Have you wondered what a cake in the shape of a giant donut would look like? Have you looked for the perfect gift for a friend that’s a little too obsessed with baking? Or have you been wanting to get your dog a personalized birthday cake? I definitely have, and finding these things at various bakeries has become one of my most entertaining (and delicious) hobbies. Here is the list of my five favorite bakeries I’ve visited across Los Angeles when looking for desserts beyond the classics. 

1) Flour Shop 

If you’re looking for a bakery that is uniquely bright and joyful, then Flour Shop is for you! Founded by Amirah Kassem in 2012, Flour Shop became famous for its rainbow explosion cake, as well as other colorful and specially themed desserts. 

Flour Shop is located in Beverly Hills, and along with the explosion cake, they sell rainbow vanilla push pops, “cakewiches,” “cake balls” and cakes in a variety of themes and shapes, including a bagel, donut or burger. 

This bakery has amazing seasonal desserts for almost any holiday or special occasion you could think of, whether cakes in the shape of sparkling graduation caps or Halloween-themed cake pops with adorable decorations. Ordering any dessert from Flour Shop never fails to brighten my day! 

2) Big Sugar Bake Shop

Mary Odson and Lisa Ritter founded Big Sugar Bakeshop in 2006 with the goal to become a friendly neighborhood bakery specializing in American-style baked goods. Big Sugar Bakeshop also prioritizes supporting local schools, nonprofit organizations and local fundraising events to give back to their community.

Along with delightful cakes and other desserts, their store is complete with colorful cards for a variety of occasions, cheerful birthday candles, plates and napkins and many gift-worthy items. They also have a display of funny books, including baking-related ones like “Delicious Metropolis,” “Confessions of a Serial Entertainer” and “Cookies!: An Interactive Recipe Book.” 

Big Sugar Bakeshop is located in Studio City, and one of my favorite things about their menu is their themed-dessert boxes for everyday or special occasions, including the Take a Break Box and the Celebration Box. If you ever need a boost of energy with a lot of sugary pastries and a coffee cake, Big Sugar Bakeshop’s Good Morning Box is the best way to start your day.

3) Sweet Lady Jane Bakery 

Layered with lightly sweetened whipped cream, fresh blueberries, raspberries and strawberries and decorated with buttercream vines, Sweet Lady Jane’s Triple Berry Cake is my go-to dessert for any occasion. They became known for this cake, which is now offered in a chocolate and cheesecake version — both of which are elegant and delicious.

Jane Lockhart opened the original Sweet Lady Jane Bakery in West Hollywood in 1988, and now there are locations all around Los Angeles. Besides the Triple Berry Cake, other customer favorites, according to their website, are the Sea Salt Brownie, Blueberry Pie and the Beverly Cake.

4) Milk Bar 

With adorable pink packaging and bright, unique desserts, everything at Milk Bar is joyful. One of their most popular creations are their delicious cake truffles, which come in flavors of birthday cake, strawberry shortcake, gluten free birthday cake and chocolate. My favorite of their desserts is their three-layered vanilla funfetti cake with lots of rainbow sprinkles. 

Milk Bar also sells many books and cookbooks written by their CEO and founder, Christina Tosi, including “Every Cake has a Story,” “Milk Bar: Kids Only” and “Milk Bar: All About Cake.” 

According to their website, they are committed to spreading as much joy as possible through desserts. Part of their effort is partnering with charitable organizations to donate their treats to children in need, including The Birthday Party Project, Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, N Street Village and Make-A-Wish Foundation. Just like their desserts, their mission is sweet and makes the world a brighter, happier place! 

5) Three Dog Bakery 

Last but certainly not least, Three Dog Bakery. If you’re like me and completely obsessed with your dogs, then you have to make a stop there. Dan Dye and Mark Beckloff founded Three Dog Bakery — the world’s first bakery for dogs — in 1989, and they have expanded to locations across the country to spread joy to as many dogs as possible. 

They have a wide range of options to choose from to celebrate your furry friend’s birthday, including cakes in the shape of a dog bone, a cookies n cream cake and a carrot cake. 

Some of my dogs’ favorite flavors are peanut butter, carob chip, carrot cake, wheat-free and grain-free. This is your chance to show your dog how much you love them and to get them a dessert that looks so good you’ll want to take a bite! 

Los Angeles has a lively and unique bakery scene, so make sure to take advantage of it and discover as many of your favorites as you can!