Table Talk with Abba Cakes
Fresh off winning Britain’s Best Cake, Laura Alejandra Founder of Abba Cakes, shares her most memorable cake creations and what it means to take home the country’s top baking crown
Following the success of your original bakery in Hoylake, you opened your Chester branch late last year. Why was Lower Bridge Street the natural fit for your second venue, and what response have you received?
Lower Bridge Street felt right because it has so much character. I love that part of Chester, the history, the beautiful buildings and the independent businesses. Abba Cakes is a very personal brand, so I never wanted our second shop to feel too corporate.
The response has been wonderful. I especially love when somebody discovers us, comes back, and then brings someone else because they want them to try a particular cake. That is probably the best compliment we can receive.
The Chocolate Cake by Abba Cakes was officially crowned Britain’s Best Cake at Britain’s Best Cake Awards in 2025, beating over 100 entries. Talk us through the experience of winning and what you feel makes that cake so special?
I genuinely didn’t expect to win. My daughter Gabi was only a few months old, and I went to the awards with her strapped to me in a baby carrier. When they called my name, I was completely shocked. Even in the official photograph, she is still attached to me while I’m holding the award.
The cake itself is very personal. I originally created it for my own wedding. I’m Colombian and my husband is British, so I wanted something that brought a little of both worlds together.
It’s a rich dark chocolate cake with ganache and dulce de leche. It isn’t complicated for the sake of it. It’s just properly made, indulgent and generous. For a recipe I created for my wedding to become Britain’s Best Cake was incredibly special.
What other cakes or desserts are proving extra popular with the Chester crowd?
Our Raspberry Bliss and Lemon & Blueberry cakes are both really popular, and the Sea Salt & Caramel Brownies disappear very quickly.
And, of course, we serve Colombian coffee. Seeing people in Chester enjoying Colombian coffee alongside our cakes is something I’m particularly proud of.
For those planning a big event such as a wedding, how do you guide couples through the design and tasting process to help bring their vision to life?
I always start with the couple rather than the cake.
I want to understand the venue, the flowers and the style of the wedding, but also who they are and what they genuinely love. A wedding cake shouldn’t feel as though it could belong to anybody.
We then develop the design together and, importantly, choose flavours they actually want to eat. I always tell couples: if you love chocolate, have chocolate. You don’t have to choose something simply because it feels traditionally “wedding”.
Our cakes are mainly buttercream, so the finished style tends to feel softer, more romantic and elegant, but it still has to make you really want a slice.
What have been your most memorable wedding cake creations?
One cake that will always stay with me was a huge wedding cake completely covered in raspberries. It was technically challenging, and I remember being both excited and slightly terrified to make it.
What makes it special is what happened afterwards. I’ve since made cakes for the bride’s sister, her friends and other weddings within the same circle. One wedding cake became this lovely little chain of celebrations, and I feel incredibly honoured by that.
I’m a Christian, so marriage means a great deal to me. I see it as much more than a beautiful event; it is two people choosing to build a life together. Being trusted to create even a small part of that day is something I never take lightly.
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