Custom Luxury Wedding Cakes in San Diego

Founder and executive pastry chef Karen Krasne has been named one of the top 10 pastry chefs in the country by Forbes and the "Queen of Cakes" by Gourmet. She wrote the best-selling cookbook Extraordinary Cakes, and she designs every Extraordinary Desserts wedding cake herself. She starts by asking couples how they want the day to feel before she sketches a single tier, and she knows which flavors hold up at an outdoor reception in August and which ones belong indoors.

Extraordinary Desserts is San Diego's landmark patisserie, with two locations in Little Italy and Bankers Hill and a dessert case that changes daily. Karen pairs global flavors with the best local ingredients, and many couples start with the cakes regulars already love: Black Velvet, Passion Fruit Ricotta, Shangri-La and the Dulce de Leche cake Food Network featured on "The Best Thing I Ever Ate."

How it works

Couples find their style, then choose one of the signature flavors. Anyone unsure which flavor to go with can book a tasting for two at the Little Italy location and try three with coffee or tea for $40 (or take them home in a tasting box). From there, couples meet with Karen for a design consultation, where she turns their favorites into sketches and a proposal. Couples who already know exactly what they want can go straight to Karen. The team recommends booking several months ahead of the wedding date.

Find your style

The cakes fall into four looks: The Classic, The Natural, The Modern Minimalist and The Whimsical, each with its own collection to browse. Tier count, servings and florals are all customizable, so the photos are a place to start.

What's included

Delivery and professional on-site setup come with every wedding cake. Couples can add custom plating sauces, cake stand rentals and fresh florals to match their theme. A dessert bar of petite desserts pairs beautifully with a smaller cake for the couple, delivered to the venue or served at a private event in the shop, and a Petit Dessert Tasting Box ($14.95, up to six minis) lets couples sample them first.

Delivery and pickup

Extraordinary Desserts delivers within the Greater San Diego area: Chula Vista, Coronado, Downtown, Point Loma, Mission Bay, Carlsbad, Rancho Santa Fe and Rancho Bernardo. Fallbrook, Vista, San Marcos, Escondido, Oceanside, Jamul and Alpine are outside the delivery area.

Celebrations before and after

Extraordinary Desserts hosts bridal showers, engagement parties and elopement receptions as private events in its shop. When the first anniversary comes around, couples can skip the frozen top tier and come back for a fresh keepsake cake.

All couples welcome

Extraordinary Desserts makes cakes for intimate gatherings, backyard parties and big ballroom receptions alike. Couples of every background are welcome.