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Monday 09:00 - 17:00 Tuesday 09:00 - 17:00 Wednesday 09:00 - 17:00 Thursday 09:00 - 17:00 Friday 09:00 - 17:00 Saturday 09:00 - 12:00

The Cakeman

Cakes by Franco aka The Cakeman will strive to deliver your personal creations, for weddings, birthdays and other special occasions.

Franco is also happy to share his expertise with you in his baking and foodie events Cakes for all occasions, no matter the size, colour or shape. With more than 21 years of experience you can trust Franco with your most precious moments. We also offer great baking and foodie events in our Studio

11/03/2026

Order your Easter Tart!

09/12/2025

Mille-Feuille - Napoleon's Cake (Or Is It?)
Spoiler alert: Napoleon probably never ate this cake!

The mille-feuille (meaning "thousand sheets") is one of France's most sophisticated desserts - layers of crispy puff pastry with pastry cream and fondant icing.

Its creation is often credited to François Pierre La Varenne in the 17th century, though the modern version was perfected by Marie-Antoine Carême in the early 19th century.

So why is it called a "Napoleon" in English? The mystery continues! Some think it's a corruption of "Napolitain" (meaning from Naples). Others believe it references Napoleon Bonaparte's Italian campaigns. The truth? Lost to history, but the name stuck!
Fun Facts:

True puff pastry has 729 layers created through repeated folding and rolling
A perfect mille-feuille should shatter delicately when you bite it
Master pastry chefs can tell if it's fresh by the sound it makes when cut!

Creating the perfect mille-feuille is considered a test of a pastry chef's skill. The pastry must be crisp, the cream smooth, and the layers perfectly even. It's edible architecture at its finest!
Have you ever tackled homemade puff pastry, or do you wisely buy it frozen like most of us? No judgment here!

01/12/2025

Cannoli - Sicily's Carnival Treasure
These crispy tubes of joy were created to celebrate... and possibly to mock!

Legend places cannoli's birth in Caltanissetta, Sicily, near the 9th-century Arab Emirate period. One story suggests women in a harem created them to mock a male symbol (scandalous!). The more accepted tale credits nuns at a convent who made them during Carnival (Carnevale) season as a special treat.
The name "cannoli" comes from "canna," meaning reed or tube. Sicilian bakers traditionally used natural river reeds as molds! The original filling was simple ricotta sweetened with sugar, but over centuries it evolved to include pistachios, chocolate chips, candied fruits, and even orange zest.
Fun Facts:

Real cannoli are ALWAYS filled to order - pre-filled shells get soggy (that's a baking sin!)
The mini version is called "cannolicchi"
In Sicily, they're traditionally eaten only during Carnival season, but thankfully the rest of the world enjoys them year-round

Modern cannoli have gone wild with variations - chocolate shells, rainbow chips, even savory versions! But purists insist nothing beats a crispy shell filled with fresh sheep's milk ricotta, dusted with powdered sugar.
Classic ricotta or loaded with extras - how do you take your cannoli? And have you ever tried making the shells from scratch?

21/11/2025

Red Velvet Cake - American Glamour and Mystery
Is it chocolate? Is it vanilla? The answer might surprise you!
Red velvet's origin story is as mysterious as its flavor!
Some trace it to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in the 1920s, while others credit the Adams Extract Company, which sold red food coloring and buttermilk along with a free recipe during the Great Depression (genius marketing!).
But here's the chemistry: originally, red velvet got its reddish hue naturally from the reaction between cocoa powder, buttermilk, and vinegar.
The acidic ingredients turned the cocoa's anthocyanins a reddish color. Modern recipes use food coloring for that signature crimson shade.
The cake exploded in popularity in the 1989 film "Steel Magnolias" with its famous armadillo groom's cake, and has been a Southern darling ever since!
Fun Facts:

Red velvet is technically a chocolate cake - it contains cocoa powder!
During WWII rationing, bakers used boiled beet juice for the red color
The cream cheese frosting pairing became standard only in the 1950s

Today, red velvet is THE celebration cake - birthdays, weddings, Valentine's Day, and everything in between. Its dramatic color and subtle flavor make it unforgettable.
Team "more is more" with the red food coloring, or do you prefer natural versions? Tell us your red velvet preferences!

13/11/2025

Éclairs - French Elegance in Every Bite
The name literally means "lightning" - and they disappear just as fast!
Created in France during the 19th century, the éclair is credited to the legendary chef Marie-Antoine Carême, who served in the kitchens of French royalty and international aristocracy. The name "éclair" (lightning) supposedly refers to how quickly they're eaten - they're so delicious they vanish in a flash!
The éclair showcases three fundamental French pastry techniques: pâte à choux (the light, hollow pastry), crème pâtissière (vanilla pastry cream), and fondant icing. It's basically a masterclass in classic French baking, all in one elegant finger-shaped package.
Fun Facts:

A perfectly baked éclair should be hollow inside - all the better for filling!
Traditional éclairs are coffee or chocolate flavored, but modern ones come in everything from matcha to salted caramel
The éclair's cousin, the profiterole, uses the same dough but in ball form

Today, éclairs have evolved from simple chocolate and coffee to works of art. Modern pastry chefs create rainbow varieties, floral designs, and flavor combinations that would make Carême's head spin!
Classic chocolate or adventurous new flavors - what's your perfect éclair? And have you ever tried making pâte à choux?

Talk to use about eclairs and other baked goodies!

07/11/2025

Pavlova - The Dessert That Started an International Debate!
Australia and New Zealand have been arguing over this dessert for almost 100 years!
Named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova during her tour of Australia and New Zealand in the 1920s, this cloud-like meringue dessert sparked one of the culinary world's friendliest feuds. Both countries claim to have invented it, and honestly?
The debate is still going strong!
The dessert was created to capture Pavlova's grace and the ethereal quality of her famous dance, "The Dying Swan."
With its crisp exterior, marshmallow-soft interior, and crown of whipped cream and fresh fruit, it truly is as elegant as a ballerina.
In 2008, researchers found a recipe in a New Zealand magazine from 1929 - but Australians quickly countered with evidence of similar recipes from the same period. The mystery continues!
Fun Facts:

A perfect pavlova should crack when cut - that's the sign of a good one!
Australians typically top theirs with passion fruit, while Kiwis prefer kiwifruit (naturally!)
The meringue can take 6+ hours to bake slowly at low temperature

Whether Team Australia or Team New Zealand, we can all agree that pavlova is pure magic - light as air and utterly show-stopping at any celebration.
Have you ever attempted a pavlova? Did yours crack beautifully or collapse dramatically? We want to hear your pavlova tales!

31/10/2025

Baklava - The Ottoman Empire's Layered Legacy.

This isn't just dessert - it's edible history spanning empires!

Baklava's origins are hotly debated (Greeks, Turks, and Armenians all claim it!), but most food historians agree it reached perfection in the Ottoman Sultan's kitchens during the 15th century.

The palace chefs in Topkapi had access to the finest ingredients from across the empire: the best nuts from Anatolia, honey from Marmara, and butter from the Balkans.

The technique of creating paper-thin phyllo dough was mastered by these palace bakers. Legend says they could create dough so thin you could read a love letter through it!

The sultans were so protective of their baklava recipes that they kept them secret for generations.
Fun Facts:

Traditional Turkish baklava uses 40 layers of phyllo - no more, no less
Each region has its signature nut: pistachios in Gaziantep, walnuts in Greece, almonds in Lebanon
Ottoman janissaries were rewarded with baklava every 15th of Ramadan

Today's baklava has traveled the world, with each culture adding its own twist. From honey-soaked Greek versions to syrup-drenched Turkish styles, this ancient treat continues to bring people together.
Pistachio, walnut, or almond - which baklava is your favorite? Or have you tried making phyllo from scratch?

24/10/2025

Black Forest Cake - Germany's Chocolate Cherry Dream!

This iconic cake is named after a forest... and a very special liquor!

Welcome to the Black Forest (Schwarzwald) region of Germany, famous for its dark, dense woods, cherry orchards, and Kirsch (cherry brandy). In the 1930s, pastry chef Josef Keller at the Café Agner in Bad Godesberg combined these regional treasures into one spectacular cake: Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte.

The traditional recipe features layers of chocolate sponge soaked in Kirsch, whipped cream, and tart cherries, all topped with chocolate shavings and more cherries. The white cream represents snow, the dark cake the forest, and the cherries the region's famous red traditional costume pom-poms!

Fun Facts:
• Authentic Black Forest Cake MUST contain Kirsch by German law
• The cake became internationally famous after WWII when American soldiers brought the recipe home
• March 28th is National Black Forest Cake Day in the USA!

These days, Black Forest Cake is a celebration staple worldwide. While many skip the Kirsch for family-friendly versions, purists insist it's essential for the real deal.
Kirsch or no Kirsch - how do you take your Black Forest Cake? And have you ever tried making one from scratch?

23/10/2025

Tiramisu - Italy's "Pick-Me-Up" Phenomenon

Surprise! This "ancient" Italian classic was only invented in the 1960s!

Despite what many believe, tiramisu is one of Italy's youngest desserts. The most credible story credits Roberto Linguanotto, a chef at Le Beccherie restaurant in Treviso, Italy. In the 1960s, he and the restaurant owner Ado Campeol created this coffee-soaked masterpiece almost by accident when some ice cream ingredients fell into a bowl of mascarpone and eggs.

The name "tiramisu" literally means "pick me up" or "cheer me up" in Italian - a perfect description for this coffee and cocoa-dusted delight! It didn't even appear in Italian cookbooks until the 1980s, and only became internationally famous in the 1990s.
Fun Facts:

Traditional tiramisu contains raw eggs (though many modern recipes use pasteurized)
There are over 30 different origin stories - the dessert world's greatest mystery!
Zabaione (an Italian custard) is considered tiramisu's ancient ancestor

Today, tiramisu has become THE Italian dessert, appearing on menus worldwide with countless variations - from strawberry to matcha versions. Not bad for a 60-year-old "tradition"!
Have you ever made tiramisu at home? Or do you prefer ordering it at restaurants? Share your tiramisu stories!

16/10/2025

Cheesecake - Ancient Greece's Gift to Dessert Lovers

Plot twist: Cheesecake was served to Olympic athletes in ancient Greece!

In 776 BCE, Greek athletes on the island of Delos were fed cheesecake for energy. The recipe was simple: cheese, honey, and wheat. The Greeks believed it was the ultimate power food! They even served it at weddings.
When the Romans conquered Greece, they fell head over heels for this dessert. They added eggs, baked it under a hot brick, and called it "libuma." As the Roman Empire expanded, so did cheesecake, with each region adding its own twist.
Fast forward to 1872 New York: American dairyman William Lawrence accidentally invented cream cheese while trying to recreate French Neufchâtel. This happy accident gave birth to the rich, creamy New York-style cheesecake we adore today!
Fun Facts:

Americans consume over 30 million cheesecakes annually
The world's largest cheesecake weighed 6,900 pounds!
Cheesecake is technically a custard pie, not a cake.

From Greek athletes to your dessert table, cheesecake has been bringing joy for over 2,000 years. Whether you love it classic, with fruit, or chocolate swirled, you're enjoying one of history's oldest desserts.
Team New York-style or Team Japanese cotton cheesecake? Let us know your favorite!

10/10/2025

Macarons - From Monastery to Instagram Darling

These colorful little cookies have been stealing hearts for over 800 years!

Our journey begins in Italian monasteries during the Renaissance, where monks created simple almond cookies called "maccherone." When Catherine de Medici married French King Henry II in 1533, she brought her Italian pastry chefs to France (along with these delightful cookies).
But the macaron we know today? That's pure Parisian magic from the early 1900s! Pierre Desfontaines of the famous Ladurée patisserie had a brilliant idea: sandwich two almond cookies with ganache. Revolutionary!
Fun Facts:

Traditional macarons have a "foot" (the ruffled bottom edge) - no foot means something went wrong!
Ladurée alone produces over 15,000 macarons daily
There are over 100 flavor combinations, from classic vanilla to rose lychee

Today, macarons are the supermodels of the pastry world - photogenic, elegant, and available in every color imaginable. They've gone from monastery kitchens to becoming the ultimate celebration treat.
What's the most unusual macaron flavor you've tried? Or which flavor are you dying to taste? Share below! 🌈

We cater for all your baking requirements, from cakes & cupcakes to macaroons and pastries. Contact The Cakeman for baking brilliance.

Address

84 Eden Road
Johannesburg
2090

Opening Hours

Monday	09:00 - 17:00
Tuesday	09:00 - 17:00
Wednesday	09:00 - 17:00
Thursday	09:00 - 17:00
Friday	09:00 - 17:00
Saturday	09:00 - 12:00

Website

http://thecakeman.co.za/

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