The San Francisco Bay water is a mix of fresh and salty. The world bodies of waters is a reflection of human personalities and different waves of emotions which can turnout salty in SF like the Pacific Ocean . Some can get very salty like the Strait of Hormuz. The personalities and attitudes of people can translate into the food we eat around the city of San Francisco. There are some sweet dishes and also some too salty dishes. Flavors of food can be too sweet and some soups can be too salty which make some dishes an acquired taste. The balance of sweet and sour can be found in many dishes at restaurants and shops around San Francisco. You can find sweet and sour dishes like Bún Cá , Stinky Tofu , Pad Thai , Pork Adobo, Teriyaki chicken, Sweet and Sour chicken, Ceviche and some American BBQ. There is a place which sells lots of sweets and also some salty breads in SOMA on 680 Mission street and it's called Whole Cakes. On a SOMA stroll I landed on 680 Mission street to the newest location of Whole Cakes. Inside there are lots of bake goods from organic cakes to breads that are flakey and salty like some in SF on an early Monday morning.There is lots of either sweet or sour treats and some have both salty and sweet. You will find sourdough salt bread along with the organic strawberry vanilla cake with strawberries on top. They also have citrus yogurt cheese cake along with the classic opera cake . They also got more balanced items like the brioche breakfast sandwich and the mixed berry scone. I got the sourdough salty bread and it was tasty . It tasted like a bagel with a flakey croissant texture and it reminded me of some of the Korean salty breads I had in SF. I will be back to try their shortbread and double baked matcha green black sesame for Don Juan de la Matcha. Before going inside a Whole Foods in SOMA for your next cake reconsider and walk a few blocks to Whole Cakes. Go to an Asian style "bakery" it's also "makery" of cakes also known as a "cakery"where they sell bake goods which are sweet and "savory" In the SOMA in the city of "San Francisco" on the come up and watching it "grow "and on rise again like "sourdough" at a new location on 680 Mission street which has the last name Cakes and first name is "Whole" read more

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4.5 stars! The new stop for salt bread in the city! This bakery opened a new location that features a variety of baked goods including their version of sourdough salt bread. The flavors are pretty light and not too sweet with buttery bites in between. The texture was that nice mix of soft yet crispy. I only wish the middle had a bit more filling of something. Can't wait to see what flavors they come up with the future though. The store is pretty tiny and more of a pick/to go place but they are super close to Yerba Buena so you can take your goodies there to enjoy. Service was nice and straightforward. read more

Whole Cakes - Outside - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

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12.12.2024. Earl Grey cake. Strawberry Vanilla Cake. Earl Grey cake was okay if a bit one note. The earl grey flavor was subtle with a lightly sweetened frosting. It was good but not standout. I think the flavor would've been upgraded if there was like a citrusy jam or something to punch it up. The strawberry cake was also good too but I felt like the sponge was a tad dry. Just a teeny bit. The lightly whipped cream is good for those who prefer cakes not so sweet. OVerall, cake is good, more similar to asian style cakes with fluffy sponges than dense American style cakes. Nothing really stood out to me but as always, I'm willing to give it another try. I saw kakigori on the menu which I'd be interested in trying. read more

Not what I expected, was really excited to try their cake but fell short of expectation. Got their 4" double chocolate cake for my husbands birthday and it was A LOT of cream... 1/2" of cream at top 1/2" of chocolate cake 1 1/2" of cream 1/2" of chocolate cake The cake is very pretty tho... might give one more flavor a try. read more

Whole Cakes - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

Love this place. Great place to get coffee, cookies and slices of cake during work hours.

I absolutely adore this place. Their cakes are organic, not too sweet, and definitely fresh and airy. Did i mention it was a small business owner too?This is 200% my go-to spot. Every cake I've got from here has been delish. The most recent one being the Triple Citrus Cake which was to-die for. Honestly, I get these cakes for birthdays but really should just come to get a cake just because lol. Everyone come here to buy your cakes! Oh, but come early because sometimes they sell out. read more

A big no. Do yourself a favor and order cake from other places. If you like Asian style cakes, please turn to commercial bakery like Paris baguette. The cake we ordered was like a soaking wet sponge that has no flavor. Gotta say that San Francisco food/restaurant industry is so far behind compared to LA/NY. You guys take any food and say yummy, like British won't even touch those foods during WW2. read more

Got the Meyer Lemon Raspberry with Lavender Cake for my bestie's bday. No way to test these cakes beforehand, but when the cake is advertised as having "lavender flavor" I would expect to taste it...even if there was a hint. Also tasted a cheesy taste to the frosting for some reason. read more

Love their cakes, banana bread, whole wheat chocolate chip cookie, & shortbread cookies. But the first time trying their dark chocolate almond macaron was a big disappointment. It was very dry and hard to eat like it had sat out for days and became stale. There were barely any chocolate filling. read more

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My boss's favorite cake spot! We get Whole Cakes for the office more often than we should but we love the black sesame too much. I hope their FiDi location stays open because it would be sorely missed by my firm if it ever went. read more

I don't think this is the kind of cake everyone will like. I recently got the 4 inch earl grey cake as we were celebrating in a tiny group and I personally found the cake to have too much cream. The flavors were very mild which could be a like/dislike depending on preference. The cake also looked quite bland and I had to decorate it with a bunch of things to make it look good. read more

Gosh third time writing this. Not surecwhat happened to the 2nd version of review. Was obsessed with finding mille. Saw pictures on yelp, had different flavors. Went their only one flavor per day. Not sure what it was, couldn't read the label. Very fragrant and fresh. Happy Doctor's day! Got a slice for my two favorite doctors. Strange packaging. Just a half paper bag. Not very protective. Was asked for extra charge for single box. Too cheap. But was offered a bigger box and bag. Nope. Got pastry puff ($7) with tiny fluffy egg and tiny bacon. It was good but had to splurge. Did you know this review is unlike the previous 2. First one was more wittier. Got a cookie , i think oat chocolate chip, very thin. Total damage $27. read more

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A cute little cake shop next to a parking garage. The Whole Cakes name must refer to the fact that there are very few slices for sale. A little troubling for the casual afternoon snacker, but what I was fortunate enough sample was quite tasty. Double Chocolate Cake: Not sure where the "double" comes from. There's fluffy chocolate cake, whipped cream and some raspberries and strawberries. Compared to those buttercream frosting cake places, this felt very light. Guess it's perfect for when you want something sweet, but not too heavy. Though when you do want something indulgently heavy, you'll feel a little disappointed for $6. Crepe Layered Cake w/ Mixed Berry: Now this is the cake slice you need to get, if it is available. Why settle for one measly crepe when you have tons stacked on top of each other with only a thin layer of whipped cream and berry bits between. Each forkful separates off a host of little crepe bits for a texture experience unlike anything you've had before. Seriously better than the traditional cakey cakes here. Signature Green Tea Cake w/ Mango: I can see why this is their signature, it's unique and delicious. The cake is heavily infused with matcha, giving it a nice roasted umami flair. The mango floating in the whipped cream layers add an indulgently sweet contrast. No buttercream frosting regret because this flavor combo is never found at buttercream-centric cake shops. read more

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The perfect place to get a cake if you're looking for something super light (both in weight and in flavor / sugar-taste). I was very impressed with Whole Cake's menu prior to visiting the store; unfortunately, the selection wasn't too big by the time I showed up (mid-afternoon). The cakes looked really beautiful, and the whole in the center is sure a common theme/style amongst the cakes here. Not sure if I should feel "ripped off" that I'm "missing" part of a cake if it's advertised by diameter, but they are so darn beautiful. The designs on the top of the cakes are so subtle and look so nice. Definitely picture-worthy. Very "wedding cake"-like. The service I received wasn't bad. It was my first visit, so of course I had questions, considering there weren't descriptions of what the cakes were. The apple caramel cake was a seasonal one (I think) so I decided to give that one a try since it seemed a bit unique based on the availability of cakes then. I do love fresh apple in my cakes. I'm not really a fan of caramel, but the person mentioned that the caramel is just a thin layer of caramel and it was mostly apple. It wasn't really caramel-y at all. Good for me, bummer for the husband since he loves caramel. Oh well. The one we received was mostly the super light whipped cream - more cream than actual cake. I didn't even get that thin layer of caramel, and the apple in there blended in with the cake, which tasted like a super mild spice cake. The decor was beautiful, but for $55 for an "8 inch" cake, meh. The "worth it" factor wasn't quite there for me. I am super curious of their chai, black sesame, and crepe cakes, so maybe next time... but the apple caramel one I wouldn't get again. My parents thought it was ok, and we offered to give a slice to some relatives to take home since it wasn't a cake that we'd really want the next day, and they didn't even take it home. We ended up finishing it anyways so that it doesn't go to waste. read more

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So simple, so tasty, so light, so NOT overly sweet (but so expensive). 6" cake costs either $33 or $38. Hopefully you can use your corporate card to buy your coworker/boss a birthday cake from here. Call ahead because cakes do run out. I recommend the walnut pecan and matcha cake. The sesame one sounds good too, hope I'll get to try it soon. read more

Whole Cakes - Walnut pecan - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

I stumbled upon this place looking to sit down and have some coffee and a quick bite to satisfy my sweet craving. [The cafe/Service] This quaint little place caught my eye immediately. Has a very asian-esque feel to it and lots of gluten free options as well. The cakes looked beautiful in the display window and immediately I could tell that this was the type of place that gets large cake orders. Service was friendly. [The cake] I didn't feel that the cake was amazing especially given the price. 6.00 for one slice of strawberry vanilla cake...The slices were on the smaller side as well. The whipped cream was very tasty but the cake seemed kind of dry. I also got a hand drip coffee for about 5 dollars and this coffee was superb! It had a nice roasted flavor and the taste was bold. I really enjoyed this coffee, probably 3 times more than I enjoyed the cake. Overall, the coffee was on point, but for the price and quality of the cake, I think I would pass. read more

Whole Cakes - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

Whole Cakes is probably the reason I gained 3 pounds during my summer internship (kidding! not really!) but it's really that good. Their location in SoMa (honestly, almost on Market Street) is very convenient and their online ordering system is great. I've eaten a few different kinds of cake here over the past few months, and the mocha coffee is pretty great. I ordered a 6" cake as an end-of-summer celebration and should have opted for a larger option, since I wanted to feed 12-15 people, which was on me! The price was reasonable for great cake from a bakery in FiDi at $36. I placed my order online a week in advance and paid, and picking it up day of was no hassle! Employees were very helpful and retied the box so I could hold it properly and even included cake knives and small plates. Their cakes are very soft and not too sweet, which I like. Their black sesame cake is stellar, and I highly recommend it if you're looking for a non-traditional cake flavor. Otherwise, mocha is a great option as well. read more

Whole Cakes - Mocha cake 6" - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

I love their organic cakes. Very tasty and not heavy. I tried also the eggless cake and my friends liked it.

This is the place to get the cake you are looking for. I ordered three cakes for my birthday party, one of which was gluten free. They were all decadent in a heavenly and light way. My guests devoured them. It's clear to see and taste the love put into these cakes. The flavors are creative and scrumptious and there is harmony between the layers and cream. They checked all of the boxes for me and the service was helpful and kind. read more

We ordered a birthday cake for a colleague from here, an 8" "Zesty Real Early Gray" cake and it was exceptionally good. Excellent texture, perfectly finished icing and the perfect size for our whole team. I went back a few days later and ordered a matcha latte (having seen it advertised there the first time) and that was so-so. But that teaches me a lesson for ordering a latte from a cake shop. It's a dangerous place to visit first thing in the morning - they have trays of freshly baked muffins and cupcakes cooling by the window that are hard to resist. Anyway, 5* for the cake, 3* for the drink. read more

Whole Cakes - Zesty Real Earl Grey cake. - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Service sucks! I work 2 minutes away from here and I thought it'd be nice to pick up some treats from this cute little store. I got a whole carrot apple, a slice of earl grey, and a slice of strawberry cake. All of them tasted okay but lacked a bit of flavoring. For 6 dollars a slice, I expected something dang tasty but this place definitely failed. My main concern is the service. I don't understand how an establishment can be so rude. They were almost unhappy to answer my questions about cakes that were still available. Even if I work 2 minutes away, I will not be returning. I'd rather walk to cafe Madeline for better cakes and better service. read more

Whole Cakes - Carrot apple cake - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

Really enjoyed this Citrus Cake, unlike all the other cakes out there where the baker wants to give everyone diabetes by being super generous on sugar. This is a really refreshing cake, it's light and fluffy, just like sitting on a cloud drinking lemonade made with oranges in summer. read more

Whole Cakes - Citrus cake - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

Delightful bakery filled with delightful treats! My colleagues and I came in after a team lunch one afternoon and salivated over all of the beautiful baked options. They have large cakes, small cakes, and slices in a variety of flavors to choose from. It was tough to decide but ultimately we all realized that we each really only wanted a few bites of something sweet so we decided to get one small cake (vs. individual slices) and dig into it together. We settled on the strawberry cake piped with a light whipped cream based frosting. The cake was perfect for what we had in mind. Not too heavy, perfectly light (only fresh berries here!). The cake was spongy and just the right amount of airy. I quite liked it. Exactly what you want in a midafternoon treat! read more

Whole Cakes - Strawberry cream cake - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

I stopped in here for the first time on my way home from the office today. I got an assortment of cookies (shortbread, thumbprint, some kind of dark chocolate chip). I had a small nibble of everything when I got home and they are all amazing. Like, really good. Thumbs up! And the customer service was great, as well. read more

Despite its name, I've yet to buy a whole cake from here. I usually come here to buy their cookies: either to treat myself to a little afternoon snack or because I want to treat a co-worker who deserved some kind of appreciation. (Their match cookies are great.) What I particularly like about this place is that you can see the staff at work. In fact, chances are high that when you come here in the afternoon, they're in the midst of decorating a cake. read more

San Francisco FiDi prices shouldn't shock me anymore. I mean, I've been working this district for almost 9 years and spending $10+ for lunch is the norm. No problem there. So, you would think shelling out $5 bucks for a thin 1" slice of chocolate cake would be easy breezy, right? WRONG! I was craving a piece of decadent chocolate cake for days and remember walking by this petite little cake shop. I walked in and was pleasantly greeted by everyone. My eyes immediately zoned into the slices of chocolate cakes and I said, 1 please. After the nice cashier packs the cake in cute packaging... She says -- That'll be $5 Me says -- Excuse me? She says -- $5 Bullets of sweat start penetrating through my pores from the mere mention of $5. I pull out a ten and hand it over. INSTANTLY, I regretted not asking for the price before telling them I wanted a slice. I was in the "too late, too bad, you outta luck" stage. With my cute little box on hand, I walked back to the office to eat it. Okay, I gotta admit, the cake was pretty good. It was moist, chocolaty, light on the cream, fresh on the raspberries BUT DAMNIT, it was only 1 freakin' inch thick!!! I've never seen a 1 inch thick cake before. The only time and I mean the ONLY time it should be 1 inch thick is when you buy the entire 10" round cake and attempt to feed 15+ people with it. That's the ONLY time!!! Otherwise, the traditional cut is triangular and that's the only way a piece of cake should be sold. The slice took 7 bites to finish, that's about $0.71 per bite. My goodness. Lesson learned... ask for the price before you bite. It'll eliminate the "OMG" moment... 5 STARS for flavors and service -1 STAR due to price and 7-bite 1" thick cake slice read more

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Got their earl grey cake for the family to try. Everyone likes it but said the cream to cake proportion is a bit off: too much cream compared to cake. Was thinking of ordering their cake for my wedding and wrote to them asking if they could make it with less cream, to which they said yes but had to say that they thought that their ratio is already appropriate and balanced and the way most people like this cake for... I mean, shouldn't it be a subjective opinion? If they care to read reviews for them on yelp, they should know that quite a few people give feedback about the amount of cream... I also asked if the cake can be done without the hole in the middle, to which they said no and said the cake is baked in the pan with a hole to make sure it is fluffy. I've had cake that is equally fluffy at other bakeries without a hole in the middle... They are a good bakery albeit with a very arrogant owner who is fixated on what she thinks is "appropriate and balanced". read more

I was so busy yesterday but I still drove over to buy the cake for my fried birthday today! Wow, the cake is so delicious and light, the cream is fresh cream with fruits, girls really love it! Except the cake was for the wrong person, and the girls there don't appreciate my effort and don't deserve so nice cake. Other than that, perfect cake! Recommend for 2-4 ppl and perfect for birthday cake! read more

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Ordered a chocolate cake from this place. It was perfect for 6 people. The taste was very light and you would definitely go for another serving. read more

Whole Cakes - a table with a cake and balloons - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

Please do not purchase the cookies here! I asked the owner (Sonya) if they were moist and she told me they were chewy. When I got home, the cookies were so hard, I couldn't even cut them with a knife! They crumbled into pieces. I had my 2 co-workers try them and we all thought these cookies were several weeks old! I will not return here because if she sells old cookies and tells me they are chewy, she is clearly lying. read more

i really really wanted to like this place... close to work and the cakes look so amazing! but, alas... mediocre in taste and high in price. For $6, i got a slice of the strawberry cake. The cake itself was dry and bland. The whipped cream was fine but not proportionate (too much). The strawberry fruit was fresh so that was the best part. But altogether, the cake was meh. I didn't even eat all of it. If you like this style of cake, I recommend the whole foods berry chantilly cake. Moist, not too sweet, fresh. Maybe their cookies are good. But based on the cake slice, I'd pass. read more

Got the Earl Grey with peach cake but extremely disappointed. The cake has no (not even a hint) of earl grey. The cream was dense and with overpowering cheesy smell and sour. There was no peach. Too much cream and not enough cake. Flavor was way off and not sweet at all. Would love to support small business but quality is too disappointing to warrant a return. read more

I was a bit skeptic after reviewing mixed reviews and seeing a bit dried fruit toppings, but I got a 6" whole Double Chocolate cake as a birthday cake anyways and I wasn't disappointed. The cake was light and the cream was lighter filled with berries. So good! If you are expecting double chocolate to be dense chocolate cake, this is not that type. But I prefer this fresh cake :) I'd definitely go again and try another one as well :) read more

Whole Cakes - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I was waking by and smell got me and I just had to stop. The banana bread was delicioso!

Walked by this place and noticed they had crepe cake, or mille cake, which is cake made with 15-20 layers of paper-thin crepes with filling in between the very thin crepe layers. I guess I've been looking for a west coast version of the famous Lady M crepe cakes of New York but have yet to find it. I tried the one I saw in the case which was reasonably priced but it was mediocre. Although the cake slice was very fresh with delicate cream and a nice flavor, the crepe layers were doughy and not thin enough to be paper thin. That's supposed to be one of the features of crepe cake, the layers are supposed to be so thin to give it a delicate and fine texture, but in this case, the layers were not thin enough which made it too thick and doughy. There was also not enough cream filling in between the layers that added to the doughiness. To be fair, I did not try any of their other items which did look gorgeous and were very artistically appealing. The store is small with a cramped feeling and the staff was not particularly friendly, but ok. read more

Whole Cakes - Slices of mille crepe cake. - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I came here to look for treats for my colleague who is a Vegan and I am so grateful that they sell vegan shortbread cookies! I got two different flavors, an apricot one and an Earl Grey citrus. Service was friendly and accommodating to help me find what I needed. It's a super small storefront, but definitely check it out if you're walking past. read more

Whole Cakes - Vegan cookies! - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I had really high hopes for this place but I was disappointed. However, I will try any other cake because I am hopeful to give this place more stars. I got the carrot cake. Both cake and cream was lacking in taste. The worst part was that each layer of cream was thicker than the thin layers of cake. The smallest cake is $19. It's a hefty price for the size but if it was really good, it would have been well worth it. All I tasted was cream. The other person that ate a bite quickly told me to stop eating it because he thought it was that bad. I also got the cranberry cookies - they were delicious, soft, moist and full of butter (prob a tad too much butter) so I gave this rating an extra star for that. read more

Whole Cakes - 6" carrot cake. Aesthetic needs more cheerfulness to it. - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

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A small cake shop in the SOMA area. I can see why people have bad experience with the cakes but i mean just go somewhere else if they don't have what you want or just don't go again next time. I honestly had a easy and great experience, staff and owner (Sonya ) is so nice and helpful. Answered questions that I had about certain cakes and flavors. I wished they made passionfruit crepe cake but they don't because they don't have organic passionfruit to make it. All of their cakes are made with organic ingredients only. I ordered the matcha crepe cake for my friends birthday and it was delicious! The price was around $60 for the whole cake which is a bit pricey but it was worth it! Each layer was made perfectly with amazing matcha flavors. Overall it was a great experience and would come again. Just a heads up if you want them to write something on the cake, let them know ahead of time because they most likely won't do it on the spot and on the day. Long story short, just communicate everything ahead of time with them so you get a good experience! read more

Whole Cakes - Matcha crepe cake - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Really disappointed. Ordered a cake 4 days in advance but the cake was not exactly what I ordered. I ordered a birthday cake and paid extra to have fresh fruit on top, which the birthday person loves; however, when I showed up to pick up the cake, no fruit! On top of that, the sales girl took a look at my order and did see that there was a special request for fruit, but the baker apparently forgot. This speaks volumes about the lack of attention and quality control. Despite me being there well before the closed, the baker had gone home for the day AND there was no fruit in the entire store to put on the cake. Not a single berry in a cake shop? Two stars for having the cake ready at the agreed time (albeit missing parts) and for being the flavor I ordered -- so basically, the bare minimum. read more

It was Chinese New Year and my family friends had a potluck get together so I volunteered to bring dessert. I heard about Whole Cakes from a friend who buys cakes for all her events because it's not as sweet which suits Asian palates. Prices are higher than other bakeries but they use organic ingredients. I ordered 3 cakes: Green Tea with Pear, Strawberry and Chocolate. I picked them up a day before the dinner and went home and wrapped the boxes in plastic (to keep them from drying out overnight in the fridge). The cakes were a hit with the Aunties and Uncles at the party. They loved that they weren't too sweet but still so flavorful and pretty to look at. read more