5 new Seattle-area bakeries are here to help

As the first year of pandemic restrictions merges into a second, those born in the spring are approaching their second birthday without meeting friends and family for a party. You deserve cake. We all deserve cake.

At the same time, perhaps by accident, pastry chefs from the Seattle area looking to turn their hobby into a profession or their job into their own small business are seeing the need for more cakes. Since the pandemic began, these five stores have been serving impressive, artistic, and delicious cakes of all shapes and sizes in every corner of the city – and can be ordered online.

Without the community festivals, rites of passage, and annual events that people generally mark by slicing into a sweet treat topped with brightly colored frosting, everyone should take the opportunity to order a cake for themselves.

Call it a birthday cake, call it a pandemic anniversary cake, name it to make up for lost time with friends, but get yourself a cake. Eat and enjoy – and support the pandemic and creative hustle and bustle of Seattle’s newest and cutest entrepreneurs.

Shikorina pastries

Courtesy Shikorina Pastries

Shikorina focuses on sustainability and ethical sourcing. While the bakery in Hana Yohannes’ Central District has not yet opened as a public space, fill out their online order form and slide your naturally colored red velvet cake with cream cheese filling out the service window. Standard options also include a vanilla cake with browned butter and a vegan chocolate cake. All options have filling and frosting options.

Happy Birthday Cake from Cat and Rabbitt Cake Shop

Courtesy Cat and Rabbitt Cake Shop

When two Tacoma pastry chefs lost their jobs due to pandemic restaurant closings, they teamed up and opened a cake shop. The Cat and Rabbitt is the collaborative effort of Julia Brown and Terryn Abbitt, who both worked for the X Restaurant Group – Asado, Machine House # 9 and more – and will be selling their cakes from the X’s Pine Room Event Center starting November. While they offer custom cakes, these are already booked through August. Fortunately, you can also stop by the shop’s cake window Wednesday through Saturday afternoons to try one of the many daily options – but come early as they sell out most days.

Memori bakes

Courtesy Memori Bakes

Deviate from the standard American layer cake with this little bakery that specializes in light, fluffy pandan chiffon cakes and buttered chocolate marble cakes. What started as an informal Instagram-based company serving the flavors of their home country to the local Indonesian community has since grown into a pandemic hub, drawing people into the unique textures of Indonesian cakes and the “herbaceous vanilla-y” – Introduces flavors of Pandan. Seasonal specials like London Fog and homemade S’Mores appear on Instagram when available.

Ube (purple yam) cake from Cakes on 28th.

Courtesy of Cakes on 28th.

The baker Rina Syjuco works from her Magnolia house, creating intricate masterpieces with flowers and colorful themed cakes. She specializes in caramel and dulce de leche cakes, but offers a number of customization options on her order form, including funfetti crumble cakes, rainbow layers of vanilla cakes, and vibrant and flavorful eube cakes made with the Filipino purple yam. While custom orders require pre-order, their specialties are available within just 48 hours in advance. This is a nice bonus for anyone struggling to plan ahead.

Toilet paper cake from Hailey’s Cakes and Bakes

Courtesy of Hailey’s Cakes and Bakes

West Seattle high school girl Hailey had an interesting suggestion on how to celebrate a year of pandemic life: order one of her cakes in the shape of toilet paper. Exactly the size and shape of those toilet rolls that were so hard to find around this time last year even had the option to add a chocolate smear. While this cake was a limited time offering to celebrate a year at home, she also sells custom cakes made with her own macarons. You can see it here.