Best Birthday Cakes & Birthday Cake Alternatives in Toronto
Every birthday party has two stars: The birthday child—of course—and the cake. And while there’s absolutely nothing wrong with a grocery store sheet cake or one you whipped up yourself, maybe with a little help from Betty Crocker, sometimes you want something different, something extra-special, something worthy of dozens of “likes” on Instagram. Below we round up 13 Toronto bakeries that are known for producing amazing kid-approved birthday treats — the best birthday cakes and birthday cake alternatives in Toronto.
And because we know that not every kid is into cake, we’re also included a few non-cake options.
Most of the bakeries listed below either offer custom orders or require that their specialty cakes are pre ordered. How much lead time is needed for those orders varies. If possible, try to get your order in at least a week in advance, to avoid any disappointment.
Best Birthday Cakes & Birthday Cake Alternatives in Toronto
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Bloomer’s
Locations in North York, Queen St W, Bloorcourt, & Mississauga
Known for its fresh and fluffy doughnuts, Bloomer’s is great alternative for kids who want something different than the traditional birthday cakes. Over a dozen flavours are available and include everything from vanilla sprinkle to Ferrero Rocher stuffed to seasonal options, like apple pie. These doughnuts are also huge, making them ideal for stacking into a doughnut pyramid. Want cake and doughnuts? Bloomer’s can do that for you with a custom cake topped with mini-doughnuts. Everything made at Bloomer’s is vegan, meaning this bakery is a great spot to shop if your child’s party incudes guests with milk allergies.
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The Bread Essentials
406 Royal York Rd, Toronto, ON
Gluten-free Torontonians are likely already familiar with this bakery, which sells only gluten- and nut- free food items. Cakes are sold in four-inch and nine-inch diameter sizes and come in common flavours like chocolate and vanilla as well as other options like carrot and apple. Request a custom decorating job and get cake decorated with your child’s favourite animated character or animal. Cupcakes are also available, in six different flavours.
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Carter’s
3 Woodmount Ave, Toronto, ON
East York residents know that Carter’s Ice Cream is the place to go for crowd-pleasing ice cream cakes (assuming that crowd is good with dairy and nuts). All cakes are made with Kawartha Dairy ice cream and feature your choice of chocolate or white cake. And all cakes have “a substantial layer of chocolates and candy” either on top or inside one of the cake’s layers. You can also opt to top a cake with a fondant image or request that it be decorated in a different way, perhaps as a unicorn with a metallic ice cream cone “horn.” Cakes come in small (feeds up to 10) and medium (feeds up to 18) sizes and can also be ordered in pie form.
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Daan Go Cake Lab
This is a bit of a controversial statement but the cutest cakes in Toronto can be found at Daan Go Cake Lab. While it no longer offers custom cakes, its line of “celebration cakes” is so extensive, you’re sure to find something your kid will flip over (options include “Under the Sea,” “Space” and a choice of 18 different animal faces) and some minor design tweaking is allowed. Even more adorable than Daango’s cakes? Its “character macarons,” which are colourful cookies designed to look like birds, bears, and even octopuses (Ed: octopi?). They can top cupcakes, be turned into a tower, or sold by the box. Here’s another way to use them: Swap out traditional loot bags for one of these cuties.
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Easy Sweets Baked Goods
300 Supertest Rd #8, Toronto, ON
Looking for a simple yet tasty cake that is also free of tree nuts, peanuts, sesames, and milk? Then check out Easy Sweets Baked Goods. Pricing is clearly laid out on its website and there are six size options to choose from, including nine by 13-inch sheet cakes. Cake and icing flavours are limited to chocolate and vanilla but you can work with Easy Sweets to customize the top of your cake so that it matches your child’s birthday theme. And yes, licensed images are available.
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Ed’s Real Scoop
Locations in The Beach, Leslieville, Roncesvalles, and Mimico
Your family is probably already familiar with ice cream cakes, but have they had an ice cream pie? Ed’s ice cream pies feature a honey and graham cracker crust that is then filled with Ed’s homemade ice cream, which comes is all the flavours you love as well as some that might be new, like Ed’s signature flavour, burnt marshmallow. Regular ice cream cakes are also available and either item can be picked up at any of the shop’s four locations.
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Hype Foods
1060 Gerrard St E, Toronto, ON
Torontonians with allergies know that Hype Food Co. is a trusted place to go for baked goods that are free of gluten, tree nuts and peanuts. All of Hype’s food are also plant-based, meaning all products are also milk-free. At Hype, you can order a cake with your choice of photo on it, or pick one of their specialty cakes, such as its eye-catching rainbow cake. Also available are 11 different flavours of cupcakes and cookie cakes, which are basically a giant chocolate chip cookie decorated with your choice of icing flavour. Looking for a fun activity for your kid’s birthday? Grab one of Hype’s cupcake making kits, which even come with sprinkles.
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Glory Hole Doughnuts
1505 Gerrard St E, & 1596 Queen St W, Toronto, ON
Want to take your child’s birthday cake to the next level? Then swaps that traditional cake for a doughnut tower or even a doughnut wall from one of the city’s best doughnut shops. Each tower or wall is a custom job and can be personalized with your choice of doughnuts. Over a dozen flavours are (usually) available to choose from and include such kid-approved tastes as Boston cream, vanilla sprinkle, and birthday cake. Though if you get the chance, we highly recommend Glory Hole’s toast and butter doughnut. It sounds odd but trust us, your family will love them.
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Le Dolci
2700 Dufferin St, Unit 13, Toronto, ON
Smash cakes, cupcakes, brownie trays, pies, cakes that have been iced with rosettes or to look like a unicorn or a rainbow…. With a list like that, it’s no wonder that the one thing Le Dolci doesn’t offer is customization (but it can pop a “happy birthday” plaque on your selection). Cakes are offered in four inch and six diameters, and are triple stacked, providing a lot of cake in a small package. Le Dolci also offers take-home cookie decorating kits and offers in-person baking and decorating classes that can be set up as the perfect birthday party activity.
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Lollicakes
500 Lawrence Avenue West, Toronto, ON
To see exactly what kind of magic Lollicakes can whip together for your child’s party, visit its Instagram page, where recent creations are regularly posted. Basically, if your child can think of it, Lollicake can come up with a suitable cake design. Cakes are also just the start of what Lollicakes will bake. Cookie cakes, cake pops, cupcakes and even chocolate lollipops are available and can all be customed based on your child’s party theme. All baked goods are tree nut and peanut free and can be made in a vegan kitchen that is also gluten free.
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Serano Bakery
830 Pape Ave, Toronto, ON
From a “furry” Cookie Monster cake to a darling mermaid-themed one, Serano Bakery offers dozens of creative cake designs that are conveniently posted on its website, making selecting a cake from Serano a breeze. A variety of sizes are available, including the traditional sheet cake, which is great for big parties. This east end bakery also offers a ton of other baked goods, including mousse cakes and tiramisu, in case you’re looking for a separate cake for the adults.
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Sweet Escapes
24 Tank House Ln, Toronto, ON
Sweet Escapes’ website might not look like much but, trust us, this small bakery located inside the Distillery District makes some of the best cupcakes you’ll ever eat! Order in advance and choose from 12 top-notch cupcake flavours, including red velvet, lemon drop, and a number of different chocolate versions. Also available are a wide number of custom cakes that come in such flavours as chocolate banana, cookies and cream, and the rarely seen, but always delicious, snickerdoodle.
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Tori’s Bake Shop
2188 Queen St. E, Toronto, ON
Since 2012, Tori’s Bake Shop has been offering exclusively plant-based goods, including custom birthday cakes. If your kid can’t decide on a particular cake flavour, opt for the assorted cupcakes option, which feature a rotating variety of flavours. Tori’s also sells a super-cute “doughnut” cake, which is a vanilla or chocolate cake iced and decorated to look like a big, sprinkle doughnut.
