My 12-year old daughter is in the process of doing food allergy testing. Her current off-limit item is gluten. She was to attend a friend's birthday parthy this past Saturday and wanted to be able to have a yummy treat while everyone else ate the birthday cake. Based on a friend's recommendation we stopped at your store. Even though she was hesitant, we bought her a Red Velvet Gluten Free cupcake. She said it was THE BEST CUPCAKE EVER!!! She said that when she deserves another special treat she'd like to get this cupcake again. I said "what if it's determined you can eat gluten, maybe you want to try something else". She said "NO! THIS is the cupcake I want!"
Vicki
With our daughter turning one, and wishing to maintain her dairy-free diet, I did some research on the Internet and found your shop. After purchasing a cake for my colleague's baby shower at work, I was sold! The cake we picked up for Chloe yesterday was absolutely adorable; all our guests oohed- and aahhed! Chloe ate a *huge* piece; she loved it - and our guests (even the skeptics) ate every last crumb. It didn't even get that messy in Chloe's little hands; making cleanup afterward a breeze." Thank you again for a beautiful cake that made our celebration truly special :)
Tami, Mike and Chloe Janecki
Dear Ladies,
Thank you so much for your time, your talents, your vision. Thank you for figuring out how we could combine carrot cake and choc cake into aunified whole. Here's your/our cake which everyone loved tremendously!
Thank you, thank you, thank you. - Barbara
"I first came across this amazing bakery on my bike last summer (2009). My fiance and I were riding through. Sellwood and I made a mental note about it. Almost 7 months later I finally went it. All I have to say is why did I wait so long?
The second time was driving home from cake tasting somewhere else. I was very disappointed in the cake from the other place and thought I'd drive through Sellwood and check it out! She gave me a variety of samples and some to take back to my fiance.
Marilyn is very upbeat, fast-paced and helpful to work with my requests. Although the wedding cake was out of our budget, I just couldn't get Piece of Cake out of my head. I kept thinking of it. I really wanted our wedding guests to experience this cake. It's VERY moist and more dense that most cake (which I prefer). There are so many flavors and she's continually working on others...meeting and perfecting food needs from people. She offers sugar-free and gluten-free cakes too!
If you're looking for a place to get a cake for a birthday or wedding, I strongly encourage you to not waste your time if you want excellent cake.
I've been in two other times since then. I just really enjoy the cakes there and she's helpful, friendly and a cake expert! Just wait till you try the Fantasy. WOW!"
Can't wait to come in for a cake!!! You were the best of the whole celiac show today. Thank you.
-Rose
We have a 3 year old son on the spectrum and, since his diagnosis a year ago, we have struggled through a lot of experiments, successful and not so much, with dietary changes to try and improve his gut/digestive symptoms. I just wanted to thank you for devoting so much of your time and efforts to making that process a little easier (and sweeter!) for kids and their parents. It's such a heartbreaking diagnosis to receive and every time you find a resource like your bakery, it seems like such a miracle. Also, of course, the scholarship is incredible because there can never be too many talented, passionate people working to bring our kiddos out of their shells. Thank you for being so generous!
All the best,
Jessica
I went to Piece of Cake a few years back to get a cake for a friends bachelorette party and was impressed with the service and quality of cake. (Plus Marilyn was willing to make me a "naughty" cake) So when it was time for my wedding I knew I wanted a fabulous cake. My fiance`, maid of honor and myself all went down to visit Marilyn for a cake tasting. We had a wonderful time and Marilyn was really helpful on giving me ideas on how to display my cake, she even gave me an empty box to cover with my theme fabric to create a little stand for it. I wouldn't consider myself a super picky bride, but I really wanted to see my cake before it showed up at the venue. So I called the bakery and asked if I could stop by to take a peek. When I showed up it was just about closing time and I was greeted warmly and shown my beautiful cake. I was in total awww; it was gorgeous and just how I wanted it.
The flavors we picked were Fantasy for the bottom and Marion-berry Poppy-seed for the top. Each of my 60 guests got to taste both flavors and raved about them. Even still 14 months after our wedding when I talk to any of my guests they comment on how good the cake was.
Piece of Cake will always be my first choice for cakes!
THANK YOU!
Marilyn:
Thanks again for our gorgeous and delicious wedding cakes - last July
16th. We moved out of state right after the wedding, so I'm slow in
getting these photos to you. But, we plan to come back for our
anniversary cake sometime in July! Banana, please!
The cakes were perfect in every way. In fact, our otherwise polite and
lovely guests got a little pushy and upset when they couldn't have
more. We should've skipped the dinner and gone double on the dessert.
Thanks for making it so easy and good.
Suzanne
Last Fall, on November 10th, you made our daughter’s wedding cake and delivered it to the Parker House Restaurant for us. It was delicious!
We made it into BYRON BECK's BLOG! He's fun...and knows ALOT OF STUFF. So take note!
CAKE TALK: Baltimore (and cable tv) might have Duff "Ace of Cakes" Goldman, but Portland has Marilyn DeVault and her AMAZING cake shop, Piece of Cake Bakery.
Recently Miss Marilyn's crew made a really yummy Chocolate Raspberry Buttercream Ganache for my parents 50th anniversary. It was gorgeous and lasted all of about a half-minute once my parents guest had a chance to take a bite out of it.
That's the thing about DeVault's work. It doesn't last long. That's because her shop makes edible pieces of art that are often free of wheat, sugar and gluten and still taste very sweet.
DeVault's cake bakery (she also does cupcakes) is located deep in the heart of the Sellwood neighborhood on the edge of Eastmoreland (8306 S.E. 17th Ave., 503-234-9445).
It's an eclectic mish-mosh of odd objects (including a really cool ski-lift/picnic table) and tasty treats. And Marilyn wouldn't have it any other way. "I've created an environment that I fit into," says DeVault.
So how did this self-made "Cake Lady" get in the biz?
"All I knew how to make was a carrot cake. I eventually sold one to the Holiday Inn at the airport," said DeVault. "I remember getting into a car after I got the check and sticking my head out of the window and thinking I had made it, and I was going to be rich."
That was in 1978. DeVault had a shop in Lake Oswego prior to her current Southeast locale where she has been for the last sixteen years.
DeVault wasn't always in the cake trade. She has her masters in special education and taught students with disabilities for several years before making a career change. "Teaching students with special needs proved to be a great training ground to prepare how to work with customers with special food needs." That's why she'll never turn down a (reasonable) request and can make sure you always get your cake, even if you need it in less than 24 hours. "We are here to serve our customers and make them happy," said DeVault.
And, truth is, she makes me happy. Marilyn DeVault is one of the most honest, fun-loving people I've ever met. I never quite know what this trailblazer in the specialty food industry is going to say. Just ask her about her experiences traveling across the country with a goat and ending in the offices of Martha Stewart's company. Now that's a good story.
And if you are looking for cakes you can't beat Piece of Cake. Six-inch one layer cakes start at $13.95 and go up from there. Flavors include Chantilly, German Chocolate, Irish Oatmeal, Red Velvet and many, many others. She is an expert at dietary needs too.
If you are in the need of something for a special occasion or just hankering for a slice of the really good stuff (they stay open late on Friday and Saturday nights!) then this is the place for you.
Enjoy! - Byron
Check out our review from Banana Wonder!
Marionberry Poppyseed Cupcakes, etc: Piece of Cake
I always pass by Sellwood's Piece of Cake on my (human powered vehicle) commute to downtown Portland. It's
a place that tortures me with smells of cakes in the oven as I bike feverishly to Bar Method or class. A few weeks ago was the first time I was in the area with a car and no urgent place to go so I swung by to see what all the good smells were about whilst picking up some treats for my boyfriend and myself. Piece of Cake boasts (and rightfully so) to have the "Best Cake in Portland." They also have a wide selection of vegan and gluten free cakes. AND they have made cakes for Snoop Dog and Marilyn Manson. The cupcakes are not cheap, priced at about $4, but they are unique and fresh.
I nearly choked when I saw the flavor "marionberry poppyseed." I am obsessed with both. Now the two combined? Pools of drool. I scanned the other flavors trying to find something for my man. The baker said the Chantilly was their best flavor but I went for the chocolate peanut butter since he digs the pb.
I took some quick snap shots outside but we didn't eat these until later that night so the lighting wasn't the best. The marionberry poppyseed cupcake was super fresh and yes, muffin like, which I am in to. The marionberry portion was a simple layer of marionberry preserves. Delicious, however I would have liked to see a higher level of commitment to the berry - such as baking the berries into the batter or a marionberry cream cheese frosting. The cream cheese frosting was pleasantly tangy and thick and not overly cloying. Overall, I was very happy with this cupcake and its unique flavor.
The peanut butter chocolate was equally as impressive. The cake was ultra fresh with a robust cocoa flavor. I liked how there was actually a thick layer creamy peanut butter between the cake and frosting as opposed to some whipped up stuff containing 15% peanuts. The chocolate fudge frosting was thick and perfectly sweetened to taste like chocolate, not like sugar. I am not a huge chocolate cake fan, but Piece of Cake could change my mind.