Cakes for Others
A Love Letter in Layers
“What is done in love is done well.” – Vincent Van Gogh
Cakes are one of my favorite desserts to bake
There’s much to do and little to say, but somehow, cakes speak louder than words. In the gentle clink of the mixing bowl and the hush of the oven timer, there is ritual — a quiet, intentional pause in time. It gives me the space to focus on someone I love, to think about their favorite flavors, colors, animals, or flowers. In my home, cake is a love language.
From a cramped dorm kitchen in undergrad to my home bakery today, I’ve been on a journey of baking cakes for friends, family, and loved ones. Each cake holds a story, a memory, and a piece of my heart.
Sometimes we assume people only bake for something in return — for praise, for photos, for recognition. But there’s a quiet joy in creating something solely for someone else. Decorating, curating, and crafting a cake with only their joy in mind. I’ve found that, more than anything, cake becomes a gathering agent — for love, for memory, for laughter.
Baking cakes requires reflection
I’ve come to believe that knowing someone deeply can reveal itself through cake. Are they a buttercream or whipped cream kind of person? Do they crave citrus or chocolate? I become a little journalist — asking questions, observing preferences, jotting flavor notes in my recipe journals. I sketch ideas, add little doodles, and write out my decorating plans like a love letter in layers.
The cakes I’ve made are special not because of the recipe, but because of the person on the other end of the fork. Without someone to blow out the candles, the cake is just sugar and flour. It’s the person that gives it meaning.
Therefore, in this series of mini essays, here are some of the cakes I’ve made over the years — for birthdays, heartbreaks, quiet afternoons, and joyful moments.
