As the wise man once said: Mmmm. Cake.
There can be few better ways to show someone how much you care for them on their special day than by clogging their arteries full of chocolate or cream... or chocolate AND cream.
London has some of the best patisseries and cake shops you could ever hope to find, so if you're looking to spoil someone with a great birthday cake take a look at our suggestions below...
Two words: Red Velvet. If you want to impress with cake when it comes round to birthday time, the red sponge from the Hummingbird is the way to go. Available in a range of sizes, this is pure rich indulgence.
Want the homemade touch but suck at baking? Head to Violet in Hackney. Bespoke cakes are a specialty and choices range from ginger molasses to banana. Gluten free, vegan cakes are also available.
Perhaps London’s most romantic cake shop, Maison Bertaux has been baking fresh desserts daily for decades. The French patisserie has whole cakes available to buy and it’s worth having a pot of tea on any visit to the Soho site.
Beas of Bloomsbury is another place where homemade cakes are treated as works of art. The window display is testament to what can be created with sugar, flour, eggs and milk. There is a bespoke service but drop in and you can usually pick up a ready-made.
Treacle is the type of back to basics cake shop that you would expect to find on Columbia Road in among the flower market and craft shops. If you prefer a collection of cupcakes to one large tiered sponge then this is the place. The butter cream icing is legendary and they can custom-ice your collection for a small surcharge.
When you want the best, it has to be Harrods. Okay, so that’s not always the case but the legendary department store does stock some unusual cakes. So, if you’re looking for something impressive, a cake that bears the Harrods logo is always a good gift to give.
Go all the way traditional with a cake form ‘London’s local bakery’. The classic lemon chiffon cake is always a popular choice but the whole range is excellent. Home baking on a big scale!
Buttercup has a few locations across London and offer a variety of services – they even have a corporate cake wing. Birthday cakes can be as simple or extravagant as you choose but for us their Buttercup cupcakes are on the next level.
How could we leave M&S off our list? Who wouldn’t be happy with the chocolate Colin the Caterpillar cake? If you’re in a fix, this is a sure thing, hit birthday cake whether the recipient is sixteen or sixty.
