Welcome back to our Bodleian Weddings Blog! As the Great British Bake Off returns to our screens shortly, we thought “Why don’t we showcase all of our own fabulous star bakers we see at the Bodleian Libraries?” . So, we’ve got in contact with all our recommended wedding cake suppliers, and find out below how/when they became wedding cake bakers and what is their own personal baking style!
First of all, please tell us your name and introduce yourself!
Cakes by Anusha: Hi, My name is Anusha Ranasingha. I am a Wedding cake Baker based in Botley, Oxford. I am married with 2 boys. I enjoy travel, food and gardening. I like spending time with my family, with long walks and enjoy the nature.
ChellsBells Cakes: Hiya, I’m Cherrelle, aka Chell the Mother of ChellBells Cakes. I’m an Oxford cake artist that specialises in premium stand out wedding cakes. I’ve always been creative, right from the word go. Creating cakes is not only my work but my passion, I have always had the need to create, design and imagine… it’s where I feel I can be fully me, it’s my safe place. Creativity brings me to life.
Dolce Lusso: My name is Kate, and I am the proud owner of Dolce Lusso Cakes. I have a deep passion for all things Italian, even though I can’t quite master their beautiful language. As a devoted foodie, I delight in experimenting with new flavour combinations inspired by the different regions of Italy, always using the finest seasonal produce. When it comes to design, I draw inspiration from the world around me—whether it’s a single intricate detail or a captivating story that sparks a whole creation. I cherish uncovering the unique story behind each couple and their wedding day, weaving these narratives into my cake designs. I also find immense joy in teaching and sharing my baking knowledge, inspiring others to embark on their own culinary adventures.
When I’m not immersed in the kitchen, crafting exquisite delights or trying out new recipes for my family, you’ll often find me relaxing and pottering in the garden. I also treasure time spent with my girlfriends, meeting new people, and exploring new places.
Flour and Fold: Hi, I’m Jess from Flour and Fold, and I specialise in contemporary romantic wedding cakes.
Hall of Cakes: My name is Nicola Hall. I own and run Hall of Cakes!
Pretty Cake Company: Hello I am Samantha Tempest, owner of The Pretty Cake Company
Terre et Lune: Hello, my name is Charlene Russell and I create luxury bespoke wedding cakes for the creatively adventurous. Located on the leafy Buckinghamshire/Oxfordshire border, I’m passionate about the art of cake decorating as well as delivering on exceptional flavour. I take cake very seriously!
Lovely, how long have you been baking wedding cakes?
Cakes by Anusha: I have been in the Wedding cake industry for the past 10 years, since 2014.
ChellsBells Cakes: I’ve been making wedding cakes for the past 5 years.
Dolce Lusso: My love for baking started in my grandparents’ bakery, where I learned the art from a very young age. Wedding cakes, however, came later in life. I have been a cake artist for over 14 years now, gracing weddings across London, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, the Cotswolds, Hertfordshire, and Berkshire with my creations. My clients are typically conscious couples who have a passion for gastronomy, style, travel, and culture. I also have the pleasure of working with many couples who choose the UK as their destination wedding location.
Flour and Fold: I’ve been creating wedding cakes for 5 years now, but for many many years previous to this I tested recipes on family and friends.
Hall of Cakes: I have been baking cakes now for nearly 16 years. A lot of cakes and events.
Pretty Cake Company: I started my business in 2008 and I’ve been making wedding cakes ever since!
Terre et Lune: Professionally, I’ve been making wedding cakes for 7 years but I’ve been practicing for a whole lot longer! Like most new business owners, I started out by making any style of cake that a couple wanted but I soon started to develop my own style and now I’m known for more modern, unique wedding cake designs.
What was it that made you want to become a wedding cake baker?
Cakes by Anusha: I like to design, and create things. I went to the Cake International Exhibition in London, soon after I completed my professional diploma’s in Sugar Craft. the designs in diaply took my breath away, and I decided to enter the competition in Wedding Cake category. I was awarded a Merit for the design in Wedding Cake Category. This made me realise that I enjoy creating designs and seeing the final outcome of that creation.
ChellsBells Cakes: “Do what you love and not what you are supposed to do” I really do believe this! I love creating and designing something unique and personable. The idea of having an impact on someone’s day through cake is a great feeling, it’s definitely a job that doesn’t feel like a job. The ability to be creative and let my imagination run is the reason why I wanted to be a wedding cake maker, everything is so grand, bold & beautiful. I wanted to be able to be apart of that!
Dolce Lusso: In Italy, food is synonymous with love. It is created with passion and shared with the special people in your life, much like a wedding. A wedding cake is an extension of your wedding meal, symbolising the first sweet moment you share as a married couple before you share it with your loved ones. This profound connection between food, love, and celebration sparked my passion for wedding cakes. Thus, Dolce Lusso—’Sweet Luxury’ in Italian—was born, dedicated to creating showstopping cakes and desserts that truly taste divine.
Flour and Fold: I’ve baked cakes with my nan ever since I was a child and always used special events and celebrations to try out different ideas. She taught me all the foundations, and I still use some of her recipes today! In 2019 I was asked to create a cake for my brother-in-law’s wedding and that’s what really ignited the fire. From then, I registered with the council, did my hygiene course and started selling cakes out of my tiny kitchen in London. In 2020, I moved to Oxfordshire, which is where I really took things to the next level – offering postal brownies, celebration cakes, and have now established myself in the Wedding industry.
Hall of Cakes: To be honest, I never ‘wanted’ to become a cake maker as such. I was always very artistic as a child and young adult. Times have changed now but as a young female I should couldn’t get a job in smoothing creative at the time so, I ended up working in insurance for many years. A tad boring and not artistic at all. I had a great time working in the city and I was lucky enough for my job to take me travelling all over America. When I got married myself and wanted a family I just knew I wasn’t going to be able to keep travelling. So, I started thinking what else I could do. I definitely wanted to do something artistic and I just so happened to make a cake for a friend. It was her sons christening and she had been let down. The rest, as they say, is history!
Pretty Cake Company: I realised that making wedding cakes gave a much bigger personal satisfaction, you build a relationship with clients in a way like no other at a really exciting time of their lives and it gives me the opportunity to create big, beautiful designs that simple cake making wouldn’t generate.
Terre et Lune: Back when I was a corporate PA, I started an evening class in cake decorating with my sister-in-law just for fun (cake and art, what’s not to like?), and I was hooked! Cue several years of making birthday cakes for family and friends and one day, I finally felt brave enough to take an order for a wedding cake and it was when I was delivering the cake to the venue that I knew I wanted to do it full time.
How would you describe your own personal baking or decorative style?
Cakes by Anusha: Primarily I look out for what the Wedding Couple require, and focus on the current trends in the design, and flavours. I work with my customers to create that bespoke design, which is unique for their special day. I incorporate realistic sugar flowers matching the Wedding flowers and colours.
ChellsBells Cakes: Clean cut, colourful, whimsical and classic. It’s always about the details and finer touches with my cakes. I want them to look complete and for them to stand out. IMAGINE. DESIGN. CREATE. IMPRESS. IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS.
Dolce Lusso: My flavours are inspired by the finest ingredients from the different regions of Italy—think Limoncello, Bellini, Amaretto, Espresso Martini, Gianduja, and so much more. My designs are elegant and stylish centrepieces, telling a wedding story and creating cherished memories for my couples and their guests. I also specialise in traditional Italian wedding cakes such as the Millefoglie, which is assembled live in front of your guests, offering both dessert and entertainment in one delightful experience.
Flour and Fold: I love using natural simplicity in my work, incorporating inspiration from the world around us. This can be botanical, textural, or even contemporary elements that I see, and I love using florals – fresh, edible and hand crafter from wafer paper.
Hall of Cakes: I would describe as style as ‘wow factor’! This is quite all encompassing but, we can literally work with any style and design and create something fabulous. We are not really ‘minimalistic’ (we just get carried away) so probably ‘more is more’ is where we are at!
Pretty Cake Company: Timeless, elegant and most likely, floral wedding cakes.
Terre et Lune: My speciality lies in hand-painted watercolour cakes and hand-crafted wafer paper flowers, combining cake artistry with thoughtful design to produce distinctive and elegant centrepieces that are uniquely made for each couple. I pride myself in being different and creating cakes that can be both elegant and pretty yet also unique and artistic.
If you can’t get enough of our incredible cake bakers and their mouth-watering answers, do keep an eye out for Part Two where we will be discussing the step-by-step process for clients, the most elaborate cakes baked and the perfect flavour combinations!
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