Celebrate National Cake Day

National Cake Day, celebrated on November 26, is all about honoring one of the most cherished desserts - cake. This day invites everyone to either bake, purchase, or simply savor their favorite cake, from timeless classics like chocolate and vanilla to creative options such as red velvet and carrot.

Cake has been a part of human celebrations for centuries, originally starting as a sweetened bread made with honey and nuts. Over time, it evolved into the light, fluffy dessert we now enjoy.

This special day acknowledges the role of cake in marking milestones, from birthdays to weddings, and is a great opportunity to enjoy a delicious slice with loved ones.

Photo Credit: nytimes.com

Of course, you could spend hours in the kitchen mixing batter and frosting, but National Cake Day is the perfect excuse to let the professionals handle the hard work. Why not treat yourself to a slice crafted by the best in the business? Here are the top places where you can celebrate the occasion with a fork in hand and zero cleanup required.

Lady M Cake Boutique combines French pastry techniques with Japanese precision and minimalism. You won’t find heavy buttercream roses or excess sugar here. The establishment specializes in multi-layered crêpe cakes, all handmade and requiring meticulous craftsmanship.

Menu Highlights:

Signature Mille Crêpes - over 20 ultra-thin crêpes layered with light pastry cream, topped with a caramelized crust.

Green Tea Mille Crêpes - the signature crêpe cake infused with premium-grade matcha.

Checkers - a sponge cake where vanilla and chocolate squares are arranged like a checkerboard, covered in dark chocolate ganache.

Strawberry Shortcake - an exceptionally light sponge with fresh cream and fresh strawberries (a Japanese classic).

Gâteau Nuage - a “cloud” cheesecake: cinnamon crust, airy cheese filling, and a layer of sweetened sour cream on top.

Drinks: Matcha latte (iced/hot), Japanese teas (Sencha, Hojicha), coffee, sparkling wine.

SusieCakes is a classic American bakery that positions itself as "all-American." They don’t use baking mixes or artificial preservatives, only basic ingredients: butter, flour, sugar, eggs. The place looks like a nostalgic 1950s kitchen, and the flavor of the cakes resembles homemade baking, only perfected in technique.

Menu Highlights:

Vanilla Celebration Cake – 6 layers of colorful confetti sponge filled with retro light-blue vanilla buttercream.

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake – moist chocolate layers topped with a rich, glossy chocolate frosting.

Southern Red Velvet – deep red chocolate sponge with traditional cream cheese frosting.

Tropical Coconut Cake – vanilla layers with pineapple-coconut filling, covered in shredded coconut.

Classic Marble Cake – a combination of vanilla and chocolate batter in one sponge, finished with a chocolate-vanilla glaze.

Drinks: Cold milk, chocolate milk, drip coffee, iced tea.

If you're looking for old-school comfort, Sweet Mandy B’s in Lincoln Park is exactly the place. The bakery is known for its pastel colors and huge amounts of frosting, so be sure you'll get a sweet, soft, and very filling slice of cake with a thick layer of icing!

Menu Highlights:

Yellow Cake with Chocolate Icing – a Chicago classic: yellow butter cake with thick chocolate frosting.

Confetti Cake – white sponge with rainbow sprinkles inside and out.

German Chocolate Cake – chocolate cake with a coconut, caramel, and pecan filling.

Banana Chocolate – dense banana sponge covered with chocolate frosting.

Cookies & Cream – chocolate cake with frosting mixed with Oreo cookie pieces.

Drinks: Black coffee, milk, hot chocolate, bottled sodas.

Deep Sea Sugar & Salt grew from a small market stall into a full bakery thanks to its unconventional flavor combinations. Owner Charlie Dunlevy focuses on balancing sweet and salty elements, using natural soaking syrups. The bakery is located in a historic former grocery building.

Menu Highlights:

The London Fog – Earl Grey–infused cake layers, bergamot syrup, and tea-flavored cream.

Honey Lavender – vanilla sponge soaked with honey, with a light lavender cream.

The 9LB Porter – chocolate cake made with dark porter beer and filled with salted caramel cream.

Lemon Cream – lemon layers, lemon curd, and cream cheese frosting.

Chocolate Salted Caramel – dark chocolate cake with homemade salted caramel between the layers and chocolate ganache.

Drinks: Espresso menu (local roast), loose-leaf tea, seasonal house-made lemonades.

Piece of Cake is a bakery in the Buckhead area that specializes in classic cakes. It’s a regional chain that has become a quality benchmark in the American South. The bakery follows a simple model: they make tall, moist layers, use basic frostings, and avoid elaborate decoration. The main focus is on texture and consistent quality. Cakes are sold whole or by the slice, with large portions that are easy to take to-go.

Menu Highlights:

Red Velvet Cake - the signature item: red cocoa sponge with classic white cream cheese frosting.

Caramel Cake - yellow vanilla sponge covered with boiled caramel icing (similar to soft toffee).

White Chocolate Cake - white chocolate added both to the layers and the frosting for maximum softness.

Strawberry Cake - strawberry sponge with pieces of real berries and pink frosting.

Carrot Cake - spiced carrot sponge with pecans and cinnamon.

Drinks: Sweet tea, water, classic Coca-Cola/Diet Coke.

Although New Orleans is famous for its beignets, when it comes to cake, locals go to Gambino’s Bakery. This spot has been operating since 1949. They are known for popularizing the Doberge Cake - a local adaptation of the Hungarian Dobos torte, adjusted for Louisiana’s humid climate (they use pudding instead of buttercream between the layers).

Menu Highlights:

Lemon Doberge Cake - six thin layers of sponge filled with lemon pudding (not butter!) and covered with icing.

Chocolate Doberge Cake - the same structure but with rich chocolate pudding inside.

Caramel Doberge Cake - a variation with caramel pudding and fondant.

Traditional Almond Wedding Cake - a white almond cake that locals enjoy not only at weddings.

Red Velvet - a local version of the classic, very moist and dense.

Drinks: Café au lait (coffee with chicory and milk), milk, juices.

Flour Bakery + Cafe is a legendary Boston bakery, especially renowned for its handmade cakes. The bakery was founded by Joanne Chang, a Harvard graduate and self-taught pastry chef who turned her passion for baking into a Boston culinary empire.

All cakes are made daily with high-quality natural ingredients. Flour is known for using real butter, Belgian chocolate, and seasonal produce. Cakes can be purchased by the slice or ordered whole for special occasions.

Menu Highlights:

Boston Cream Pie - vanilla sponge soaked with coffee syrup, a thick layer of custard, and chocolate ganache on top.

Midnight Chocolate Cake - very dark chocolate cake with a mousse-like cream texture.

Lemon Raspberry Cake - white layers with lemon curd and fresh raspberry filling, buttercream frosting.

Hazelnut Almond Dacquoise - meringue cake with hazelnuts and almonds, layered with coffee cream (gluten-free).

Carrot Cake - moist carrot cake with walnuts, raisins, and mascarpone frosting.

Drinks: Full coffee menu, hot chocolate, craft teas, fresh juices.

Cake Bar is exactly what it sounds like: a bar where cakes are served instead of alcohol. Owner Tracy Herman created a place where you can buy “the same cake mom used to bake,” but by the slice.

The display case is the main feature of the interior. All available cakes of the day are showcased here, and it’s the first thing visitors see. The sight of freshly baked, perfectly decorated cakes behind glass creates a sense of coziness and nostalgia for homemade baking.

Menu Highlights:

Strawberry Cake - bestseller: pink sponge with fresh strawberries and strawberry cream.

Hummingbird Cake - banana, pineapple, and pecan batter, with cream cheese frosting.

Italian Cream Cake - sponge with shredded coconut and nuts, layered with buttercream.

Key Lime Cake - key lime pie–flavored cake, sweet-tart and refreshing.

German Chocolate Cake - light chocolate sponge with classic coconut-pecan filling.

Drinks: Lemonades, iced tea, fruit sodas, water.