The best takeaway cakes in Melbourne

If you want a showstopping cake look no further than Mali Bakes. Mali Bakes is a one-woman show in Thornbury, specialising in bespoke celebration cakes with bold colours and big flavours, that set out to bring back warm and joyful childhood memories. The chocolate, peanut butter cheesecake with pretzels and white chocolate ticks all the sweet-tooth boxes, whereas the olive oil, ricotta, blackberry, fennel, sea salt and honey cake caters to a slightly more savoury palate. Mali Bakes is open for custom cake pick-ups and local delivery between Tuesday and Saturday from 11am to 4pm, and the store sells cakes by the slice on a Saturday from 9am until sold out - and trust us, they often sell out quickly. 

For the punny people in your life, look no further than the colourful lolly-laden cakes made by Miss Trixie Drinks Tea. Think a pastel pink cake studded with raspberry jellies embellished with the words "I Love You Berry Much", or a yellow cake with the words "Crazy Skittle Thing Called Love", topped with, you guessed it, Skittles. The flavours are no secondary consideration at Miss Trixie, with combinations such as chocolate sour cream cake with Biscoff and funfetti and coconut cake with lemon curd and blackberry on offer. You can pick up your celebration cake from the West Footscray store, or select the delivery option if you live within a 25km radius. 

In 2020, Audrey Allard was in need of something to keep her busy during the endless lockdowns, and so she began baking for her housemates. Not long after, she started her own desserts business Holy Sugar, slinging slices across Melbourne through her Instagram page. Word got out, and the people wanted more. Fast forward to 2022, after two years of delivering dessert boxes, and Audrey opened her very own shop in Northcote. Offerings on the day could include passionfruit, raspberry and lemon sponge, basque cheesecake, dulce pecan tart, or apple Tatin. Holy Sugar is open from Thursday to Sunday from 9am until sold out. And they certainly sell out quick – so grab whatever you can get your hands on.

Black Star Pastry is home of the wildly popular (and extremely 'grammable) strawberry watermelon cake, and recently reopened its doors in St Kilda after undergoing a complete reconstruction. The reopening of the store has seen the initiation of new services including Cake Concierge, a pick-up service where customers who have pre-ordered cakes can have their cakes conveniently delivered to their cars (however, we do recommend at least popping in to check out the new industrial-chic fitout). Black Star Pastry’s signature cakes are as tasty as they are stunning to look at – we know you will order the strawberry watermelon cake, but consider also going for a slice of zen cheesecake, the orange cake with Persian figs, or the chocolate mirage cake.  

Having started in Castlemaine, Icecream Social has since made waves in the northern suburbs of Brunswick and Thornbury. Owner Helen Addison-Smith does ice cream, and she does it well. She has since added a repertoire of pies (both sweet and savoury) to her portfolio – all of which should be tried. But it's the cake-curious that are reading this, and cakes you too shall have. Pre-order whole cakes or get them to go by the slice, and collect them from either the Brunswick or Thornbury store. Go retro with the baked Alaska thunderfudge cake or classic with a strawberry sponge cake. Or combine two great things, and go for an ice cream cake.  

Darren Purchese's Sweet Studio is responsible for some of Melbourne's fanciest cakes. Many of the dessert-style cakes are made with intricate layers of jellies and mousses, sponges and creams, which combine to create beautiful and lip-smackingly good cakes. Burch & Purchese's 'Nuts About You' cake is a luxurious and dense cake of hazelnut brownie, gianduja (choc hazelnut) and dark chocolate cream, chocolate mousse and salted caramel cream. For something a little lighter, try the peach, strawberry and yoghurt cake with strawberry jelly, mousse and marshmallow, white chocolate and peach cream and yoghurt sponge. A convenient drive-through collection service is available between Tuesday and Saturday from 8am to 4.30pm, and delivery is available for a select number of postcodes via Uber Passenger Vehicles for an additional fee.

This high tea salon from the Chez Dre crew (housed in what was formerly Chez Dre's overspill space) is so sleek, so modern and glittery, it’s like a spaceship with cake. Bibelot refers to itself as an artisanal patisserie, gelateria, coffee bar and chocolate shop all rolled into one. Bibelot combines high quality ingredients with classic French patisserie techniques to produce polished and glamourous cakes, which reflect the shop they are housed in. Sample the likes of mango crémeux with almond sponge cake, macadamia praline crunch, honey and white chocolate mousse and vanilla sable, or go for the flourless chocolate cake, with sour cherry compote, vanilla kirsch whipped ganache and dark chocolate mousse. The store is open daily and orders should be made at least 48 hours in advance online. 

Ladybird Cakes specialises in classic, elegant and simple yet stunning celebration cakes, including breathtaking wedding cakes. Think soft pastel colours, flowers, intricate icing patterns and gold leaf. The cakes come in an extensive variety of flavours, that all emphasise simple, yet bold and well-loved flavours. The red velvet cake is filled with moreish cream cheese icing, the banana cake is layered with toffee buttercream, and the ever-popular white chocolate and raspberry mud cake is layered with coconut buttercream. Hot tip: order online well in advance (with specific time guides available on the website), as the available time slots often sell out quickly. Check the website for detailed information about pick-up and delivery options.

Just in time for that summer sun, local gelato purveyor Pidapipo has just opened Pidapipo Laboratorio, a fabulously fun and Willy Wonka-esque destination for dessert devotees. One of the leaders of the gelato revolution in Melbourne, the brand has stayed true to its ethos of experimentation, now carrying this over to a glorious range of seven different gelato cakes. Expect the likes of twists on tiramisu, a Fererro Rocher replica, a Bombe Alaska extravaganza and a banoffee pie showstopper. You can pre-order inline, or collect one from the Laboratorio, Carlton or Windsor stores on your way to your next celebration. 

Millstone was opened by Alice Wright back in 2014, with house-made patisseries, croissants, breakfast and brunch on offer. The local café grew a loyal following, and the team expanded into catering and events. Today, Millstone's online cake store is offering some of the most picture-perfect, and damn tasty, cakes going around. Go for a classic Victoria sponge cake, with large fluffy sponge layers sandwiched between rhubarb and strawberry jam, vanilla chantilly cream and raspberry icing. Cakes can be picked up from 11am daily, and delivery is available to certain Melbourne suburbs.