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    Penelope's Perfections

    4.7 (202 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    Ashley M.

    I can not say enough positive things about Penelope's Perfections cakes. My husband and I tried a handful of bakeries in the Costa Mesa and Newport area for our wedding. Penelope's cakes were hands down the best tasting. We had a summer wedding and chose their white cake with passion fruit filling and dark chocolate cake with espresso filling. One was light, sweet and tart the other rich and chocolatey. All of our guests talked about how that was the best wedding cake they tried. My mother-in-law recently had a very last minute court wedding. She went back and forth on the idea of having a cake or not. So 1 day prior to her deciding when she was getting married I reached out to Penelope's perfections. I knew my request could possibly be declined seeing that it was 24 hrs notice. They said no problem we got you. They were so sweet about it. So one picture is our wedding cake and the other is my mother in laws. She got a white cake with the white, milk and dark chocolate.

    Brianna M.

    Thank you so much Penny! My husband and I loved that our dream wedding cake came to a reality. Really amazing and delicious

    A look at the inside of a slice of the Tiramisu cake

    Absolutely incredible cake and knowledge in the craft of baking. My wife found Penelope's perfections online, after we had done a tasting with our wedding venue's preferred vendors/ baker and found that baker's samples way too sweet and egregious frosting to cake proportions. Upon arrival, Penelope's is not what we expected from a typical baker, where you simply walk in, select pastries behind a glass case, and walk out with some goods, but rather are appointment based, to service events such as our wedding. So I'd you're looking around Yelp for a baker, know that it's not a walk-in business as many bakeries are. That said, Penelope's not only taught us a thing or 2 about cakes, but elevated our standard and taste buds that much more! What makes Penelope's stand out far above the countless others our there is that they make their cakes without oil, but instead use a very specific type of butter. Although in doing so, the cakes do not have that glossy look we are accustomed to, and thus, more dry, they are by no means dry at all. The cakes, as result, are more dense, have more texture, and overall, far more flavorful. I can honestly say that despite the years I've spent searching for something close to the best cake I ever had from 20 years ago elsewhere, I have never had anything like what they make at Penelope's, and I would even think twice now, about what cake is my favorite between that one from 20 years ago and the 3-tier tiramisu cake we had for our wedding. We had hired Penelope's for our wedding cake, as well as our dessert bar, and what they provided for us was nothing short of extraordinary. Since we hired them for our wedding, it was expected the price to be considerably steeper than what you would pay for a party, but I would highly recommend what Penelope's offers at least once in your life and bless your palate with something special. We, on the other hand, will definitely order more from them for future occasions, with at least their mini desserts.

    White Cake w Passion Fruit Curd & Passion Fruit Bavarian Creme + Chocolate Truffle Cake w Salted Caramel & Rich Chocolate Ganache Filling

    Ordering our wedding cake from Penelope's Perfections was an amazing decision! If you're considering a bakery in the area schedule a tasting so you can taste their all butter cakes. Their cakes are really good and light. The team is professional, patient, and you can even taste all their flavors if you want to for a small fee per tasting. They have so many options- we totally did just that and it was awesome. Communication is amazing and making payments for the cake tastings and wedding cake was really easy via email. The shop is super cute, delivery was smooth sailing, and it's in a pretty cool area if you wanna grab a beer or a coffee nearby to discuss what you just tasted. I'll be ordering my anniversary cakes from here year after year.

    Vanilla cake with strawberry and blueberry whip cream filling
    Sandy R.

    Exquisite!!! According to my daughter in law it was the best cake she's ever had! I too thought it was an amazing. After some research and calling around I decided to go with Penelope's Perfections for my son's wedding cake They were able to create the style my daughter in law liked and were able to deliver it to the venue early in the morning. I set up everything thru email with the bakery, I was provided a detailed contract, and responses were always swift. It was a seamless transaction, and I never worried about whether it be delivered on time or damaged.

    Cake with my fingers and mini kindle for reference
    Erin C.

    I was SO excited to get this DoorDash order because I have been searching high and low for a bakery that uses butter, not oil, for their cakes and Swiss meringue, my absolute favorite frosting! We got married at The Montage and their pastry chef KILLED it with our wedding cake (butter cake with Swiss buttercream) and I've been looking for something similar here in CA ever since. Upon opening the bag I was shocked to see just how small the slice was. Photo attached for reference. It was like half the slice was missing, not a particularly long or thick cut. Definitely not what I'm used to but hey, I'll pay for perfection. I dug in and then came my second shock, salt! Full disclosure, I'm salt sensitive, but still. This was chocolate fudge, not salted caramel. The third shock was the frosting. After trying the frosting, I can understand why another reviewer called it "slime." To be clear, it was not greasy, just a very thin, loose mouthfeel. Swiss buttercream should be thick and creamy & this was neither. I still have two cupcakes and another slice of cake but I'm not inclined to even try them at this point. Cupcakes are also smaller than your average, say Sprinkles cupcake. Packaging for the cupcakes was super cute. At this point, I think I'm going to try to bribe the Montage to make me a cake

    The team at Penelope's Perfections made the most amazing wedding cake for our fall 2024 wedding. We were drawn to Penelope's because of their use of Swiss meringue buttercream, which perfectly accented their delicious flavors and fillings without being overly sweet. We really enjoyed our informative tasting with them and loved the individual cakes we got to bring home with us. The day of our wedding the team at Penelope's Perfections was timely and delivered the cake exactly how we had discussed. Months later I am still dreaming about our delicious cake and can't wait to visit them again for events in the future!

    Hanna J.

    I ordered a 9" red velvet cake for my spooky themed birthday and the cake was absolutely delicious. We got so many compliments & Penelope's was incredibly responsive. We'd definitely order again! Heads up, they aren't joking when they say to leave the cake out HOURS. We picked it up at around 11:30am and left it out till cake cutting at 10pm. It was absolutely perfect. Their directions were very clear and they realllyy emphasize how important it is to let it sit. I'm leaving 4 stars instead of 5 because I feel like the design, as simple as it was, could've been a little more- spookier? I would've preferred the red drips to have a little more oomph. However their work is primarily weddings so understandable that spooky isn't exactly their style.

    The cake and service both were fabulous! I loved the raspberry filling inside the chocolate cake. We will be back!!

    Vanilla Buttercream Cake
    Betty R.

    Cake is delicious, a little high on the price but you can tell why. You can tell it's quality ingredients. When I read the reviews I was a bit skeptical, but soon realized that it's basically people not following directions. The staff is friendly and welcoming and they let you know SEVERAL TIMES that the cake needs to sit out for AT LEAST 4 HOURS in order to get that creamy, moist buttercream frosting and cake. I also put my leftovers in the fridge and it did exactly what the instructions said, it's stiff and the cake is crumbly. Even in that state I enjoyed the cake, but it was definitely worth waiting for it to get to room temperature and taste the difference. I also purchased a strawberry cupcake, cause I was curious, and it was also very good. Real strawberries you can see, and you can also notice the vanilla bean specks in the vanilla cake. Will totally order from here again.

    Red Velvet Buttercream Cake (9 inch)
    Heather R.

    I've never been a huge fan of cake because most have that overly processed, sickly sweet frosting. This cake is absolutely nothing like that. They use quality ingredients and it shines through in the flavor (if you have to let a cake sit out 4+ hours before serving for the butter to soften, you know it's going to be an incredible cake)! We've now had them for our wedding cake, our little anniversary cake a year later (this comes with your wedding cake and is so much better than that tradition where you freeze the top of the cake an entire year and then pretend it still tastes good...ew), and two cakes for a birthday party. All of them have been delicious and people always ask us where these amazing cakes are from. The lemon raspberry is by far my favorite, but the lemon and red velvet are also wonderful (I don't think you can go wrong with any flavor they have). I can't wait until we have another excuse to have Penelope's decadent cakes and if you have any reason to celebrate this place is 100% worth ordering from.

    Email from their response
    Jasmine F.

    **********PLEASE READ************ I will not be ordering from this place ever again. I ordered a a two tiered cake for my daughters birthday and as I was cutting the cake, there was a long piece of hair in the cake. It was very embarrassing! Family members and friends did not want to eat the cake. I felt disgusted myself also. I immediately emailed this business including the picture of the cake with the hair and they denied it! Worst service ever!! I also told them that the cake was extremely sweet like if they purposed had done this. I have included a picture of the hair and also the reply I got from the business owner. Worst customer service! Not worth $242. I will not be coming back and I do not recommend this place. See pictures attached of the hair on cake, e-mails from Roderick, and price of what I paid, $242.

    Elizabeth S.

    We hired Penelope's Perfections to make the cake for our wedding on July 20th and it was one of the best decisions we made. From Day 1, we had a great experience working with the team. Rodrick provided us with an amazing tasting experience, educating us on the different types of cakes and walking us through their baking process. One of the hardest decisions we had to make was deciding on cake flavor, as every flavor we tried was incredible. The team was also very accommodating when we made a number of changes to our order prior to the wedding day. The cake itself turned out amazing - our guests couldn't stop raving about how it was one of the only times they actually enjoyed cake at a wedding. Could not recommend Penelope's Perfections more!

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    Thank you Tristen! We appreciate you too! Merry Christmas! Roderick

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    Ask the Community - Penelope's Perfections

    Can you make a chocolate cake with dulce de leche between the layers covered in whipped cream frosting?

    Yes we can. But our exterior frosting is buttercream. Whip cream frosting does not hold up. Give us a call to discuss your needs.

    Where to get Marzipan cake for my moms birthday in Santa Ana or Costa Mesa?

    Thank you for the inquiry! Unfortunately we do not know where you can purchase a cake covered in marzipan. Most cakes are either covered in buttercream or fondant.… Read more

    I searched dairy-free bakeries and this was the top listed. How are their dairy free items?

    Hi! Thanks for your inquiry!… Read more

    View All 5 Questions

    The French Bakery - Chocolate Macaroon- delicious!!

    The French Bakery

    4.0(418 reviews)
    3.6 mi
    $$

    A French bakery hidden in a small shopping center!…read more I happened to find it while looking for a restaurant in that shopping center that is no longer there. They have a large variety of pastries and baked goods. I got a couple of danishes and a muffin for my husband. Everything was yummy. Will definitely return to try others items in the case.

    This used to be one of the better neighborhood bakeries around. For years, it had a friendly local…read morefeel, fair pricing, and the kind of welcoming atmosphere that kept people coming back regularly. Unfortunately, after the ownership change, the entire vibe of the place changed. The prices have skyrocketed -- in some cases feeling nearly triple what they used to be -- yet the products themselves really haven't improved. The cookies, pastries, and ingredients feel largely the same as before, except now everything is priced like a luxury boutique bakery. What's most disappointing is that the warmth and neighborhood feel are gone. It used to feel personal and community-oriented. Now the service often feels cold, transactional, and inconsistent. I understand businesses have rising costs, and I don't mind paying premium prices when the experience and quality justify it. But here, it feels like the pricing changed far more than the actual product or customer experience did. It's unfortunate because this genuinely used to be a staple local bakery that many people loved supporting. Unfortunately the new owners killed it.

    Photos
    The French Bakery - Too Good To Go

    Too Good To Go

    The French Bakery - Butter Cupcake

    Butter Cupcake

    The French Bakery

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    Maegs Bakes Cakes

    Maegs Bakes Cakes

    5.0(11 reviews)
    1.2 mi

    Maegan was seriously one of the best vendors we booked for our wedding. We had a few of her…read moredesserts at a friend's birthday party and we needed a simple cake so we figured we'd try her out for our wedding. She was really easy to work with and accommodating! She even suggested a few ideas since I'm not super creative. She also worked around our super obnoxious football wedding topper and it still looked great! She was very professional and on the day of, she took care of everything flawlessly with my coordinator. We mainly intended on having pies because my husband doesn't really even like cake but this cake was different. Honestly probably the best cake we've ever had and it we couldn't even bring ourselves to freeze it. We fought over who got to eat what was left of it. I would highly recommend Maegan if you need desserts! This was the one food item at our wedding that our guests still talk about because it was so delicious. We will probably have to order another one for each anniversary.

    Maegan's enthusiasm, kind heart, and happy energy is contagious!…read moreAnd her baking is amazing too. I've ordered a cake for my mother-in-law's birthday. Red velvet with lemon frosting. So tasty! And egg free so my husband could eat it too. Everyone loved it to pieces and wouldn't stop commenting on how gorgeous it was. That signature swirl frosting is divine. We donated the leftovers to the kitchen staff at the restaurant and it was funny to see them all in the back room chowing down with delight as we left! We also had cupcakes done for the baby shower, and they too were fantastic. Somehow Maegan was able to magically come up with the right flavors to suit my pregnancy cravings without even knowing. Mmm peanut butter! So happy that Maegs Bakes Cakes is sticking around. Don't hesitate to give her a call. You won't regret it!

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    Maegs Bakes Cakes
    Maegs Bakes Cakes
    Maegs Bakes Cakes

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    Paderia Bakehouse - Ensaymada (with Aged White Cheddar). Soft brioche bread rolled like a cinnamon roll with butter, sugar, and aged white cheddar on top.

    Paderia Bakehouse

    4.4(1.1k reviews)
    1.9 mi
    $$

    Located in a plaza just a block from the 405 and John Wayne Airport, I made a special trip to this…read moreplace after a friend treated me to some cookies she got at their Santa Monica location. This location is much closer to home, so I visited one afternoon when craving their cookies. The interior is modern, classy-bougie, with 4 tables and a large cushy chair. I ordered two cookies, the chocolate chip walnut and peanut butter chocolate, along with an iced horchata latte. I sat at one of the tables, opened the box my cookies were presented in, and found myself in cookie ecstasy. The cookies are fat mountains of deliciousness. Slightly crisp outside and soft inside (note: even softer if taken home and warmed up). The chocolate chip was crammed full of chips and the walnuts were in tiny bits to keep the cookie's texture soft. The chocolate cookie was also enormous and had an abundance of peanut butter chips. Both were superb. The horchata latte had just enough ice to keep it cold. It had a bold flavor of cinnamon which I loved. Staff here were friendly, efficient, and speedy. I like the vibe of this place but like their cookies even more.

    Food: - Vietnames coffee: strong! and on the sweeter side…read more- Ube coffee: decent balance of ube and coffee flavors - Peanut butter cookie: large and packed with peanut butter chips; pricier than other large cookie stores Parking/ambiance: - Located in a strip mall, plenty of parking - Helpful employees

    Photos
    Paderia Bakehouse - Portuguese Egg Tarts.

    Portuguese Egg Tarts.

    Paderia Bakehouse - Portuguese tarts and Mexican hot chocolate cookie.

    Portuguese tarts and Mexican hot chocolate cookie.

    Paderia Bakehouse - Ube egg tart

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    Ube egg tart

    Penelope's Perfections - bakeries - Updated May 2026

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