthday cake, call it a pandemic anniversary cake, call it making up for lost time with friends, but get a cake. Eat it and enjoy it – and support the pandemic pivots and creative hustle of Seattle’s newest and sweetest entrepreneurs.

Shikorina Pastry

Shikorina focuses on sustainability and ethical sourcing, so while Hana Yohannes’s Central District bakery hasn’t yet opened its doors as a public space, fill out her online order form and she’ll slide your naturally colored red velvet cake with cream cheese filling right out the service window. The standard options here also include a browned butter vanilla cake and vegan chocolate cake, and all come with options for filling and frosting flavors.

The Cat & Rabbitt Cake Shop

When two Tacoma pastry chefs found themselves out of work because of pandemic restaurant closures, they joined forces and opened a cake business. The Cat and Rabbitt is the combined efforts of Julia Brown and Terryn Abbitt, both of whom used to work for X Restaurant Group — Asado, Engine House No. 9, and more — and as of November, they sell their cakes out of X’s Pine Room Event Center. While they do offer custom cakes, those are already booked through August. Thankfully, you can also stop by the shop’s cake window Wednesday through Saturday afternoons for a slice of one of their many daily options — but get there early, as they sell out most days.

Memori Bakes Seattle

Deviate from the standard layer American layer cake with this small-batch bakery that specializes in light, fluffy pandan chiffon cakes and buttery chocolate marble cakes. What began as an informal Instagram-based business serving the local Indonesian community the flavors of their home country has since expanded into a pandemic pivot introducing people to the unique textures of Indonesian cakes and the “herbaceous vanilla-y” flavors of pandan. Seasonal specials like London fog and homemade s’mores pop up on Instagram when available.

Cakes on 28th

Operating out of her Magnolia home, baker Rina Syjuco turns out intricate flower-covered masterpieces and colorful themed cakes. She specializes in caramel and dulce de leche cakes, but offers a range of customization options on her order form, including funfetti sprinkle cakes, rainbow layers of vanilla cake, and vibrant and flavorful ube cakes, featuring the Filipino purple yam. While the custom orders require ordering ahead, her specialties are available with just 48-hours of notice, a nice bonus for anyone who struggles to plan ahead.

Hailey’s Cakes and Bakes

West Seattle high schooler Hailey had an intriguing suggestion for how to celebrate a year of pandemic life: order one of her toilet paper-shaped cakes. Exactly the size and shape of those rolls of toilet paper that were so hard to find this time last year, they even came with the option to add a smear of chocolate. While that cake was a limited-time offer to celebrate a year of staying home, she also sells custom cakes featuring her own macarons on top. You can see them here.