Afternoon tea is a special affair…

No matter how many times you’ve been, it is still a treat. You don’t go for afternoon tea because you’re hungry or because you’re in the area, generally speaking. You go for afternoon tea because it is a special occasion or as a special treat.

I love afternoon tea

Why? Because I love sweet treats – cakes, scones, pastries, brioche, you name it. I also love savouries – fresh sandwiches, mini pies, wraps, quiches, the lot! Fair enough, traditionally, you’d finish your savoury sandwiches before moving on to your scones and cakes. I however, apply my own sweet-savoury strategy to ensure that I enjoy (and finish) every component of my afternoon tea. I trick my taste buds into believing that I’m having a new course every time I alternate from sweet to savoury and vice versa.

London is a haven for afternoon tea. The options are endless, ranging from high end hotels to little boutique cafes. That said, the quality of their offering differs. And the price per head doesn’t always reflect the quality of the food or the satisfaction you get at the end of it. Things also get a bit “samey” after a while.

I’m always on the look out for Afternoon tea that offers something slightly different. And then I was introduced to Cake Me Baby.

Cake Me Baby

Just as it’s quirky name suggested, Cake Me Baby is a funky little boutique patisserie that serves ready made cakes, fresh baked goods and hot drinks such as PekoeTea and Climpson & Sons Coffee.What’s more, they also do beautifully handcrafted or crazy-custom cakes in their creative development lair (the large basement kitchen). This lair is also the playground of artistically-gifted Alessandra Estrada. For her love of creative baking, Alessandra gave up a career in fashion and trained with big names such as Laduree and Alain Ducasse. The result – Cake Me Baby!

At least we’re not boring! – Alessandra 

Alessandra is the living brand of Cake Me Baby. I think the best word to describe her is “Cool“. She wasn’t the baker I was expecting to see as she emerged from her basement kitchen in her funky baseball cap and dark blue overalls.

Her passion for baking and giving her customers that delightful experience oozes out as we discuss the interesting menu that she had put together for our afternoon tea party.

Cake Me Baby’s values form the theme in this little patisserie. From their recyclable packaging, organic ingredients to environmental friendly furniture, as well as their carefully selected retail partners, every little touch aims to give customers that unique luxury experience.

Even if you’re gluten intolerant, you can have yourself an afternoon of sweet cakey goodness. Did I mentioned that Alessandra specialises in dietary restrictive baking? Yes, her famous Big Breakfast Cupcake (Vanilla cake + salted caramel + maple bacon + maple buttercream) is gluten free. And I couldn’t tell the difference!

Summing up my experience with a few highlights:

It was definitely the different kind of afternoon tea experience that I was looking for.

Not a sandwich in sight! The savouries were replaced with Bloody Mary Pizza and Cheddar + Mushroom Quiche. The sweet selection was not for the faint-hearted.  The Real Bourbon (also gluten free) packs a real boozy punch and The Little Blue Pill made me feel like I was in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory! It was fun and interesting.

My favourite was as I mentioned – The Big Breakfast Cupcake. It has real maple bacon bits in the core of this big fluffy vanilla cupcake. Yummcious!

The strong, creamy PeaNutty Bulletproof Coffee was a strong end to our bake feast. I was impressed and pleased to have found Cake Me Baby.

Cake Me Baby also has a Chef’s table in their back garden. Best suited for private parties or just a girlie afternoon tea with a twist.

If you happened to be in East London, why not pop in for a leisurely cup of coffee and cake?

Check out their amazing bespoke cakes on instagram @cakemebabyshop or follow them on Twitter @cake_me_baby

163 Askew Rd
London W12 9AU
United Kingdom
0208 811 1944
CakeMeBaby.co.uk