A selection from Oakleaf Cakes. Essdras M Suarez/ Globe Staff
Amanda Oakleaf, a Massachusetts College of Art grad, creates elaborate tiered wedding cakes and sculpted confections that have been featured on TLC’s Fabulous Cakes and Food Network’s Cake Challenge. The baker and her husband, Tyler, recently moved their custom cake operation from Winthrop to the Fenway and opened Oakleaf Cakes Bake Shop, a brightly lit bakery-cafe that seats 14. Glass cases are stocked with treats made from scratch, such as mini cheesecakes ($4.75) fanciful cupcakes ($3 to $3.50) and pop tarts filled with pumpkin or apple ($2.75). Red velvet cakes ($20 to $60) are swirled with rosettes of a light and silky Italian meringue buttercream that’s not as sugary as standard buttercream. “It’s more labor intensive to make but it’s worth it,” says Amanda Oakleaf. Coffee drinks from single-origin beans are ground to order. A homemade marshmallow adorns hot chocolate from the bakery’s mix. Oakleaf offers three-hour classes ($80) on buttercream, artistic sugar flowers, and marshmallow fondant. The perfect gift for the ambitious home baker. Oakleaf Cakes Bake Shop, 12 Westland Ave., Boston, 617-299-1504, www.oakleafcakes.com.
Dining and Cooking