At Sugar Gardens we take your confectionary vision, and blend it with the finest of ingredients, to create exquisite works of art that will delight your guests.
Each breathtaking flower is sculpted by our award winning sugar artist, Jan Loomis. No detail is overlooked. Her unique blends of colors bring each flower to life. The Contra Costa Times said "her creations are so realistic in appearance you can almost smell them."
But our cakes go beyond mere aesthetics. They have a rich, homemade flavor that can only be achieved when baking from classic recipes that will leave your guests wanting more. We do not use commercial mixes. From the richness of pure imported Madagascar vanilla, to the unsurpassed Swiss fondants, every bite will remind you why you chose Sugar Gardens.
The journey from conception to completion is no small task. We first sketch the 
design on paper so you can better visualize how your cake will look. At this time we may add, or subtract design elements. Next, we calculate the size and number of the cake pans, cake boards, ingredients and supports needed for the design. After baking and cooling, the tops and sides of your cakes are leveled. Now they are ready to be placed on their cake boards, which supports each tier. The layers are filled and iced, then refrigerated before receiving their outer layer of fondant. The internal supports are inserted and the cake is ready for stacking. Depending on the design, some tiers will be decorated before stacking, while others will be decorated after the cake is stacked. Finally, and this is the really hard part, it’s time to clean the kitchen.
We have selected some of our favorite cakes for display in our gallery. Each is a one-of-a-kind design with your special event in mind.
(Click on any image to see a larger view).
Long stem roses grace this woven fondant basket. The "dirt" is made of crushed chocolate mint cookies. We are particularly proud of this cake as it was donated to the Contra Costa Child Abuse Prevention Council auction and raised over $600.
Our garden never has any weeds! This was a carrot cake with
vanilla icing.
A traditional rose cascade in various tones of lilac and purple.
Red poppies add drama against our white fondant covered cake. Another special one for us as it was part of the Contra Costa Solano Food Bank's "Afternoon in the Admirals' Garden". We are grateful to the patrons who so generously bid on all the auction items to help support the Food Bank.
Our "Simply White" cake adds a crisp, fresh elegant touch to any occasion.
If we had to pick our all time favorite cake, this would be it. The "basket" is made from fondant that we "wove" around an 8 inch layered cake. The gumpaste flowers include lilacs, long stem rose buds, hydrangeas, blackberries, poppies and peonies. The only problem with this cake is getting your friends to believe it's edible!
We call this our "dragonfly cake". Spring flowers of red/orange peonies, white stephanotis and blue hydrangeas adorn this butter colored, three-tier wedding cake. Small dragonflies, painted in edible 24k gold, add a hint of whimsy.
We designed this four-tiered square cake for a lovely outdoor wedding in Oregon. Our classic yellow cake was iced with vanilla buttercream and covered in an imported Swiss fondant. Each tier was encircled with black and hot pink satin ribbon. Sugar roses crowned the top, and a simple rose adorned each tier. A cluster of royal icing dots added a subtle texture to the sides of this elegant cake.
Our Spring wedding cake brings to mind a garden party. The bottom tier is embossed with rosebuds, the middle tier has lovely embossed bows, that the top tier repeats the small rosebuds. Sugar flowers grace the top of the cake, with nosegays places between the tiers.
Art Deco was the theme for this cake. Each tier has an abstract Art Deco design of sage green, periwinkle blue, and light purple. Cascading down the sides are white lilies and peacock feathers. The top is a bouquet of lilies and hydrangeas.
Our tropical flower and shell cake was made for an intimate beach wedding in Monterey. The shells are made from white chocolate and covered with edible, iridescent luster dust to give them a beautiful sheen.
The flowers are cymbidium orchids, stephanotis and hibiscus
Here is one of our favorites. A Cymbidium orchid cake with ferns, stephanotis, and gold dragonflies.
This hatbox baby shower cake features an edible blanket and gumpaste rattle. Rosebuds, berries, and stephanotis fill the top of the box. Embossed designs can be seen on the sides and lid.
A little whimsy was the order of the day with this cake. A gumpaste candle sits atop a fondant covered cupcake with ribbon roses and leaves
Our charming hatbox cake includes a handkerchief, pearl bracelet and gloves. The lid and bottom tier are embossed with Victorian designs. Rose buds peek out of the hatbox.
This is our beehive cake. A fence surrounds the bottom tier, accented with sunflowers and rosebuds. The beehive has a cascade of Scabious flowers, berries and of course bees.
Our garden cake includes peonies and berries. Delicate bows are embossed on the sides. We thought the picket fence added a nice touch.
For a quiet elegance, a single moth orchid kissed the top of this single tiered bridal shower cake.
Ruffles cover our sweet two-tiered cake. A bow crowns the top while lilacs, tulips and rosebuds add to this romantic look.
Here is a cake we can truly call art. Grass and flowers were painted on each tier with edible colors. Royal icing flowers were overlaid on top of the painting, followed by fondant flowers and grasses for added dimension
Orchids cascade down the side of this cake.
