As kids, we remember blowing candles out on homemade birthday cakes shaped like trains, bunny rabbits, or a beloved Sesame Street character. But these days, with idols like Dora and Toy Story’s Woody, our kids’ cake decorating wishes tend to be more, well, elaborate or in some cases impossible. Which is why we love that we can delegate this particular birthday task to Toronto’s Sweet Things.

Sweet Things is the brainchild of baker and cake designer Juanita Koo, who decided to turn her passion into a career after being laid off from her marketing job. Her Cake Studio is in the Upper Beaches neighbourhood, and it’s there she toils away creating stunning works of art … all out of flour, buttercream, fondant, and sugarpaste. Each design Juanita makes, whether cupcakes, or a wedding, baby shower, or birthday cake, takes a minimum of five hours — and one look at her photo gallery explains why. Let’s just say that once you see a Sweet Things cake, you’ll put that bunny cake mold away forever!

Using only premium ingredients, Juanita doesn’t put lard or shortenings in her cakes which are made from scratch, with every decoration painstakingly crafted by hand. With cake flavours like Chocolate Sour Cream, Carrot, and Orange Dream, and buttercreams ranging from Swiss Meringue, to Strawberry, to Cream Cheese icing, you can create your perfect combination. And Sweet Things even has a gluten-free chocolate cake on its menu. Each cake is completely customized so make sure to book four to six weeks ahead of your event.

We think it’s time to let go of the “need-to-make-the-cake-myself” guilt, and hand over your toddler’s Thomas The Tank Engine request to an expert. Because let’s be honest – a Sweet Things Thomas cake will rock, and you have better things to do with five hours, like cuddling your birthday kiddo.

Sweet Things:  www.sweetthings.ca
416.315.9303
Toronto