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NINA ATELIER
A white cake washing into ocean blue at its base, dotted with pearls and crowned with a dolphin leaping from a splash of clear blue waves, on a marble and walnut pedestal

Celebration cakes · the DMV

Birthday and celebration cakes, made by hand

Custom cakes for birthdays, showers and milestones, made by hand in Northern Virginia for Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia.

Begin a commission Design yours in the studio

Before You Enquire

A celebration cake, plainly

How many tiers you need
Investment
from$180for the smallest single-tier commission.
Lead time
from3weeksof notice; earlier is always easier.
Servings
10–110guestsfrom one tier to four, sized to your guest list.
Delivery & setup
Includedset in place by hand across the DMV; further afield by arrangement.

The Occasions

For every kind of celebration

A celebration cake is made for the day it marks: a birthday from a first to a fiftieth, a baby shower, a bridal shower, an anniversary, a graduation or a holiday table. Each begins with the date, the guest count and the mood you want the cake to carry.

Ocean Magic was made for a third birthday: shades of blue, pearls and a dolphin leaping from the waves. Little Bear is two tiers for a baby shower, with sugar bears and alphabet blocks.

Among the milestone pieces in the record, Blush & Bloom shades pink buttercream from blush to white under garden roses, and Chocolate Lace wraps a cream cake in a hand-piped chocolate collar crowned with berries. The full portfolio shows the rest.

The ocean cake at the birthday party, in front of a garland of blue and white balloons and a blue number three
Plate 1: At the third birthday

Flavors & Fillings

Sponge, filling and the pairing

Choose a sponge, then a filling to meet it. Ocean Magic layered vanilla chiffon with hazelnut praline cream and fresh strawberries. Yours might pair dark chocolate with raspberry preserve, red velvet with Swiss meringue buttercream, or lemon and elderflower with lemon curd; almond and cherry, coconut chiffon, salted caramel and Earl Grey are on the list too.

Sponge and filling pair however you like; the full list of flavors is a starting point, not a fixed menu.

The cake cut open to four layers of vanilla chiffon, filled with cream and chopped strawberries around a dark red center layer, a slice beside it on a white plate
Plate 2: The cut — four layers of vanilla chiffon, Ocean Magic

How It Comes Together

From enquiry to the table

Write with the date, the guest count and what you have in mind. Every enquiry is answered personally, within two business days.

  • Enquiry

    Celebration cakes need as little as three weeks’ notice.

  • Design

    A conversation and a sketch, or a design composed in the studio, where the cake is shown in three dimensions and priced as you build.

  • Review

    A final review of the design before any work begins.

  • The day

    Delivered and set by hand, timed to your event.

Delivery and setup are included across the DMV, from Washington, D.C. to Northern Virginia and Maryland.

Size follows the guest list. The first figure in each range is the guaranteed count; the second is reached with smaller slices.

Celebration cake servings by number of tiers
TiersServings
One tierAn intimate single statement piece.10–16guests
Two tiersThe classic celebration silhouette.25–35guests
Three tiersA grand centerpiece for a larger gathering.45–65guests
Four tiersThe full atelier commission.80–110guests

Between sizes? The servings guide sizes a cake to your guest count.

Themes & Palettes

Finished in your colors

A theme can be as plain as a single color or as particular as a figure on the top. The studio’s palette runs from blush and sage to powder blue and champagne, and the finish sets the character of the cake:

  • Smooth buttercream

    A soft, matte, hand-polished surface.

  • Semi-naked

    Sponge glimpsed through a thin veil of cream.

  • Fondant

    A porcelain-smooth, sculptural shell.

Then the crown, hand-finished in the studio and set in place on the day:

  • Fresh florals

    Seasonal blooms, cut just before delivery.

  • Sugar flowers

    Hand-sculpted, gum-paste botanicals.

  • Gilded leaf

    Edible gold leaf, applied by hand.

  • Fruit & foliage

    Fresh fruit and trailing greenery.

Begin with a photograph, a sketch or a piece from the portfolio, or compose the cake yourself in the studio. Either way, the design travels with your enquiry and is refined with you before anything is baked.

From the Portfolio

Celebrations in the record

The whole portfolio

Questions

Celebration cake questions

How far ahead should I book a birthday or celebration cake?

Celebration cakes can be commissioned with as little as three weeks of notice. Earlier is always easier, so write as soon as the date is set.

What does a custom celebration cake cost?

Celebration cakes start from $180 for the smallest single-tier commission. The final figure follows the servings, the finish and the handwork the design asks for, and every quote is confirmed after a consultation.

Is one tier enough for my guests?

A single tier serves 10 to 16 guests. Two tiers serve 25 to 35 and three serve 45 to 65. Exact servings are confirmed once your guest count and design are set.

Can you match a theme or a color palette?

Yes. A cake can be finished in any of the studio’s colors, from blush and sage to powder blue and champagne, in buttercream or fondant, and crowned with florals, sugar flowers, gilded leaf, fruit or a single topper. A design can begin from a photograph, a sketch, a piece in the portfolio or a cake composed in the studio.

Do you deliver the cake?

Yes. Delivery and setup are included across the DMV, timed to your event so the cake is set in its final place shortly before guests arrive. Further afield is by arrangement, with travel quoted alongside the design.

Can you accommodate allergies and dietary needs?

Gluten-free and egg-free adaptations are possible for many flavors; tell us at the enquiry stage so the structure can be planned around them. Every cake is made in a kitchen that handles wheat, eggs, milk, soy and tree nuts, and the menu includes almond, pistachio, hazelnut and coconut. Any cake may contain these, or traces of other allergens.

Can I see the design before it is made?

Yes. The studio shows your cake in three dimensions and prices it as you build, and every commission includes a final review of the design before any work begins.

Further

Before you write

Begin the Conversation

Tell us about the day you are planning

A date, a guest count and a feeling are enough to begin. Every enquiry is answered personally, within two business days.

Begin an enquiry or write to hello@byninaatelier.com