Vendor Spotlight: Crave Bakery, San Francisco

These days, there are so many options for delicious baked goods and wedding cakes. Thank goodness for bakeries like Crave Bakery which caters to gluten-, casein- and wheat-free baked goods. Cameo Edwards, owner of Crave Bakery, opened the bakery after facing her own difficult health issues that were not easy to decipher by any doctor. It was during a trip to Thaliand that she realized she’d never felt better. She experimented with a gluten-free diet, alas it worked, and thus she was forced to learn a new way of cooking and baking. In 2003, she created an ideal wheat-free brownie which satisfied her craving for the sweets she’d been missing out on. That brownie was the turning point: Crave Bakery was born.

After 5 years of developing her wholesale business which now has a presence in 12 states, she brought in Allison Hobson to help form Crave's custom cake branch, creating delicious and beautiful allergen-free masterpieces. In these last 2 years, they've begun branching out from gluten-free to embrace combinations also of vegan, dairy-, cassein-, sugar-, and soy-free cakes and cupcakes. Allison received an advanced degree in Culinary Arts and Baking & Pastry from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. Fully embracing this experience, she apprenticed for nearly five years with Cecile Gady, one of the top cake innovators, Cakework, in San Francisco. Her two years working with Elizabeth Faulkner at Citizen Cake also prepared her for her star role with Crave Bakery. Cameo says Allison is easy to work with, syncing clients’ visions and her creative drive to make the most special cake imaginable.

Crave Bakery focuses in on what they consider the centerpiece of the wedding reception, working with the bride and groom to create an ideal and yet healthy fit to the aesthetic of their plans for their most perfect day. “The planning and the care that goes into the cakes and cupcakes is a joyful process and there is a sense of teamwork,” says Cameo. As for their inspirations in the kitchen, Cameo says she personally is inspired by the continuing aspirations of branching out into a more allergen-free line of products; something sweet and elegant for every occasion. “Everyone deserves a celebratory sweet!” she exclaims.

So what can you expect from working with Crave Bakery? Besides a wedding cake or baked good that can satisfy just about any food-sensitive need, Crave has been working diligently to brining the sweet to the discerning and sensitive sweet tooth for seven years. Providing wedding and celebratory cakes and cupcakes to the gluten-intolerant and allergen-free community now for the last two years, Crave is deeply dedicated and doing their very best to support a growing need. Totally Bridebound approved!

Spotted: SusieCakes, San Francisco Bakery & Wedding Cakes

Stumbling down Chestnut Street in San Francisco a few months back, my mouth dropped. The most beautiful, enticing storefront adorned with a glass case full of absolutely precious cupcakes, cakes and cake slices to-go stood before my eyes. Then the Daily Candy posting followed. Then the press; all as delightful as her work. I became hooked and connected with her soon after after hoping, praying she did wedding and shower cakes. Of course she does(!) and her story is just as sweet as her bakery.

Susan of SusieCakes just opened her doors in SF after being in LA for many years. Having lived in SF before moving to LA, she tells us it’s always been in her master plan to bring her delicious and beautiful cakes back to SF. The bakery is a tribute to her grandmothers who baked every day back in Chicago where she’s from.

Susan says designing custom cakes is one of the best part of her job. “We do wedding cakes as well as groom's cakes and sweet tables for showers and rehearsal dinners. We recently created a whole event around a Candyland theme - we added retro candy elements to our desserts - cupcakes with crushed malted milk balls in the frosting, sugar cookies shaped like lollipops, almond joy layer cake. Every day is inspiring - we never make the same custom cake twice.”

So, why SusieCakes? Well Besides from her beautiful, mouthwatering bakery on Chestnut Street in the Marina, couples can expect a personalized tasting and old-fashioned goodness in their wedding cake. And they bake entirely from scratch with natural ingredients (no mixes, no shortening, no preservatives), specializing in American buttercream. Our personal fave? Oh, treat yourself to a piece of her confetti cake topped with dreamy mint-colored frosting.

Run, don’t walk to either of her Bay Area storefronts:

2109 Chestnut Street, San Francisco

310 Bon Air Ctr, Bon Air Shopping Center, Greenbrae

Vendor Spotlight: Krumbs Cakes, San Francisco

Christian Röder of Krumbs Cakes has an extensive background as an Executive Chef and Pastry Chef. Born and raised in Austria, a country renowned for delicious pastries, he discovered his love for cooking (and eating) at a young age. He used to help his grandmother make strudels and cakes and it was in the kitchen where he began to take a special interest in the sweeter things in life.

Later on, he fulfilled his dreams and trained all over Austria, learning from some of the top pastry chefs such as three-time world champion, Dietmar Patzl. Once he finished his apprenticeship, he worked in five-star hotels and award-winning restaurants throughout Austria. With a strong desire to broaden his experience and skills in other cuisines, he took a position on a five-star luxury cruise line, Windstar, traveling the world and feeding international cruise patrons. His travels led him to San Francisco, where he met his future wife, Taira. After several glasses of wine, and a shot of Jägermeister or two, he decided to stay in San Francisco to be with her. He is now doing what he’s always loved to do since he was a young boy wearing Lederhosen and licking the bowl at his grandmother’s house: making cakes and sharing his passion and talents with others. And that’s how Krumbs Cakes was born.As for meeting with couples he says, “I believe ordering your wedding cake is an experience. I always try to get the point across that we want to bake their dreams come true, no restrictions. It is then when the creative juices begin to flow. Sometimes that process is very long and takes many hours, but it is always fun, and at the end we create something beautiful.” No doubt by the looks of his beautifully designed wedding and grooms’ cakes.
Chrstian says his brain is always on. “Just going for a walk I catch myself looking at dresses and thinking what a nice cake that design would make or how could you use that in a cake. I tell my customers to challenge me.” So, why Krumbs Cakes? It’s simple. His creativity, willingness to go the extra step, and the quality of their craftsmanship make his cakes truly stand out. A true artist in our eyes!