WEDDINGS | DESSERTS
MIX IT UP Taking the guesswork out of at least one aspect of wedding planning, Santa Barbara’s go-to confectioneries prove that choosing the right dessert might just be the icing on the cake for your big day. A Santa Barbara mainstay since its opening in 2007, Crushcakes & Cafe is single-handedly responsible for bringing cupcake fever to the 805. Though a pioneer of the wedding cupcake trend, with an event tasting kitchen slated to open this year, owner Shannon Gaston ensures that her culinary wizardry satisfies the pickiest of palettes (think dessert bars serving homemade macaroons, brownies, and three or four-layer tiered cakes) and is “proud to serve scratch-made desserts prepared the same day they’re delivered,” she says. Also ask about their gluten-free and vegan cake options. While 40-year confectionery veteran Wayne Kjar of Your Cake Baker has witnessed the gamut of wedding trends, his “specialty” multitiered cakes remain among the Central Coast’s wedding dessert favorites. With more than 2,000 combos of cake flavors to choose from—including mango, passion fruit, green tea, salted caramel, and hazelnut—and a new Coast Village Road storefront, when in doubt, ask Wayne. Our fave? White cake with raspberry Bavarian cream filling. –A.D.H. CRUSHCAKES & CAFE Weddings & Events 4945 Carpinteria Ave., Carpinteria, 805-886-4042, crushcakes.com. YOUR CAKE BAKER 2018 Cliff Dr., Santa Barbara, 805-845-5519, and 1150 Coast Village Rd., Montecito, 805-965-8150, yourcakebaker.com.
GLORIOUSLY SANS GLUTEN A diagnosed celiac, Gillian Muralles’s focus as a pastry chef has always been gluten-free baking. She and husband Alam have spent years developing such recipes—and 23 cake flavors with plans to expand their wedding cake menu—to meet their rigorous taste standards while honing their pastry and decorating skills. The result is the new Lilac Pâtisserie, a completely gluten-free bakery and cafe chock-full of beautiful and delicious cakes, baked goods, and entrées. While the fad may not appeal to those of us who haven’t waved goodbye to wheat, these desserts—made from tried-andtrue alternative flour blends—may fool even the most discerning of foodies. There are also plans to launch a full lunch menu of soups, salads, sandwiches, and bread baked on-site this year. –C.B. LILAC PATISSERIE 1017 State St., Santa Barbara, 805-845-7400, lilacpatisserie.com.
Small Packages The newest catering bakery to open its doors in town, Violette Bakeshop is a one-stop shop for gourmet baked goods and desserts. Brides can custom design flavors to fit their theme as well as choose their own decorations, top cakes, and cupcake displays. With more than 40 flavors to choose from—maple bacon or chocolate salted caramel, for example—the mini cupcakes ($36 for two dozen) are a fun addition to a dessert buffet. –LAURA LEWIS Your Cake Baker; Crushcakes; Lilac Pâtisserie.
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VIOLETTE BAKESHOP 805-448-3553, violettebakeshop.com.
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