The Cake Diva, owned by Pastry Chef, Janan Juliff, specializes in custom, hand-crafted cakes and desserts using ingredients you can feel good about. Using organic fruit and fruit purees, Janan also buys local ingredients including Hope Creamery butter, Schultz organic eggs to make some gorgeous and decadent desserts.

As The Cake Diva, I am able to offer my clients a very personal business relationship with tastings set up to be convenient for them, personalized cake design including buttercream cakes and fondant cakes in traditional elegant to Vegas-themed cakes – I deliver whatever my clients want!  I offer design-your-own cake flavors/fillings/icings made to order (never frozen) using fresh local ingredients. Many clients are looking for beautifully decorated cakes, but also ones that taste amazing!

Chef Juliff has received numerous awards including:

• Bronze and a Silver Medals in the ACF (American Culinary Federation)
• Junior Hot Food Competitions. (2005, 2006)
• Sue Zelickson Award for academic and professional achievement, 2005.
• 2nd prize in the 3-tiered Cakes Division at the 2005 Oklahoma Sugar
• Art Show, a prestigious national competition
• Gold medal for chocolate cake creation 2007 Chocolate Extravaganza, Minneapolis, MN.

Gaviidae Common
Skyway Level, Saks Wing
651 Nicollet Mall
Minneapolis, MN 55402

Cocoa & Fig is a boutique company that offers amazing products and superior customer service with a reputation for creating beautiful and delicious cakes, cupcakes and miniature desserts.

All of their desserts are made from scratch with the highest quality ingredients – like pure Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans, Valrhona Chocolate and Cocoa Powder, and local Minnesota cream and butter.

Jessica is an amazing mistress of cakes – from classical to sculptural, her cakes are unique and elegantly crafted. Jessica’s Cakes is a boutique cake shop that enjoys creating the traditional or classic look, but delights in unexpected design requests.

A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Poughkeepsie, NY, Jessica originally thought she would be on a career path to executive chef. At the Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel, after a serendipitous transfer from hot line to pastry shop (instead of the butcher shop), she fell in love with the sweet side of life and tossed all thoughts of a savory career out the window.

Jessica’s Cakes was launched in 2000 after more than a decade working as a pastry chef in several Ritz Carlton hotels around the country, as well as The Minikahda Club and New French Bakery locally. Classically trained from her years with The Ritz Carlton, she is experienced in creating elegant, traditional cakes and small desserts. Today her eclectic style also includes quirky tip-tilt designs, random themes of food and clothing, and out-of-the-ordinary flavor combinations. No event is too small, and she’ll travel if you ask.

2042 Marshall Ave, St. Paul, MN 55104 – 651.340.7138
Open daily 11a-6p
4747 Nicollet Ave S., Minneapolis, MN 55419 – 612.208.0672
Open Tues-Sun 11a-6p. Closed Monday

Don’t miss out on their fabulous cupcakes and macaroons in their storefront. If you get a chance to have the salted caramel macaroons, take it! And now a little note from Krista:

I use local ingredients and enjoy working with each couple to come up with unique and personalized desserts that represent the couple.    I love creating innovative flavor combinations, but have an appreciation for the classics as well.  In addition to cupcakes and French macaroons, I also do dessert buffets with a variety of bite sized desserts options.

Krista & Ly from Sweets participated in our “meet the members” Q&A – their answers are below.

Why weddings? Why not? our pretty and delicious cupcakes, cakes and macarons are a perfect match for such a joyful event.

What should people know about what you do? We use local ingredients and bake fresh daily.

What new wedding tradition do you want to get more love? the DIY favor making

How does your style differentiate you? What sets you apart? Besides using local vendors and baking fresh daily, our elegant style is timeless and the cupcakes and macarons are DELICIOUS!

What do you wish you had known when you started working with weddings? To take the time and develop an intake form that covers ALL the particulars and then some.

Are your clients mostly from Minnesota? We’ve been operating for almost 1 year, and most have been local, but our national recognition is growing.

Cake or cupcakes? cupcakes!