Cake Bloom brings everyday celebration in dessert form - University of Virginia The Cavalier Daily

Located on 705 W Main Street, Cake Bloom Charlottesville is owned by five sisters who brought together their varied talents and passions to ultimately open the business storefront in September 2021. Originally a home delivery cake service run solely by the youngest sister Susan Williams, Cake Bloom’s vision came to life as a result of the support of community and family.

The sisters’ concept and vision of everyday celebrations and gratitude are embodied in what they sell in their bakery. Not only do they offer signature cakes and sparkling wines, but they also sell artful goods such as ceramics, event cards and extra party goods. Their products and goods emphasize their mission to elevate everyday experiences and moments.

This vision also revolves around decorating cakes with botanicals and being organically-oriented, which comes across in their environmentally-friendly party goods and the simplicity of their cakes. This stems from Williams’ preference for using fresh flowers, rather than icing flowers, to garnish cakes. Their flowers are edible and organically produced. In regards to the party goods, the bakery tries to be as sustainable as it can be. For example, their confetti is made out of flower petals instead of plastic and their flower seed confetti can later grow into wildflowers.

Cake Bloom’s single tier cakes are semi-customizable with different flavors, sizes and floral styles to choose from. Throughout the year, the bakery’s menu consists of their five signature flavors as well as their limited edition flavors. The five signature flavors are Golden Vanilla, Seasonal Citrus, Rainbow Carrot, Dark Chocolate and Floral Funfetti. Some of the current seasonal flavors include Apple Spice, Wahoo Stout and Olive Oil-Cranberry. On the menu, each flavor is graced with a description of the different elements and components that go inside each cake.

The different sizes available include Baby Cake, Small Party Cake and Large Party Cake at four inches, six inches and eight inches, respectively. They also provide various floral styles to elegantly finish your chosen cake. With a total of eight style options, the bakery’s floral decorations include Crown, Breeze, Flair and Garden Party. Besides the many flavors and styles to choose from, variations of the two can also be made if an inquiry is sent.

Cake Bloom also sells various flavors of sparkling wine that can easily be paired with their cakes. As with the different flavors, each wine has descriptions filled with information about their region, flavor and aromatics, what it pairs well with and even a tiny explanation of why the owners love it.

Thankfully, Cake Bloom provides two gift bundles, Birthday Girl Bundle and Blooming Birthday Bundle, where each includes a four-inch baby cake, sparkling wine and extra goods, such as paper plates and candles, which are different depending on the bundle you purchase. They also host private events where customers can create a custom celebration or choose from one of their party packages.

When I visited Cake Bloom, the first thing I noticed was how aesthetically pleasing the store’s interior was. With pops of green and pink throughout the space, it complemented their vision of being environmentally conscious and organic. Without doing any prior research on the bakery, I was also surprised to see their shelves full of ceramics — such as plates and table decorations — and stationeries. I could see that Cake Bloom’s interior was carefully curated to match their vision and purpose.

I was able to try a slice each from their two different flavors, the Rainbow Carrot and their Limited Edition Wahoo Stout. Each slice was $5.50, which was less than I expected from a local Charlottesville bakery, and was not only flavorful, but also proportionally a good amount of cake.

As a big fan of carrot cake, I was excited to try Cake Bloom’s version as it is the most popular of their signature flavors. It did not disappoint and the cake was perfectly sweet and moist. The Wahoo Stout was a good combination of chocolate and caramel and the flavors were delicious, but was too overly sweet for me. Out of the two, I would recommend their Rainbow Carrot Cake if you don't have a big sweet tooth like me. If you are a big fan of sweet cakes, the Wahoo Stout is the cake for you.

The Cake Bloom employees were also friendly and willing to answer any questions I had. Their service is also top tier as they bring the cakes out to the customers and offer complimentary water before, which, personally, was something I never saw before in American bakeries. As a small family-owned business, there was a sense of care and homeliness, which was also enunciated through their homemade cakes, friendly service and the little unique details throughout their interior design that bring the whole bakery together.

Cake Bloom is walkable from both Grounds and the Corner so I recommend visiting the bakery the next time you want dessert after a meal or something sweet or if you want a slight break from studying. Their regular hours are from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesdays to Saturdays, and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays.

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