How to Make Celebration Cakes Shine

Cakes are often so much more than dessert. They mark milestones, give you a moment to gather around and anchor a memory. At Flavourfull, we also know that celebration cakes should be about joy - ideally for the baker too, not just the recipient.

Here’s how to make any celebration cake shine, no matter your kitchen style.

Start with flavour. Valrhona cocoa powder or Callebaut chocolate give amazing rich flavour to chocolate cakes, or if leaning towards vanilla instead,  Little Pod Vanilla Paste brings complexity and depth to sponge or buttercream. Thursday Cottage lemon or ginger curds and Kitten & the Bear jams make excellent fillings, especially alongside dark chocolate or spice-forward cakes. And speaking of spice–freshly ground Cloud Forest Cardamom or high-quality Royal Cinnamon can make even the simplest recipe shine.

On busy days, a quality mix can be the difference between good intentions and an actual cake. Glazed Cake Co.’s mixes are a staff favourite: like the best homemade cake with consistent results, and no measuring required. 

Once the cake is baked, it’s time to dress it up. Freeze-dried fruit powders and Bitarome extracts and oils add excellent flavours to icings. Sweetopolita sprinkles offer joyful colour and crunch, while Belgian crispearls add polish to simple finishes. Meri Meri candles—available in a variety of colours and pack sizes—add a final stylish note. These aren't throwaway candles: they’re so well-made, many people reuse them again and again. Super skinny versions are especially lovely on pavlovas and delicate cakes.

For those celebrating from afar, the Celebration Cake Kit brings it all together. It includes a Glazed Cake Co. mix, a sprinkle blend, and a set of Meri Meri candles—carefully packed and shipped across Canada. It’s a thoughtful way to send joy, even when you can’t be there in person.

Cake has always had a way of gathering people. However you’re marking the moment, the right ingredients make it easier to turn good intentions into something delicious.