One of the trickier aspects of lockdown is the missing out on shared celebrations and milestones – from birthdays, to anniversaries, graduations and new baby arrivals. When we would normally get together and break bread and blow out a few candles, we are currently having to find ways to celebrate together, while staying apart. If you can’t be with the ones you love to celebrate a special day right now, hop on a Zoom call and send them a delectable, sugary delight from one of these seven cake companies that are guaranteed to sweeten the separation…

Sponge
Sponge

Sponge does exactly what its says on the (cake) tin: sending whole sponge cakes for up to 16 people, by post. They have a genius ‘sharing sponge’ option, giving you a slice of 14 different flavours of cake to make up one whole – perfect for picky families. They’ve got vegan, gluten- and dairy-free options covered, as well as a cake-club subscription where you can gift someone a slice of cake each month for a year. Quite literally the gift that keeps on giving.

Betty’s
Bettys

Betty’s is a Yorkshire institution. Despite its heritage – it was founded in 1907 by Swiss baker and confectioner, Johann Bützer – it is definitely not stuck in the past. It has a full e-commerce offering of its legendary chocolates, confections and cakes that can be personalised and delivered to the lucky recipient swiftly, nationwide. Choose from traditional fruit cakes with different greetings iced prettily on top and delivered in charming vintage tins; pastel-coloured French macarons; or a traditional batch of ‘Fat Rascals’ – a traditional Yorkshire treat, perfect for those yearning for a slice of home.

Send Me Cakes
Send Me Cakes

Baked in her Kent Kitchen, Lou Milligan uses 90 per cent British and local ingredients in her range of letterbox cakes – including eggs from free-range rescue hens. Dispatched in sturdy, mail-safe, recyclable packaging, she offers a range of traybakes, from a dark, fudgy vegan brownie selection – complete with compostable knife so you can tuck straight in - to a ‘best bake box’ with teatime favourites including ‘Gran’s shortbread’, flapjacks and those moreish brownies.

Bad Brownie
Bad Brownie

With the tagline ‘dangerously good’, Bad Brownie may be bad for your dentistry bill but will definitely win you brownie points with the lucky recipient on their big day. Specialising in gourmet flavours, they include salted caramel, peanut butter, triple chocolate, Oreo cookie and blood orange and almond. Choose to have them delivered in twelve or 24 bitesize chunks, or a single ‘brownie bar’ dusted in Biscoff crumbs for the brownie lover who doesn’t share.

Lola’s Cupcakes
Lolas Cupcakes

The London destination cupcakery may currently be closed for business but you can get a full range of cheesecakes, cupcakes and brownies delivered within the London area and the brownies and cake kits, nationwide. You can ‘build your box’ of its legendary cupcakes online by adding up to twelve different flavours to your virtual box, ready to be delivered fresh the next day by its fleet of electric delivery vans. If you’re looking to kill two birds with one stone, the cake-decorating kits are a fun, at-home activity for kids who get to decorate their own unicorn birthday cake, then eat the results. Win-win.

Meg Rivers
Meg Rivers

Meg Rivers’ ‘Hunkerdown Hamper’ is the perfect indulgent gift for sending to a locked down loved one. Inside the hamper you’ll find a fully iced English fruit cake, fifteen shortbreads, a cake tin and a copy of Meg Rivers’ Artisan Home Baking Book to inspire their own baking endeavours.

Rachael’s Kitchen
Rachels Kitchen

If you can’t deliver a birthday cake in person, why not send your face on a cake instead? Worthing-based Rachael’s Kitchen offer photo toppers for a range of cupcakes, simply upload your file on their website and they’ll send your loved one delicious, home-baked cakes, personalised with your snap. A fun way to send a unique birthday wish, by post.

By Lydia Mansi
May 2020

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