Cake Bloom — Restaurant in Charlottesville

Driving thru C’ville en route to home in NC. A baker by avocation only, I am always intrigued and impressed by cakes and tarts.I like to see what local bakers offer to their community. A friend had recommended that I find my way to Cake Bloom. Stopping in to Cake Bloom was WAY beyond “did not disappoint”. Their cakes are absolute individual works of arts, including right down to picking their own edible flowers and herbs to dry, press, and place atop cakes (and even in one specific batter) for a few of their custom cakes. GLORIOUS!! Utterly worth the stop!! A jewel in the heart of Charlottesville. What you see on the website is only a small portion of the baked delights that the two owners (sisters) offer. (Sister/owner Susan is featured in attached photo.) I pre-ordered the Garden Cake for my NC neighbor (turning 40) who has recently become interested in growing herbs and flowers (and a few vegetables, including carrots). I selected the “carrot cake” batter for my Garden Cake, which is available in several flavors, and TRUST ME, was every bit as beautiful in person as its website photo. It fact, it was downright stunning! (I do wish I had had time to enjoy lunch in the lovely store, replete with baked lovelies and attractive household items. Next time!)

My NC friend has nothing she “needs” and I find her challenging to buy for. She was completely and utterly blown away when she opened the cake box— she kept it to the side until the kids were in bed and she could have her own slice, unhurried. She was so blown away with the taste that she shot off a text of thanks, saying it “was the fluffiest and lightest carrot cake” she has ever had in her life and sent several photos with her text. No better homerun than that!!

Cake Bloom, thank the Lord you ship and you will most certainly...

I fell in love with Cake Bloom before the brick-and-mortar shop opened and now that it’s here, I’m even more head over heels. Located on West Main St, it’s an easy walk from pretty much anywhere in the downtown area. The new site is a cake and bubbles bar, offering fresh florals, cakes by the slice (flavors rotate), cake parfaits, and fun eats like cheese boards and caviar. Say whaaat?! In case you wondered if heaven was real, now ya know. You may even be lucky enough to snag a whole cake on-site (limited availability).

If you want a whole cake, you can pre-order online. Earlier this year, I was fortunate to have two special people in my life order two gorgeous cakes from Cake Bloom for my birthday. Not only were they stunning to look at, they were DELICIOUS! One was a current seasonal offering listed on their website and the other was uniquely created by my partner and exquisitely executed by Susan (owner/baker/magic maker). See my photos for details. Not pictured, is the rainbow carrot cake that I’ve tried a few times by the slice. It is THE BEST carrot cake I’ve had. For sure a must try!

I highly recommend stopping by the sparkling wine bar and sampling a slice of cake or two. If Stephen and/or Beth are working, they’ll know the perfect bubbles pairing for your dessert selection. They’re both a major part of what makes the new space warm, inviting, and most importantly - FUN. Be on the lookout for special event tastings/pairings.

Also important to note: Cake Bloom does not make cupcakes, but trust me, as a cupcake lover, you won’t even remember what a cupcake is when you try their slices, parfaits or other individual specialty...

We went in expecting the positive reviews to be accurate. I’m very confused and wonder if they got the negative reviews removed. Upon entering, it smells overwhelmingly like mold and must. The lady there wasn’t too friendly or interested in helping us. After we already ordered and she gave the box, we were confused as we weren’t intending to leave. When we sat down, she rudely said it’s a different price if we’re sitting at a table. Um…. What? She didn’t ask dine in or carry out, there was zero signs saying this, and it was just… unpleasant and awkward. She had no idea we were checking out this place for our wedding order because we wanted to see it as it truly was, not through an appointment where they are on their best behavior. We sure got it.

We tried the cake sampler. lemon was the most awful I’ve ever tasted. The others are mediocre, really underwhelming, dry, old, oily frosting that leaves a film on your tongue/mouth. I felt sick after just half of the first slice. Even more so with the mold smell throughout the business. Makes you wonder if the spores are present elsewhere. Just a bad experience and not worth the drive from DC. We wasted $50 dollars but at least we won’t make the mistake of relying on them for our most...