Two Toronto-area bakers just ranked high on a list of the world’s 30 best, Canada Reviews

First steaks, now cakes? Toronto’s wedding-cake scene just got a glossy international nod from THE WED. The online wedding magazine published a new roundup of the 30 Best Cake Artists Around the World, and two Ontario names made the cut: Markham’s LiMa Cakes and Brechin’s Cry Baby Cakes, the brand led by former Toronto-based pastry artist Brooke Cowitz.

THE WED’s list is all about a new wave of cake makers who are pushing past traditional wedding cakes and treating dessert more like art, with sculptural finishes and flavours that step “way outside the expected”. On her site, LiMa Cakes founder Sona Karapetyan says her path into edible art was shaped by years of experimentation in painting and graphic design, so her background shows up in cakes featuring abstract shapes, architectural details and unusual textures…like this stylish monochromatic cake made with flexible gum paste!

THE WED profile highlights Karapetyan’s design language and says each cake is created as a bespoke piece, “inspired by the personality and style of her clients and designed to complement the unique theme of every event”. Bonus: the Markham-based studio offers private in-person workshops, including one-on-one sessions, hands-on classes and consultations for decorators looking to sharpen their technique and creative direction.

The second (and only other) Canadian name on the list is Cry Baby Cakes. Brooke Cowitz is the pastry artist behind the brand, and she first built a following in Toronto, working out of an Etobicoke kitchen before relocating to Lagoon City in Simcoe County! She graduated from Niagara College’s culinary program and has worked as a pastry chef at Quatrefoil in Dundas and later in La Banane’s kitchen before launching Cry Baby Cakes during the pandemic. While Cry Baby still has a presence online (so you can salivate over her OG creations), Cowitz’s current storefront is Phil & Rosie’s in the Brechin area, about 1.5 hours from Toronto, or a 30-minute drive from the famous Cooper’s Falls ghost town.

Thankfully, it looks like she’s still baking stylish cakes alongside other sweet treats, like holiday cookie boxes and freshly baked goods! So, time for a road trip, perhaps?

You can see the full list of the 30 Best Cake Artists Around the World here.