Cakes - to order or make beautiful

A number of people in the area give lessons in cake baking and decorating:
Carmelita Montesa of Designer Cakes, 703 525 0358
Marlene's Cake Candy and Party Supplies,  356 S. Pickett St, Alexandria, 703 370 3301
Linda C. White, 202 291 0076, gives classes for parents and their children.

Everything for successful home baking, from unusual cookie cutters to colored sugars and  frosting dyes, can be found at:

Cakes Plus, 3325 Corridor Market Place, Laurel, 301 490 3600; Cakes 'n Things, Waldorf Shoppers World, Waldorf, 301 843 5623; Fran's Cake and Candy Supplies, 10396 Willard Way, Fairfax, 703 352 1471; Marlene's Cake Candy and Party Supplies, 356 S. Pickett St, Alexandria, 703 370 3301.

If you are baking to take to a friend, disposable cake tins and trays are useful, from La Cuisine, The Cook's Resource, 323 Cameron St, Alexandria, 703 836 4435.
Little Bitts Shop, 11244 Triangle Lane, Wheaton 

For a personalized cake, Connie Schweizer, of Connie's Cake Creations, 703 860 2661, will decorate a half sheet cake. Patti Collette of Patty Cakes, 703 354 0677, has a wide range of decoration suggestions. But if you want to learn to do it yourself, take a course on cake decorating at ABC Sugar Art, 703 823 9100, or the School of Sugar Art, 202 544 7300.

Peter Brett, pastry chef of Circle Bistro and Notti Bianchi, bakes wedding and celebration cakes ordered through his web site, PeterBakes.com, “though I really have to limit myself because I have a full-time job. A wedding cake can be a work of art.”
 
For a cake delivered with a song, call The Singing Baker, 202 547 2253. Jim Plankenhorn will arrive at your door in full throat with your cake and a baritone rendition of a special melody. 
 
Warren Brown gave up being a lawyer to create voluptuous cakes with names to match, like Susie's  A Pink Lady. He's so successful, it's advisable to book specific cakes for a special occasion at his shop, Cakelove, 1506 U St NW, 202 588 7100!

David Knight  is a pastry chef delivering baked goods in the Washington DC area. Contact him at Blue Ribbon Bakery or 301 802 4881.

For exceptional Paris Brest, Linzer Torte and Rugelach, as well as boreks, try The Pastry Place Cafe on Rockville Pike at Rte 28 near Interstate 270 

Sticky Fingers is an all vegan bakery downstairs off the street at 1904 18th St NW. Hard to imagine egg and dairy-free pastries being achievable. Everything from carrot cake to cinnamon buns, chocolate cake, cheesecake and cupcakes is made from organic and – as much as possible – locally grown ingredients, with no refined sugar. Call 301 219 6102 for party orders.

Georgetown Cupcakes, 1209 Potomac St NW, 202 333 8448, and its near neighbor  Baked & Wired, 1052 Thomas Jefferson St NW, 202 333 2500, are the newest arrivals on the local cupcake scene, both based in Georgetown.

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