Specialist cake shops in South Africa

Specialist cake shop – Charly's Bakery.

© Charly's Bakery

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Cape-based cake lovers will tell you that you cannot leave the city without a visit to Charly’s Bakery – 1 of the country’s specialist cake shops – just off Buitenkant Street.

This funky Cape Town bakery is splashed with colourful animated cupcake figures to match its vivid, tongue-in-cheek confections. Must-trys include the famous cupcakes; or you can order 1 of Charly’s legendary 'Mucking Afazing' wedding cakes or a cake for another special occasion.

In Woodstock, at the Saturday Neighbourgoods Market, confectioner Martin Senekal will wow you with his deliciously different cakes. Using only seasonal and 100% natural ingredients, he creates tiny gateaux that look too good to eat – almost! Take home a box of his signature macaroons after you’ve sampled his green tea cake with black sesame and candied pineapple.

In Jo’burg, the Patisserie in Illovo’s chic Breakfast at Tiffany’s atmosphere provides the perfect respite from city stress. Choose from the elegant range of made-on-the-premises cakes, cupcakes and quiches, served on designer china, and enjoy the tisane poured from silver teapots.

Pastry fanatics queue up at Johannesburg patisserie Moema’s, in Parktown North, to buy Danielle Postma’s European-style sweet and savoury tarts, petite fours and bundt cakes. Moema’s is all about the best ingredients, quality and freshness – hence the mischievous sign requesting patrons not to drool on the shop display window!

In Pretoria, the Carlton Café is run by chef Rachel Botes. Think date and fig cake served with brandied figs, vanilla panna cotta and a shot of espresso, and you understand why the thimble-sized eatery is a legend in its own lunchtime.

Also in Pretoria, Mydarling’s Patisserie is another place to go for a local take on cakes – in particular the Top Deck and Bar One chocolate cakes, both inspired by popular local chocolate bars. And Isabella’s Cake & Food Shop may be a franchise, but that doesn’t mean the cakes aren’t to die for. Pretoria foodies recommend the chocolate and beetroot layer cake or the Cape Velvet mousse cake.

Looking for specialist cakes shops in KwaZulu-Natal? Daniela’s Deliciously Decadent at the Heritage Market in Hillcrest specialises in Parisian macaroons. She produces about 30 different flavours of this delicate confection. For chocoholics, her chocolate cherry meringue, Nutella chocolate mousse cake and roasted caramel pecan chocolate cakes will prove irresistible.

A 2^nd store, in Green Point in Cape Town, means there’s a better chance of tasting Daniela’s carrot cake with a white chocolate and cream-cheese frosting.