Ordering a whole celebration cake on the strength of a photograph is a small act of faith. You are choosing a flavour you have never tasted, for an occasion that matters, days before you get to find out whether you were right.
There is an obvious fix, and it costs about ten dollars.
The cabinet is a tasting menu
Most of our signature cakes are available as single slices in the cabinet. Come in, try the one you are considering, and then order the whole thing knowing exactly what you are getting. Two visits over a fortnight and you have tasted your way through the shortlist — and it is a considerably better excuse to drag a friend into town than most.
What to try first
The Thunder is our most requested chocolate cake — velvety sponge layered with Brazilian brigadeiro rather than buttercream, which is what gives it that dense, fudgy character. Start here if chocolate is the brief.
Tres Leches is the one to try if you are buying for a mixed crowd, because almost nobody dislikes it. Nutella is the most extravagant. Black Forest is the lightest of the chocolate range and alcohol-free. Prestige is dark chocolate against coconut milk caramel.
For something other than chocolate, Lemonade is sharp and clean, Tropical Coconut is the warm-weather choice, and Brazilian carrot cake is the one that surprises people — bright orange, no cinnamon, drizzled with chocolate brigadeiro rather than iced with cream cheese. There is a whole piece on why.
Slice, mini or whole?
A slice is one person. A mini cake is also one serving, but a whole little cake rather than a wedge — and it comes as a tray of six or twelve if you want to hand them round. A four-layer celebration cake comes in 15cm (12 to 15 slices), 20cm (20 to 25) and 25cm (30 to 35), and needs two days' notice.
For a party, slices are also a legitimate final answer rather than a stepping stone — everyone gets the flavour they actually wanted and nobody has to cut anything. Same logic as our mini desserts.
Things worth knowing
The cabinet rotates. Not every cake is available as a slice every day, and the made-to-order menu changes with the season. If you are coming in specifically to taste something before a big order, it is worth checking first.
Slices need no notice at all — that is the point.
Where to find us
Inside The Welder on Welles Street, in the central city — open 10am to 6pm Tuesday to Friday and 10am to 3pm on Saturday. Order a slice, take a seat in the sun with something from the espresso bar, and work out what you are buying for the birthday. More about the patisserie, the full menu, and our guide to ordering a whole cake when you are ready.
