Bunnie Cakes, the storefront behind Best of Miami’s Best Cupcake 2016 and Best Desserts 2018, is moving its whimsical bakery to Downtown Doral. Last year, Bunnie Cakes announced the Downtown Doral location was set to open in the summer but construction delays and the pandemic combined to set back the schedule.
The plant-based bakery opened in Wynwood in 2012 and quickly amassed a following of vegans and omnivores alike who couldn't find what they offered anywhere else.
“Some of the best memories of my life happened in that store. My dreams came true in that store,” owner Mariana Cortez tells New Times.
Bunnie Cakes closed its original NE Second Avenue location, along with the adjacent Bunnie Cakes Studio, on November 26. The Downtown Doral location opens today, December 2, at 2 p.m., with a formal, socially distanced ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Cortez, an entrepreneur and mother of five, started Bunnie Cakes after she wasn’t able to find a vegan and gluten-free cake for her two-year-old son’s birthday. She decided to bake one herself by adapting a recipe from her grandmother. As she continued to perfect the recipe, she started selling cakes and cupcakes out of her home kitchen. In the years since, Bunnie Cakes has become a destination for anyone in South Florida in search of vegan, gluten-free, and kosher treats.
Now she's putting down roots in Doral and simultaneously reaching new audiences via a recently launched nationwide-shipping service.
“I’m so thankful for all our customers throughout the years who have supported us and for the new community that has welcomed us in Doral. Relocating our original location was a difficult decision but we are so excited to be in Downtown Doral," she says.
Inside, rainbow walls, sprinkle ceilings, and similarly cute décor brighten the 1,700-square-foot space, where the shop will continue to offer signature sweets including birthday cakes, cupcakes, doughnuts, and brownies — not to mention seasonal specials, including the "dulce no leche"-filled cupcake: a vanilla cupcake filled with vegan caramel and topped with vanilla frosting and a "dulce no leche" swirl.
The new location also offers plenty of alfresco seating along with free parking. Future plans include DIY-party packages and baking workshops.
“We’re so excited,” says Cortez. “We have been doing pop-ups in Doral for some time and the response has been amazing. We are so grateful and hope all our customers come visit us at our new location.”
In spite of pandemic-related closures and industry setbacks, Downtown Doral has also seen the recent openings of the Doral Yard and Bachour Bakery.
Bunnie Cakes Bakery & Café. 8450 NW 53rd St., Doral; bunniecakes.com. Monday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.