Meet the bakers who turn dessert into art in Birmingham
Reading time: 5 minutes
If you’re looking for desserts that are almost too beautiful to eat (key word—almost), you’re in luck. Meet five Birmingham bakers who turn dessert into art with unique flavor combinations and gorgeous visuals.
1. Last Call Baking | Chanah
The first time I tried one of Last Call Baking’s cakes at General, I fell in love and quickly made plans to visit two more times that week. Chanah’s been professionally baking since 2018, and they became General’s baker in 2021. Their creations are inspired by Japanese, Korean, Chinese and French baking as well as their Jewish heritage.
“At the end of the day, my cakes often feel like dreams that I am journeying through. Each petal, jam and leaf feel like they carry a great deal of weight to create the perfect landscape I have in my mind —visually and taste-wise. They are experiences that I struggle to verbalize or draw or write out, but can somehow explain with flour, water, sugar and eggs.”
Chanah, Owner, Last Call Baking
Whether you try one of their pastries sold at General or a Domestique location or order their classic Last Call goods like miso biscuits or egg tart, I promise you’ll want to dig into more.
- Goods from Last Call Baking are sold at the popular Forest Park cafe General. Find it at: 3813 Clairmont Ave, Birmingham, AL 35222 | Monday-Saturday 9AM-5:30 PM | Sunday 12-4PM
- Find Last Call Baking vegan pastries on Mondays and Fridays at Domestique: 1024 20th St S, Ste 103, Birmingham, AL 35205 | 200 41st St S, Birmingham, AL 35222 | 3017 6th Ave S, Birmingham, AL, 35233
- Website | Instagram
2. Baking Bandits | Kristen
The Essential and Bandit Pâtisserie are local favorites that have received national recognition, and Kristen Hall is the pastry chef and co-owner behind them. Her baking journey began in 2013 as a way to instill confidence in her daughters.
You can find her concoctions at Bandit Pâtisserie and The Essential, both of which have dealt with challenges of the pandemic by adapting their menus to be to-go friendly.
“I’m very inspired by the seasons and use seasonality to help drive our menus at Bandit Pâtisserie and The Essential. I love creating pastries that are beautifully detailed and refined, yet accessible and, of course, delicious. And I feel at home in French techniques, so I’m always inspired by the classics!”
Kristen, Owner, Baking Bandits; Co-Owner, The Essential and Bandit Pâtisserie
- Bandit Patisserie: 2015 1st Ave N, Unit 1C, Birmingham, AL 35203 | Saturday 9AM-1PM
- Website | Instagram | Facebook
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3. Halawat Birmingham | Ameera
The sweets of Halawat Birmingham beautifully combine the baker’s Palestinian-American background and her love of organic, vibrant colors. Ameera remembers loving to watch her dad bake in the kitchen, but her baking journey really began when her mother bought her first recipe book. She began selling her desserts in 2019.
“I had no experience in baking Middle Eastern desserts at the time but I also knew that we did not have any Middle Eastern bakeries in the Birmingham area. I wanted something that would be able to thrive in Birmingham, so I decided that I was going to not only learn but perfect almost every Middle Eastern dessert.”
Ameera, Owner, Halawat Birmingham
4. The Little Bee Baking Co. | Emily
Emily began baking as a way to process her emotions, and she quickly fell in love with being able to share what she made with the community. She started her business during the pandemic, and soon she’ll sell her desserts at Stēz, a new bakery opening in spring 2021.
“I honestly think beautiful things make a difference. They remind us of hope and they evoke emotions. I decided if I have any ability to do that with food that I make, then that’s what I want to do. When it gets discouraging or I struggle with not knowing the next step, I remind myself that beauty is already there, I’m merely taking the emotions that I feel and painting them on a cake.”
Emily, Owner, The Little Bee Baking Co.
- Find The Little Bee Baking Co. at Stēz: 1324 19th St N, Birmingham, AL 35234
- Website | Instagram | Facebook
5. Crafted by Georgie | Georgeann
Crafted by Georgie makes handmade goods like face masks and beautifully decorated sweets. Her icing skills are seriously unbeatable, and with flavor combinations like chocolate cake and coffee buttercream, you can’t go wrong.
“My great grandmother taught my mom everything she knows about baking, and my mom passed down all of that knowledge to me! I grew up in the kitchen with my mom, and she’s always been a huge inspiration to me, especially when it comes to anything creative.”
Georgeann, Owner, Crafted by Georgie
- Order desserts with her custom order form
Know of more talented Birmingham bakers we should know about? Share them with us on social at @BhamNow, or add your small business to our small biz guide for free to be included in guides like this.
