The inspiration for all our desserts at Vanilla began with my mom. She had a way of surprising our family with homemade cakes and sweets all the time. It was her thoughtfulness and my sweet tooth that inspired me to start baking at an early age.
In 2007, shortly after I graduated culinary school and my husband finished law school, the doors of Vanilla Bake Shop opened. A charming neighborhood bakery with fresh, from scratch cakes and assorted sweets that were focused on high quality ingredients with timeless taste.
The name 'Vanilla Bake Shop' was concocted years ago in culinary school. While in class one day, my instructor told us that "Vanilla was the worlds most universally loved flavor." We agreed that would be the name of our bakery one day. It seemed fitting since we use real Madagascar bourbon vanilla beans in all our desserts... (and it was the only name any of our friends could remember!)
The memories from our moms' kitchens have been recreated through Vanilla in a way that is new yet familiar. We hope you will stop by and say hi, while enjoying our freshly baked desserts.
Remember to take a moment out of each day to enjoy something sweet!
-Amy & Jeremy Berman
Importance of Ingredients »
All our Cakes, Cupcakes and Assorted Sweets are made with Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans.
Why is this special you ask?
Madagascar Bourbon pure vanilla has a creamy, sweet, velvety flavor. It comes from the Bourbon Islands off the coast of Africa. That's right, it comes from the Bourbon Islands! (it's not the liquor) A common mistake that many people make.
We could choose to use a vanilla concentrate made from chemicals, to save money. But, that wouldn't taste great. Right?
We use the real thing. That's why you can see the vanilla bean seeds in the buttercream. It makes a big difference in the taste and that's what is most important to us.
We use the real thing. That's why you can see the vanilla bean seeds in the buttercream. It makes a big difference in the taste and that's what is most important to us.
Make sense?
Along with high quality Vanilla, we use;
Guittard Cocoa from San Francisco
Callebaut Chocolate from Belgium
Sweet Cream Butter from Challenge Dairy
Fresh Berries from Local Farmers
Guittard Cocoa from San Francisco
Callebaut Chocolate from Belgium
Sweet Cream Butter from Challenge Dairy
Fresh Berries from Local Farmers
Community »
All end-of-day cupcakes are donated to the "Upward Bound House" which provides housing to homeless families and low income elderly.
Vanilla Bake Shop proudly supports local schools and charitable organizations through in-kind donations and sponsorships specifically focusing donations towards children's cancer and breast cancer research and support.
Through the Sustainable Works program in Santa Monica, Vanilla Bake Shop is certified as a "Green"; environmental friendly business.