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    Cakes by Karena

    4.9 (200 reviews)

    Cakes by Karena Photos

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    Jinny P.

    Karena is very nice and responsive. I told her the theme of the party and sent her the style of the cake I like. She found some more pictures for me to choose from. She was also able to print the photo I sent her on edible white chocolate. I was successfully surprised the birthday boy when he saw his own photo on the cake! More importantly, it was delicious in chocolate favor with fresh mix fruit, and not too sweet! I can't wait for order custom cake from Karena again after she is back from her vacation!

    Beautifully packaged with attention to detail. Came with a "1st" birthday blue balloon for my son, candles, and a gold paper crown.
    Victoria W.

    I ordered a 6" round 1st birthday cake for my son. Not only was it beautifully made, but it was also very delicious! It was a matcha cake with light whipped cream frosting, filled with strawberries. The cake was very light and not too sweet, similar to cakes from Chinese bakeries. It was absolutely perfect. The beehive was made with Rice Krispies covered in fondant. I provided an example photo for Karena, and It was made exactly like the photo. I am very pleased with the results. The only reason Im giving 4 stars instead of 5 is because it's a bit on the pricey side. The cake cost $108. Other than that, everything else was superb.

    6" cake and half a dozen cupcakes
    Paige L.

    I ordered a cake and half a dozen cupcakes from Karena, and let me just say this is the best service and quality of cake flavor and design I have EVER had. Karena was wonderful in listening to what I wanted and delivered beyond my expectations! Truly a gem of a baker! I ordered a succulent design cake in matcha flavor and the cupcakes in vanilla. Beautiful and delicious! I will definitely be ordering from her again and again !

    Juan F.

    Not sure how my wife found this place, but the work Karena does is fantastic. My wife and I were more than pleased with the cake that we ordered. Not only did it look great, but it also tasted fantastic. Karena will give you specific instructions as to the best way to store and serve the cake after you pick it up as well. Will definitely be a repeat customer here!

    I would highly recommend Karena if you want to customize cakes. The cake is amazing and so beautiful and tasty. There're some little cute and thoughtful things like balloon and macaron. We love it so much!!! I would like to thank Karena a lot as I ordered the cake for my wife in a very short notice (two weeks ahead), Karena kindly took my order and was super patient with me to go through process and figure out the design. We had messages back and forth discussing details and stuff. Everything became extremely smooth. I'm really grateful. Thank you so much Karena to make it happen.

    Seiko M.

    I order the teddy bear cheesecake it look smaller then what it seem in the pic but the cutest and the taste made up for it. Love how detail it look so realistic and the taste was great not too sweet just perfect and strawberries were fresh. Over experience you have no regrets getting it.

    Minnie Mouse Unicorn cake! Lovely
    Crystal V.

    Karena was wonderful to work with when customizing a cake, she's a true professional! Here is what I texted her with some pictures! It was wonderful and memorable. Everything came out wonderul! The cake was delicious and the cupcakes where delicious too! Thank you so much for all you baked! Here's the end result! I forgot to get candles and the sparkles you gave us was perfect! The little detail with the balloon was so cute!! Perfect! It was like the cherry on top! I loved the way you boxed the cake as well. It was all gorgeous!

    Uncle was born in the year of the pig, so I thought this suited him very well!
    Sophea R.

    My uncle was turning 25 and I have always wanted to order a custom cake, so I figured this was a great opportunity to do that. I stumbled upon Cakes by Karena and was immediately blown away by how beautiful her creations were! I messaged her and she responded back the very same day, and we were able to come up with something for my uncle. It was very well decorated and my uncle was blown away by how cute it was Karena is also very polite and i will definitely be contacting her in the future for any other custom cakes I may need. You definitely won't be disappointed by her

    Birthday girl with the birthday cake :)
    Jenny L.

    I requested a custom cake from Karena for my co-worker's birthday. I ordered a Kakao Baby Apeach cake with macaroons with a balloon. Throughout the messaging process with Karena, she was very responsive. She was never once frustrated even with the many changes I had for the custom cake. There's time to time that she doesn't respond as quick but it's understandable since she has so many requests. You just need to re-message her and she'll reply back to you right away. As for how the process went, I messaged her at least 1 month earlier to get an estimation of how much the custom cake would be. She usually takes requests 2 weeks in advance. It is best to text message her rather than to call her. I re-contacted her when it came closer to the date that I needed the cake. I confirmed my changes with her as well as letting her know the size of the cake and the flavors. I went with the 6" cake and vanilla with organic fresh fruits fillings. She then confirms the pick up date and time with me. I wasn't sure with when I exactly needed the cake but Karena was patient with me and waited until I figured it out. On the day of the pickup, I messaged her to get an update on the pickup. She sent me pictures of the cake and made sure it's how I wanted to come out. It came out really cute and better than I expected when when I arrived to pick up the cake. It was packaged in a clear box, she included 2 candles and 2 extra macaroons. Before the pickup,I was running many errands so by the time that I had to pick up the cake, it was pretty sunny and hot. The cake did melt a bit under the heat and became a bit slanted and 2 macaroons fell off but that was easily fixed only cause my Uber driver drove carelessly that day. Regardless of the those 2 things, the cake was still wonderful. My co-worker and everyone else enjoyed the cake. The cake wasn't overly sweet, it had a simple and subtle sweetness which was really nice since most cakes can be very sweet. I appreciate Karena's hard work on the cake, she puts a lot of effort in customizing the cake. She is willing to accommodate any changes or requests. She is very kind, diligent and has great customer service. I would definitely request for more custom cakes from Karena :) Just realized how long this review was lmao

    Customer cake 8'
    Lidia F.

    Okay first of all Karena is so nice, all I can see from the reviews she is very patient and take care customer very well. I order a month before to make sure I got the spot availability. I ordered the Star Wars design and I brought to her the cake decoration. I got chocolate cake with mixed fruits inside and it comes with strawberries, mango and some blueberries . It taste good and not to sweet which is plus point. Overall I'm happy with the cake. She also give me free 2 pieces macaroons to try.

    Love how it looks!
    Andi Y.

    I ordered a cake for my best friend's baby Gender Reveal Party last week with Karena. I sent some pictures of ideas and let her know how I want the cake to look like. Karena gave me useful and great suggestions and the cake turned out to be a piece of amazing artwork! The cake inside is pink (since it's a baby girl) and she made it with organic strawberries that are fresh and sweet. The cake is super delicious and not too sweet. Karena is really thoughtful! Since the cake is for gender reveal party, she wrapped it with both pink and Tiffany blue ribbon so we can't tell the gender until the cake is cut. My friends and I really had a great time and we all enjoyed the cake! Thank you so much Karena and I will definitely come back for cakes in the future!

    Connie L.

    Karena made the perfect baby shark cake for my daughters 1st bday! The cake was center of attention at the party. It made the dessert table look good. She was quick to respond, very accommodating to my requests, and did a really great job with every little detail I wanted for the cake. She designed it exactly how I visioned it. The cake was so cute I can't get over it! The best part is the cake was affordable. I would most definitely order all my future cakes from Karena. She is so friendly and easy to work with. Look at how cute the cake was! The baby shark was chocolate too! Yum.

    Elsa cake
    H C.

    Truly the best birthday cake I have ever had. I ordered a customized Elsa cake and bunch of cat themed cup cakes for my daughter's birthday and when the cakes were brought out, it was a big "wow" moment. They are just so delicate and there are lots of nice details. The taste was so good that everyone in the party finished the cake. They were super fresh and smooth with the right amount of sweetness. It's like those high tea cake quality. Communication was a breeze through text message and the packaging and pick up process are perfect. I guess I will order cakes from Karena for all my future events.

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    Ask the Community - Cakes by Karena

    Hi, would like to have my daughter birthday cake June 25? Thank you.

    Hi,when are you going to reopen again?I missed your cake❤️

    Thank you very much for your support! My business is temporary closed, I’ll update on Yelp once I reopen my business. Look forward to hearing from you again in the future. :)

    Hi Karena. What number should I text you at? I have not received a response yet, so I just wanted to double check. Thanks much and look forward to hearing from you.

    Hi thank you very much for your msg! My number is (626) 888-0284, could you help to text me again? You’re welcome to text me anytime in your convenient. Thank you very much!

    Do you make a heart shape cakes?

    Yes I do heart shape cake

    Can you make a vegan cake?

    Yes I do vegan style cakes:) Thank you very much for your question.

    Do you make letter cakes?

    I don’t do letter cakes but I do have letter cupcakes! Pls feel free to contact me anytime if you are interested in it. Thank you very much!

    Can you make a gluten-free cake? If so, what flour will you be using? Can you make the whole cake natural (including the icing and decorations), meaning you can't use artificial food coloring (like FD&C Blue #1)?

    Thank you very much for your questions. I’ll be using gluten-free all purpose baking flour for gluten free cakes, and use all natural food coloring from real food such as… 

    How long does it take the business owner to reply if I contact her by text or yelp message?

    Thank you very much for your questions. I usually reply the msgs within 3hrs, or if you don’t receive my response within 24hrs, pls try to contact me again in case I miss your msg.

    How long do you need to be able to make a cake?

    I usually take orders 1 week in advance if you would you like pick up the cake during weekdays or 2-3weeks in advance if you need to pick up during weekends. For rush orders, welcome to text me in advance to confirm the availability. Thank you very… 

    View All 14 Questions

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    I found Fortune Bakery while searching Yelp for sugar free desserts, and I was pleasantly surprised…read moreby the variety they offer. They have sugar free muffins, cookies, and cakes. The cakes must be preordered, and the smallest one looks to be around 8 inches. I'm definitely planning to order the sugar free strawberry shortcake one day. During my visit, I tried the walnut muffin, strawberry muffin, walnut and raspberry cookies. I really enjoyed the muffins. They weren't overly sweet and were very moist. At $3 each, I thought they were reasonably priced, especially for sugar free baked goods. The walnut cookies were just okay for me. I wasn't a fan of the texture and was expecting them to be a little chewier. I liked the raspberry cookies though. It was delicious and I couldn't tell they were sugar free. The customer service was good. I stopped by close to closing time, and the woman helping me was still friendly and pleasant. I'm so glad I found this diabetic friendly bakery.

    My husband and I cannot recommend Fortune Bakery enough! We wanted a simple, "not-too-sweet"…read morewedding cake (iykyk) for our April reception, preferably one that harkened back to my childhood growing up in the SGV. The classic, nostalgic look of Fortune Bakery's cakes (the old-school red gelee for lettering, the soft whipped piping all around) absolutely fit the bill and we placed our order about 2 weeks prior to our wedding reception. The timing initially made me nervous, but fear not-they're on top of things and your cake will be ready as promised! The folks at Fortune Bakery were so friendly and accommodating. Joe was totally game to take on my design requests (orange and white roses with vines; Chinese character for double happiness) and even offered to open up the bakery early on Saturday morning so we could pick up the cake and deliver it to our venue nearby in Pasadena (note: you must arrange for your own cake pickup). We ordered a vanilla with strawberry sheet cake for our guests (fed 75 guests with plenty leftover) and a single layer 7"inch vanilla with mango cake for us to display/cut. The cake was as delicious as expected and a huge hit with our guests. I was more than happy to eat leftover cake for breakfast for a week and look forward to celebrating our wedding anniversary with a vanilla mango cake for many years to come. Support these amazing local legacy shops!

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    Sunny Bakery

    Sunny Bakery

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    I cannot begin to express how pleased I am with my experience here…read more I have called around to numerous bakeries and this was the only one that was within our budget! I think it's ridiculous other stores are charging $125+ for a 6 inch gender reveal cake (no decorations/ no writing). Is it because it's a gender reveal cake with either pink or blue frosting so they have to hike up the ridiculous prices?! Look no further everyone!! Get all your baked goods and beautifully made cakes here! Other places also want a week's notice before pick up. This spot is only 1 day!! I spoke to the owner over the phone and gave him the details of what my vision was for the cake. He made my vision come true, but even better than I thought it would be! And because you order the cake one day ahead, you can taste how moist and fresh the cake actually is! Versus if you were to order a week in advance anywhere else, the cake would be dry and brittle!! I cannot stress enough how happy I am with my experience here. From my inquiry over the phone up until pick up. I am very very pleased and will continue to come to this establishment. They truly deserve all the praise. THANK YOU for an amazing experience that my hubby and I will never forget!

    Sunny is an old school Chinese bakery so you can't really compare it to the newer crop of bakeries,…read moreespeciallly the very new ones in Pasadena that are more fusion. They have many of the staple breads here but they're probably best for custom cakes (sheet, round, tiered). Pay cash and maybe you'll save on taxes???

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    New interior space
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    Sunny Bakery
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    Takes The Cake

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    We couldn't be happier with the beautiful cake from Takes the Cake Pasadena for Naomi's 80th…read morebirthday! After contacting several bakeries, they were the only one confident enough to recreate our cake design--with incredible attention to detail and without relying on stencils for the bottom tier. They truly brought our vision to life. The cake was absolutely gorgeous and became one of the highlights of the celebration. It wasn't just beautiful--it tasted amazing too! The White Cake with Strawberry Mousse and Lemon Cake with Raspberry Mousse were both huge hits with our guests. The cake was incredibly moist, soft, and perfectly fluffy without being overly airy. Best of all, it was not overly sweet, allowing the delicious flavors to really shine. They also delivered the cake on time, making the entire experience stress-free. Our guests couldn't stop talking about how beautiful and delicious the cake was. Thank you, Takes the Cake Pasadena, for helping make Naomi's 80th birthday so special. We will definitely be ordering from you again! Thank you MS Lynn!

    I ordered a cake a few weeks for my gender reveal. I got a quick, same day response via email with…read morea quote. I sent pictures of inspiration and my friend then connected with Lynn and Shari to update the gender once results were in. They were even accommodating to have it earlier than 2 weeks. The website feels a little outdated but all the information is accessible and also helpful to see pictures of previous projects. I used google images for inspo pictures and they executed 10/10. So happy with the results. Not to mention.... The cake was delicious. A great bakery with great service!!!

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    CC Cake

    CC Cake

    4.5
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    Free parking
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    I absolutely love this place! After one of my friends introduced me to CC Cake, I pretty much only…read moreget my cakes from here now. Everything I've tried has been so good, but the salted Oreo is definitely my favorite. The cakes have the perfect level of sweetness without being overwhelming. Everyone in my family literally fights over who gets a piece whenever I bring one home. It gets pretty serious. The store itself is also super cute, and I love that you can customize your cakes, which makes it really nice for birthdays or special occasions. The owner is great as well. There was a slight hiccup with one of my orders, and she handled it perfectly. She was super accommodating and even offered to personally deliver the cake to my house, which I really appreciated. At this point, I don't even need a special event as an excuse to order from here. Sometimes I'll just buy a whole 8 inch cake for myself because I'm craving it. Definitely one of my favorite dessert places!

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    D’ange Bakery

    D’ange Bakery

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    D'ange Bakery is an Asian bakery located on the corner of Mission x Main St. (that turns into Las…read moreTunas). There's a small parking lot in the back, but spaces can be hard to find and I ended up having to park on the street the first time I went. (FYI - they are going to open a Goomo tea shop on the corner in the same space!) D'ange has so many fun flavors of buns. I really liked the taro with mochi one. The only thing about the buns is that the fillings tend to be only on one side of the bun, so there are been times as I'm biting into the bun, I'm not getting any filling until the last couple bites. They even sell cookies and all different flavors of toast that would make some yummy brick toast desserts! And if you need a whole cake, they have them in the case ready to go too! The buns I got were great, as were the Portuguese egg tarts. They even sold Chinese tamales at my last visit, so I picked one up too. I don't know many places that sell these, and I used to eat them all the time when my grandma made them years ago, but now that no one in my family knows how to make them, it's a special treat if I can find it. They have ones with meat (with or without peanuts), and some with just the mung bean. They must be really know for this because 2 other parties ahead of me were buying tons of the tamales!

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