In Cape Town, we’re pretty lucky that an amazing cake is available on nearly every street corner, whether it’s necessary for a birthday, an afternoon pick-me-up, a wedding or just because. Even luckier, these days anything from your wildest cake dreams can become a reality, from the minimal naked cake trend to the wacky rainbow cake. Here’s our pick of the best places to find incredible cakes in Cape Town.

Bakeswithbas

Sebastian from Bakeswithbas has been a passionate foodie since grade seven. The baker now offers crazy custom cakes ranging from baby reveal cakes to birthday or wedding cakes – he’s even made a beautiful shweshwe-inspired cake for Zola Nene’s birthday. The most popular flavour includes the caramel chocolate cake with vanilla butter icing but other orders include naked chocolate cakes with salted caramel drip, red velvet, and classic vanilla with white chocolate frosting. The cakes from Bakeswithbas start at R400 for a basic cake and go up to R1500 (for more than one tier).

The shweshwe-inspired cake from Bakeswithbas for Zola Nene’s birthday. Photo supplied.

Billy Boo’s (Salt River)

Lianne Holt is the clever baker behind Billy Boo’s, a sweet little bakery in Salt River. Billy Boo’s runs inside a little café that serves home-made cakes, but they also offer a cake service for weddings and birthday parties. While they can make any cake you desire a reality, they’ve become known for their drip cakes, which are fully customisable. There are classic flavours available as well as some fancy flavours like toasted almond and raspberry, lemon curd and coconut, white chocolate and passion fruit, and rocky road.

The famous drip cake from Billy Boo’s. Photo supplied.

The General Store (City Bowl)

The General Store’s heaped salads fill up the Eat Out team’s tummies with wholesome greens often, but they’re also home to some of the best sweet treats in Cape Town. Look past the famous General Store brownie and you’ll find your cake dreams coming true. The range of flavours on offer change frequently, and you can order nearly any cake you desire, but two outstanding choices are the chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting and the tropical-inspired vanilla, passion fruit and lemon curd cake. You also haven’t lived till you’ve tried their carrot cake. Enjoy just a slice in-store or order one for an event. Whole cakes vary between R350 and R400; while a slice costs R30, which can be enjoyed with a cup of Rosetta coffee.

One of The General Store’s famous cakes. Photo supplied.

Hemelhuijs (De Waterkant)

This eatery’s food will command your attention, but try not to fill up on their refined South African-inspired dishes so you have space for dessert. The cakes, which have been described as some of the best in town, change weekly, but their gateau – made from meringue, Italian buttercream and flaked almonds – has a cult following. The passion fruit cheesecake also deserves a special mention. You can order a whole cake of your desired flavour – seriously, whatever you’re after, they’ll make it happen. Slices will cost you about R50 in the café, and whole cakes are priced from R380.

Lionheart (Woodstock)

This patisserie’s cakes are nothing short of an Instagrammer’s dream. The whole cakes, made by Nikki Albertyn and Karmen de Reuck, take on forms you never thought were possible. There are unicorns, minimalist designs and even a Frida Kahlo-inspired cake. And, before you ask, they do taste as good as they look. There’s a whole host of flavours from which to choose, but their chocolate mud cake with caramel filling is worthy of a sonnet. The girls also specialise in refined sugar-free cakes, vegan and even gluten-free cakes. They don’t have a shop front, so you’ll have to place an order to try out these amazing treats. The prices of the cakes vary depending on the size and number of tiers you choose.

“Feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly?” – Fridah Kahlo ???

A post shared by LionHeart (@sweet.lionheart) on Oct 10, 2017 at 10:30pm PDT

Roxy Floquet (Newlands)

Baking from her lovely home in Newlands, Roxy Floquet bakes some of the most exquisite wedding cakes imaginable. Her choice of flavours ranges from the classics like vanilla, dark chocolate and carrot cake to the more unusual (but no less delicious) white chocolate and pistachio; vanilla and caramelised macadamias; and white chocolate, rooibos and lime. If you’re looking for a truly scene-stealing cake, enquire about the decoration options. Roxy is exceptionally skilled at icing and can make any of your icing dreams come true. Just take a look at her Instagram feed.

Rozanne’s Cakes (Durbanville)

Run and owned by Rozanne Henning, this little bakery is based in Durbanville and specialises in cakes for every celebration. According to Rozanne, the most popular flavours are the milk chocolate and white chocolate cakes, which she bakes into tiers for wedding cakes and into nearly any shape you desire for birthdays. The prices of cakes depend on what you’re after, but they start at about R580.

Velvet Cake Co. (City Bowl and Belville)

The Velvet Cake Company has long been the ideal spot for a necessary afternoon pick-me-up. They serve slices of their famous cakes at their café on Loop Street, but you’re also able to walk in and buy a whole cake if you’re in a pinch and need a cake at the last minute. You can also order one of their incredible cakes via the online store and they will even deliver it to you. Here, you’re able to choose from flavours like chocolate, vanilla, carrot and caramel for cakes that are perfectly iced and decorated. The Velvet Cake Co. will even stuff the centre with hidden sweeties. Prices for whole cakes depend on what you order, but in-store slices cost between R40 and R45. (They also have delectable cake cups and cupcakes on offer.)