Proud to Present: a delicious brand for Chicago cake company, Sunny Bakes

image by Regan Baroni

Sunny Bakes is a brilliant new cake company based in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by Natalie Perera, Sunny Bakes specialises in the most gorgeous carrot cakes. Carrot cake is one of life’s most simple pleasures – wholesome, hearty and nostalgic, it’s a comforting cake which appeals to all of the senses with a variety of rich textures and flavours. Natalie’s recipes all possess depth; an extra hint of something to provide an unexpected richness and spice.

From the moment Natalie first donned an apron to bake a soufflé for her dad at the age of twelve, baking had her hooked. Finding immense fulfilment in the delight of others, she loved the feeling of creating something that evoked such pleasure in those around her – and before long Natalie was crafting her own recipes. Notebooks full of scribbled ideas spent a decade sitting quietly whilst she built your career in marketing, but her soul kept calling her to back to the kitchen.

Image by Regan Baroni

This is a business rooted in care. It’s thoughtful and nurturing, from the sentiments the business is founded upon to the intentional decision to support local producers, to the creation of a product which evokes feelings of comfort. Care and connection is the soul of this brand, inspiring people to savour the every day by taking a moment to pause with a cup of tea and a slice of cake, spending a few minutes connecting with a friend or loved one before the day continues to rush on. People are at the heart of this brand – people connecting with each other, immersing within simple delights and sharing stories.

Sunny Bakes’ great focus is on making the every day worth celebrating, because there is no good reason why cake should only be enjoyed on special occasions! With each home-made cake baked with the freshest possible local ingredients, their miniature size is just perfect for sharing between two or three people – ideal for a little pick-me-up, a treat to be enjoyed over a cup of tea with friends, or perhaps with a glass of wine at the end of the day. In the fast-paced and utterly relentless world we live in, cake by Sunny Bakes provides a welcome moment of pause – a chance to stop and savour in a really simple way.

This brand is just gorgeous - heaped with richness, warmth and just a little bit of quirkiness, it’s distinctive in all the right ways. Natalie commissioned the brilliant Regan Baroni to create her brand photography, and she did an incredible job of creating just the right mood. This photography has truly elevated the brand, and comes together so beautifully with the illustrated elements that Dan produced for a one of a kind brand that oozes personality.

I’m so excited to see how this brand unfolds as Natalie launches it! My only regret with being so far away is that I’ll not be able to sample her incredible cakes personally. Unless…. business trip?!