Piece of Cake

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

BY Dominika Lirette

THOUGH THE PRICES for their showstopping works of art can be steep (varying on the complexity of the design), a cake from one of these bakeries is the pièce de résistance at any wedding reception.

THE CAKE AND THE GIRAFFE

Owner Dalana Fleming specializes in natural and organic-looking elements—think handcrafted birch bark, edible seashells and buttercream that looks like stone or marble. From $8 per slice, tcandtg.com

MOMO CHEN CAKES

Momo Chen designs “haute couture” wedding cakes, like a six-foot-tall cake with lace embroidery and thousands of sugar flowers; many creations feature ombré icing. From $450 for a two-tier cake, momochencakes.com

LE GATEAU BAKE SHOP

Pastry chef Tanya Mueller’s boutique bakery offers cakes that range from simple, textured buttercreams to whimsical and elaborate multitiered creations in unique flavours (some of her most popular are vanilla salted caramel and strawberry prosecco). From $6 per slice, le gateaubakeshop .com

CAKE BY ANNIE

Though her custom designs feature everything from geometric shapes to hand-painted landscapes, it’s Annie McTavish’s floral creations that she’s known for—her sugar flowers are so delicate, it’s hard to believe they aren’t real. From $6 per slice, cakebyannie.com

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 hummingbirds, orchids and butterflies—is edible. From $9 per slice, aelizabethcakes.com