Where to Order Birthday Cake in Austin

Best Frosting: Side Piece

Ok wow, when I saw the icing and petted it with my finger, I KNEW this was my style. While it’s called buttercream, it’s not fluffy and airy, but sweet and slick and just the way I like it. I got so giddy before I tried this little guy, and as soon as I sunk my teeth in it, I was struck by the moistness of the chocolate cake first, and then a little taste of the perfectly salted caramel chocolate icing. This is THE best chocolate cake I’ve ever had. Now, when I say that, I’ve definitely had chocolate cake that is just as good, but nothing is better than this one. It reached my PEAK expectations! I almost finished the whole thing, but then I got distracted by the Strawberry Hibiscus. I love how layered the cakes are because it gives an equal opportunity for cake to icing to jam ratio. This icing is made with Ella’s homemade strawberry jam and hibiscus poured into the icing, and at one point, I had a stand-off between these two. Ultimately, I did ignore the Tart Lemon — not because it wasn’t good, but because I was so in love with the other two, and I am a certified choco-holic. If I didn’t have the other two, I’d be raving about the lemon just as much if that helps answer any questions. GET SIDE PIECE. The home baker, Ella Tasso Adams, is a private chef and celebration cakes are her side gig. 😉

Best Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free: Cake Bae 

25-year-old baker Emily is adorable and cares so much about her ingredients. She started baking layer cakes for Austin when she couldn’t get a gluten free cake ordered in time from Gati/Thai Fresh, which is my favorite gluten-free cake spot that has a brick-and-mortar. Her menu is entirely gluten-free and dairy-free, but she does use eggs, and it’s all made with natural whole food ingredients such as coconut sugar, maple syrup, avocado oil, and coconut yogurt – that’s why it’s so soft! I love how unique and creative her flavors are, and I ordered the Chocolate Fig Pistachio cake. Let me tell you that while it’s a vanilla cake base, it LOOKS and almost has a hint of a gingerbread taste with some minor clove and cinnamon to compliment the fig jam. It’s layered with fig jam that is oh so sweet and balanced out by the soft cake and topped with chocolate frosting that is also very light and comforting. The pistachio crumbles aren’t a big note of the flavor — just FYI if you are looking for a pistachio cake, but she is actually working on one, so ask her for it! This cake really made me moan and is way softer and more melt-in-your-mouth than it looks. I felt really good after this and didn’t have a sugar high or feel too full. She also has Chocolate Cherry Pecan, Cranberry Orange, Raspberry Chocolate, and Blueberry Vanilla — a little fruit here and there 😊. I also got to try Emily’s brownie with chocolate frosting and sprinkles which is SO dense, and I devoured it. She has cake balls for something smaller and cupcakes as well!

Biggest Variety of Flavors: Scull House Sweets

I’ve been following Ryn from Scull House Sweets for a while now! She is a hospice social worker by day and making the most comforting desserts by night — what a jewel of a person! She is another cottage baker selling items from her home, and you’ll recognize her chocolate chip cookies on the homepage of my website! I knew she made incredible pop-tarts — she calls them hand pies — and I just learned she also makes celebration cakes, so I had to try them for my cake research! I ordered the Chocolate Chip Cake with Peanut Butter Buttercream Icing and S’mores Cake with graham cake, brown sugar marshmallows, vanilla buttercream and chocolate drip. Upon first bite, my thought was that this is the texture and excitement of what is synonymous with the idea people think of when they hear “birthday cake.” I love how tiny the chocolate chips are, and the yellow cake is soft and how a yellow cake should be. It tastes homemade in the best way and not like a fancy, fake cake from a wedding or something. I LOVE the peanut butter icing. It’s still lingering in my head, and I realize there aren’t many flavor profiles like this. The chocolate crunch layer on the top of the s’mores cake provided great texture and if you are a marshmallow person, this one is for you. Other flavors Ryn specializes in are: Oreo with Chocolate Ganache; Almond Cake with Raspberry Filling and Almond Icing; Earl Grey and Lavender Cake with Vanilla Icing; Matcha Strawberry Cake; Ube; and Banana Pudding Cake. She can do any flavor you ask for and usually does 8” with three layers or 12” with three layers. Check out her order form for cookie flavors, cinnamon rolls, and cookie cakes, and tell her I sent you!

Best Gluten-Free: Gati

Ok, so you would never expect that a Thai restaurant would have an amazing bakery, but Thai Fresh blows it out of the water — it’s so good that they opened up their own dedicated bakery and ice cream shop, Gati on the east side. Plus, everything is gluten free, but you’d never know because they use the best, high-quality ingredients and everything is dense, moist, and tastes like what skeptics would think is a regular cake. My favorite two combos here are the Pandan Cake for something unique and less sweet or the Chocolate Cake with Strawberry or Peanut Butter icing. At Thai Fresh, they have daily cake slices so I often stroll in and find a chocolate one to take home and sweeten my day. To place an order 48 hours in advance, go here.

For other desserts, when dining in, make sure to get the Salted Caramel Brownie and ask for it heated up, and the Coffee Cake at room temp, which is the most moist coffee cake I’ve ever had and the crumble topping is to die for.

Best Classic Cakes: Russell’s

The no fuss, old school Russell’s Bakery is the first place in Austin I found to love for birthday cakes — specifically, the coconut cake, which is not a flavor I’d even order traditionally so you know it’s THAT good. They are big cakes! I also like the vanilla cake with raspberry filling.  They’re just so good and moist, with the perfect icing sweetness, and even good after freezing and reheating.

Most Creative Flavors: Rockman

I have been lucky enough to eat my friend Amanda Rockman’s desserts for years, and now that she has her own bakery, cakes are available to custom order at her bakeshop, Rockman! The Cookie Cake with vanilla chocolate chip cake, passionfruit curd, cookie butter, and vanilla buttercream is calling my name, but she has lots of flavors to choose from, like Lemon Meringue and Bday Surprise. Although primarily known for all her croissants and laminated pastries, her cakes are just as creative, and she even makes tiny smash cakes for any little one’s birthday. How cute!

Best Cupcakes: Susie Cakes

If you didn’t know, the LA-based Susie Cakes opened in Westlake in 2022 and in Clarksville last year. I always heard about the brand, and while I typically prefer slices over cupcakes, I actually like the cupcakes the best here! I think they are more moist due to less surface area, and they do look like the buttercream from Magnolia Bakery, but this icing is way better! After trying the Vanilla Celebration Cake (aka funfetti) and Classic Marble Cake, I surprised myself when I much preferred the vanilla cake with vanilla icing, especially in cupcake form, but the chocolate icing is a great way to go, too. The most exciting part is that you can walk in to get just a cake slice without having to order a whole one, but I will admit that the vanilla cupcake is my vote. I’d be thrilled to have Susie Cakes show up at my party!