We accept bespoke cake requests. They keep things exciting, flex our imaginations, and—if I’m honest—make us a teensy bit nervous too.

When a bespoke brief lands in my inbox, it usually comes with a flurry of reference photos. They help us understand what the customer has in mind, and we always aim to deliver something even better. We never copy outright (boring for us, unfair to other bakers); instead, fully fondant Pinterest cakes become inspiration for an unmistakably Anges-style buttercream creation, with just a whisper of fondant. A little mixed-media masterpiece, if you will—look at me sounding all cultured.

Penelope’s bespoke Old MacDonald’s Farm children’s birthday cake was a three-tiered rainbow dream for her party at Maggie & Rose Kensington, and we couldn’t wait to get cracking. I carved the top tier from chocolate sponge to create Old MacDonald’s barn—rustic chic, but make it edible.

Then came the animals! Fondant modelling is basically grown-up play dough, but with higher stakes and fewer primary colours. We plan each figurine in advance—rushing fondant is a recipe for heartbreak. For this farmyard, we crafted a cow, horse, the sweetest little black sheep, dog, mama duck and her ducklings, a handful of pigs and, naturally, a proud rooster surveying his kingdom from the rooftop.

But as ever, the real magic lies in the details. Sponges need baking, layers need stacking, tiers need frosting, and only then do we get to decorate—usually while holding our breath. The fondant figures steal the spotlight, but the piped buttercream details tie everything together: flowers, foliage, fencing, tiny carrots and cabbages. I had to show true self-restraint (rare, I know) because the client wanted a “cleaner” finish. It turns out they were right—sometimes less really is more.

Even once we were all thrilled with the final cake, the nerves didn’t let up. A bespoke kids cake still needs to survive delivery across West London, and then there’s the customer reaction. Did I turn a fondant novelty cake into buttercream beautifully enough? Did I stray too far from the reference photos? Did I hold back too much… or not enough?

My heart may have stopped momentarily when I saw the customer comment on my Instagram post…

“Thank you so much, it’s gorgeous!”

The relief! The joy! I slept better that night than I had in weeks.

Wishing Penelope the happiest birthday. And if you’ve got a bespoke cake idea brewing, drop us an email and we’ll see if we can create something wonderful just for you. We simply need the date, servings, budget, delivery postcode and your theme—and we’ll take it from there.

Love, Reshmi xoxo

If you’re dreaming up your own show-stopping celebration bake, browse our birthday cakes for inspiration.