We've moved!

Hello lovely readers, Cake have now moved into our new Internet digs.... so come on over to check out all our sweet treats at www.cakebakeshop.com.au which is where you'll also find our new blog.

Tag along to Cake for a Swinging Time (this title is dedicated to J.B.H)

Christmas is coming and because of this we get to do what we love most other than baking cupcakes and macarons. We get to scour the internet for adorable gifts and party accessories. 

Our large and small swing tags have come in and are you ready to hear what colours and designs we have in store?  .......Ok here goes......

We have donkey grey with big spots, little spots or little stripes. 

Dark Pink comes in big spots, little spots, horizontal stripes, vertical stripes and pink & red horizontal stripes. 

Light pink comes in big spots, little spots, and vertical stripes. 

Red comes in vertical stripes, small and large spots. 

Yellow comes in small and big dots and vertical and horizontal stripes. 

Also big blue swing tags. 

 We also have in sets of large postcards (pack of ten) for $15 and boxes of five cards with envelopes for $10. 

 Before you ask the wallpaper is actually fabric from Liberty that some crafty and stylish lady glued to our counter (much cheaper option than wallpaper.) 

Make sure you keep your eye out for more goodies turning up between now and Christmas...

Our banners fly high from 10am til 1pm...

You've remembered to get the beer and the sausages, the soft drink and the potato salad but you're missing the final (and best) bit.... Grand Final Day Cupakes! 

We like cats and we like pies but because you're going to make us pick we guess.... as much as a pie is a culinary delight (and we do like our food here at Cake) we'd probably have to pick cats. 

Go CATS! 

Please note that as much as we'd like to stay open all day on Saturday we're going to hightail it home to watch the game and so if you want to pick up some cakes make sure you're in before 1pm. If you want to order your team colours (Collingwood or Geelong) then you'll have to get in early because we have a limited number available. 

Lucy, cakes, kittens shooting lasers.... just your regular Cake blog post...

What's the connection between kittens (exactly like the one below) who can shoot laser beams from their eyes and Cake? 

 

The beautiful and beautifully talented Lucy James visited us from Daylesford the other day and sat across the road in the sunshine and drew some pictures. 

She also was sweet enough to eat some of our cakes and macrons and drew these as well. 

So this is a little shoutout to Lucy for doing such lovely drawings and letting us use them ('For what?' we hear you ask....)

Go have a look at Lucy's blog The Warming Room and check out more information about her upcoming exhibition Sudden Flushes of Unconscious Material (part 2) at c3 gallery in the Abbotsford convent.

Frankie Issue 43 Out Now

We are just a little bit excited to be included in one of our favorite magazines!!!

Frankie is a bi-monthly Australian magazine, featuring all sorts of wonderful things and we are in their new cafe directory section of the magazine.

We also stock their wonderful cookbooks which have all the cooking classics and is a must for any keen baker.

Make sure to go out and get a copy, I'm sure you will enjoy.

Issue 43 - Out now with Cake featuring in it. (Whoo hoo)

Frankie cookbooks available in store at Cake.

We're not just saying this but.....

...... our new Sambellina party/goodie bags are just out of the box and already selling fast (actually we sold some from the box yesterday.)

$12.95 for a dozen in either stripped or polka (red, pink, blue) as well as white and brown. 

 The crafty people at Sambellina have also personalised theirs and don't forget we also stock matching cups, plates, and gift tags etc.

p.s 

RED AND WHITE IS AWESOME!! 

HEY BAMBINI

You know that you've made it in the world of kid-friendly cafes when a mysterious lady turns up and says, 'I'll be back very soon to review you for Hey Bambini!' In all honesty you think, 'I hope that lady comes back soon and says awesomely lovely things about Cake.'

Hey Bambini were true to their word and returned to Cake last week.... and we're pretty chuffed with the review....

"What a darling little find this place was. I was doing my usual rounds of the vintage shops in Ballarat months ago and l stumbled across Cake. I popped in, said hi and who l was and that l’d return with my camera, notepad and children to do a review. I’m sure the owner Jennifer thought l was some ‘crazy’ off the street as l didn’t have a chance to get back into Cake for months. We exchanged emails and finally the opportunity arose that l was passing through Ballarat again with the kids and I had the absolute pleasure of visiting Cake properly.

Nestled on Main Rd next to all the best vintage shops (my husband calls them ‘junk shops!’) is Cake Bake Shop. This sweet little café is the perfect destination for morning or afternoon tea. They have a few seating options including a large communal table in the middle of the room which would be perfect for mother’s groups. On the menu is a selection of homemade mini cupcakes, macaroons and of course warm drinks. They don’t do lunch, dinner or breakfast – just morning and afternoon tea.

To keep little hands busy Cake has its own corner dedicated to the kids which has a cute white picket fence around complete with fake grass and a mini chairs and table set. Inside the play area they have a selection of toys for the kids to tinker with.

For little bottoms they provide high chairs and for the birthday bottoms they conduct private parties on Sundays. Cupcake Making, Craft parties and decorating parties are some of the themes that Little Day Out conducts in conjunction with Cake. These party stylists will celebrate your little ones special day in style. And let’s not forget get Mum, Little Day Out can also conduct parties for Mother’s to Be, High Teas and other fancy special occasions.

If having a party at Cake is not your thing then you can always pick up vintage inspired party supplies from them. Everything from stripy straws, to twine and cupcake wrappers – they have it covered. Their party range is superb and l’m sure there would be an item or two that would make your special occasion that extra special indeed.

If you’re local or passing through make sure you pay a visit to Cake. The cupcakes are delicious (as per tick of approval and rating BIG thumbs up by Mr 2) and the staff are warm and welcoming.  Who doesn’t love a cupcake, it’s a must visit for any Mum with a sweet tooth.

Reviewed August 2011"


Even for those of us who don't have children of our own the Hey Bambini cafe reviews are well worth a look.... they found out about us after all so you know they only review the best cafes.

Also check out the great photos that Hey Bambini took as well... and don't forget to head on over to their facebook page and Like them!

Mad Hatter's Tea Party....

• • If you're like us the first thing you thought when the skies opened yesterday and the sunshine fell out was 'Spring is here already?!' followed shortly by the desire to deny the likely fact that any second the weather would make a U-turn and head back into the Ballarat we all know and love- e.g cold n rainy. 
    
    
    Lucky for us we get to hang out at Cake all day long and drink warm cups of tea. Which is why we're happy to bring you another T2 Tea review from Ester! 
    
    
    We asked Ester (who most certainly loves her tea) what would be her tea/macaron combo-choices. 
    
    
    Ester:
    
    
    Turkish Apple T2 and Turkish Delight Macaron: 
    
    

    Turkish apple T2 is hands down my all time favorite tea. With the  perfect amount sweetness, fruitiness and deliciousness, it could easily be paired with anything in the whole world.
    
    
    But it does go in perfect harmony with the Turkish delight macaron which is filled with a  ganache created from real pieces of Turkish delight.
    A must have combination for someone after a delightful (pun intended) Turkish feast. 

    
    
    Gorgeous Geisha T2 and Berry Macaron: 

    
    
    If you like green tea, are gorgeous, like ‘memoirs of a geisha’ and think about berries regularly, this is the combination for you.
    
    

    Gorgeous geisha is a calming green tea that has subtle flavours of strawberries and cream added for sweetness, which leaves you wishing you’d bought a berry macaron.
    
    

    So, we thought we better put the two together and spoil you all.
    
    
    Melbourne Breakfast and Vanilla Macaron: 
    
    
    I am quite proud of this combination for it took quite a lot of tea research, but feel as though the Melbourne Breakfast compliments the Vanilla macaron perfectly.
    
    
    If you read my last post you would know that Melbourne Breakfast T2 is like English breakfast with vanilla, yet the combination is not too overpoweringly sweet and the tea leaves you feeling warm and happy. 
    
    

    Peppermint Tea and Choc Mint Macaron:
    
    

    The thing I love about Peppermint Tea is that you get to consume copious amounts of chocolate and end up with fresh breath.
    
    
    I also love the Choc Mint Macaron and love all minty things really, so although this may seem like a obvious combination it certainly is one to try (several times.)

    
    

    And last but not least, I am currently drinking some French Earl Grey T2 and could really eat any vairety of macaron, though I am really craving a Lemon Macaron and Alex pointed out to me earlier what a delightful combination they would make.
    
    
    • • 
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        

    
    

Take a journey down the rabbit hole and into the magical world of Cake...

Firstly, we owe a couple of overdue shout outs to some lovely ladies who've visited us in the past few weeks.

Loretta from Whitemoss was kind enough to send us a howdy on her Facebook the other day and we're planning on popping in to Whitemoss in Melbourne this weekend. If we manage to we'll make sure we post pictures!

Also if you have been thinking of checking out that vintage shop you drive past each day or that new craft shop (yes secret squirrel we have our eyes on you) that's popped up in the Ballarat area? Well if, like us, you're a tiny bit time poor you can step over to this blog and check out what's going on.

And last but by no means least (littlest yes but with personality plus) we had a visit from a little bunny the other day.

If you have a photo of one of your little people (or even big people) that you think can give this little lady a run for her money feel free to post on our Facebook page or 'like' us and then simply tag us in one of your photos.

Speaking of bunnies.... does anyone have any idea what's going on in our display window at the moment? 

First Ever Ester's Weekly (hopefully if we're organised) Tea 2 Tea Review!

Welcome to what we hope will turn out to be our Ester’s Weekly (or so) Tea 2 Tea Review.

For those of you who don’t know Ester here’s a little introduction and (drum roll please) our First Ever Ester’s Weekly (or there abouts) Tea 2 Tea Review!

Firstly, Ester... how long have you been at Cake?

Okay well I started working at Cake about three months after it opened, and I thought I knew exactly when, but all I can remember is that my best friend was in Japan, so I'll have to ask her tomorrow exactly when she was in Japan to answer that question properly.

But if it's been a year since Cake opened then I have been working for seven months… so I started working September last year.

That took me way too long to figure out so really the first answer is SINCE SEPTEMBER.

Its been super rainy and cold in Ballarat.... what's your favourite straight up (no combos) rainy day cup of Tea 2 Tea?

For a warming tea on a rainy day I would say Melbourne Breakfast.

Because it's like your average hearty English Breakfast that's been like an old friend, but with a hint of vanilla sweetness that makes it more fancy and exciting.

Okay, now if you got to do a rainy day mix of Tea 2 Teas what would they be?

To mix two teas I would take a new direction and say Turkish Apple and Strawberries & Cream, because I love that combination lately. It's warming yet still fruity and assists in forgetting about the chilly outdoors.

When you're next in at Cake what Tea 2 Tea are you most looking to brewing up?

I would love to brew up some Chai with honey and soy milk, but I was actually at T2 earlier today and had some already, which I really loved. It is surprisingly delicious with soy milk even if you don't like soy milk, and the honey adds a sweetness that's not overpowering.

My sister even loved it and she doesn't like Chai at all.

When I am in cake tomorrow I will be running to the Vanilla Slice Tea 2 Tea that I have yet to try and couldn't be more excited about.

What's the best bit about working at Cake (other than the awesome people you work with)?

….. the best bit about working at cake! Apart from the people, it would have to be when new customers come in and are super impressed. Because I feel partially responsible for bringing them happiness and love being a part of such a happy place, especially when there's nothing else like it in the whole town and I get to work there!

Because we're sure we have some avid Tea fans out there who might want to recognise our lovely Ester when they're next in at Cake... here's a lil' picture of our new Tea Reviewer that we're sure she'll kill us for posting....next week hopefully we can get some Tea drinking in action photos of Ester? 

Happy First Birthday To Cake Bakeshop!

First and foremost, a huge THANKYOU! to everyone who came to Cake on Saturday to celebrate our Birthday! We had a fantastic night and simply loved having you all there with us. 

Below are some photos of the celebrations that the very talented Teneille of Mock Designs took, as well as some photos that managed to make their way into The Courier's 'People and Places." 

To show our appreciation for all the support our friends, family and lovely regular customers have given us over the past 12 months we decided to use our First Birthday to launch our new special treat..... 

Macarons! 

Don't feel bad if you aren't exactly sure what a Macaron is because we're happy to explain and happy to be the first to introduce you to this the delightful companion to our little cupcakes.

Because we're so high-brow here we've used the powers of Wikipedia to put together the following definition:

A macaron (French pronunciation: [makaˈʁɔ̃])^[1][2] 

You may not be able to read the phonetic alaphabet (we sure can't) but here's the trick: 

Macca Ron. 

Contentious we know... and you want to pronounce it Macca Rune but alas its Macca + Ron. 

A sweet confectionery made with egg whites, icing sugar,granulated sugar, almond powder or ground almond, and food coloring. The macaron is commonly filled withbuttercream or jam filling sandwiched between two cookies. It is meringue-based: made from a mixture of egg whites, almond flour, and both granulated and confectionery sugar.

The confectionery is characterized by its smooth, domed top, ruffled circumference (referred to as the "foot"), and flat base. It is mildly moist and easily melts in the mouth.^[4]

Again, thanks for coming down and sharing such a lovely evening... you'll be happy to know that you all helped consume roughly 700 little macarons. 

Boys just wanna have fun too....

By the excited way we greet posties and couriers at Cake they must think we are the cheeriest people in town.

The highlight this week would have to be receiving our new wall clock from Mister Mista. 

Mister Mista are not your regular label. Behind the scenes you'll find an amazing and talented couple, Travis and Renee. Travis and Renee have pooled their skills along with Travis's obsession (we mean love) of tee shirts, and as well as having a young family, have created imaginative and fun designs.

Come in and check out the new Mister Mista wall clock that we have up at Cake it looks great!

 

Actually, one of the coolest things about Mister Mista's wall clock is how you can choose pictures to put with different hours of the day. 

However, we definitely think they should have included more 'snack' stickers but that's probably due to being surrounded by delicious cupcakes all day.

Hope you all enjoyed the long weekend.... 

xxx Love Cake. 

Tea for two and two for tea....

Who's been past in the last week and noticed our fancy new sign? 

We're also pretty excited that the lovely T2 are coming to visit us today. 

We're lucky at Cake because when customers ask us what teas we have we don't just run through the regular 'english breakfast, earl grey, chai, peppermint.' Instead we turn and with a flourish point to our amazing range of teas...

See? Anyone who can come in and recite the names of all our teas (without looking) or can teach us how to remember them all, gets a free tea! 

Citrus Punch, Strawberries & Cream, French Earl Grey, Monk Pear, Creme Brulee, 

Choc Chip Chai, English Breakfast, Melbourne Breakfast

Lemongrass & Ginger, 

Just Peppermint, Just Chamomile, Honey Green Almond, Sencha Quince, 

Turkish Apple & Gorgeous Geisha. 

We know.... too many to choose from!