Hello gorgeous ones!  Today is all about blasting through the inbox and catching up on blogmin for {fingers crossed} an early start to the weekend!  With the sunny weather looking like it’s here to stay, we’re planning to get out of the house and do something fun.  Any ideas?!

This morning however, we’re talking cake!  You’d better grab yourself a cup of tea {or cold drink of choice!} for this one… and prepare to drool!

I first discovered T Bakes via Brancoprata {one of our most favourite stylist/photographer duos – who incidentally provided the picture pretty for this post} and loved their delicate, romantic style!  So when T Bakes owner & designer Tânia Sérgio got in touch to show me some of their latest designs I leapt at the chance to share them with you!  Based in the historic city of Porto, Portugal, T Bakes caters for local clients and couples planning destination weddings on the sunny Portuguese coast.  Tânia trained in Porto before finishing with a highly-prized internship with revered cake designer Maggie Austin in Washington DC and earning features in Brides Magazine and Martha Stewart Weddings.

Here’s more from Tânia ~

My style is… organic. Whether it’s a modern clean or a vintage baroque design everything has to flow naturally.

I’m inspired by… nature and fashion. The most unusual and exquisite colour palettes can be found in both!

My favourite piece is… the Miss Dior inspired design.

Wouldn’t this cake make the most amazing wedding centrepiece?!  Inspired by the stunning dress worn by Natalie Portman in the Miss Dior campaign its gorgeously pretty, ruffled textures and dainty colours are the perfect partner for a romantic wedding.

Trends I love right now… textured cakes. Wedding cakes no longer need to be plain; one can still maintain the timeless elegance of a white cake but bring sophistication and visual interest to the design by adding texture!

I admire… Maggie Austin who is my mentor, and I always look up to her for both inspiration and advice. Having had the opportunity to work at her studio was a life-changing experience! I also admire Alan Dunn’s technique and my bookcase is filled with his books.

I love my job because… I get to be creative both aesthetically and gastronomically. It’s just as exciting to create a new design, as it is to come up with new and delicious flavour profiles! Cake must taste as scrumptious as it looks!

I’m so in love with this pretty rustic single tier created as a special birthday cake for stylist Sofia from Brancoprata.  The bold bright flowers are a gorgeous addition!

Weddings make me… happy! It is an incredible honour to be part of someone’s most special day and I hold a place in my heart for all of my couples.

My advice for couples planning their wedding is… Schedule a cake tasting as soon as you have defined the look you want for the party, making sure that there’s plenty of time for your cake designer to work with. Also be sure that your chosen cake designer is a good fit and never forget that the cake must taste good!

It’s enough to make you switch your wedding plans and head to Portugal to get wed…

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Images by André Teixeira from Brancoprata except the single tier rustic cake photographed by T Bakes