Cafe Pastel
Cafe Pastel by Pastel Bakes is a halal cafe that makes custom cakes on Dundas West.
Run by a husband and wife team, the business began as a virtual bakery before it set up a brick-and-mortar location operated by an immigrant women-led team.
The homemade treats integrate flavours from the staff's background resulting in options like sea salt chocolate (can be made vegan) or strawberries lime. In addition to its three-layered decorated cakes, they also make cookies and cake jars.
The latter, with options like red velvet and white chocolate or caramel peanut butter, are verrines packed full of chunks of cake mingling with cream, gooey sauce and finished with garnishes from fruit to sprinkles.
Tiana Atapattu
