Custom Cakes Designed for Your Moment
Marin Cake Studio is a commission-based dessert studio in San Rafael, California. Since 2016, Lindsay Holdorf has been creating custom cakes for weddings, birthdays, and special occasions throughout Marin County and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Each piece begins with a conversation about your event, your aesthetic preferences, and what you hope your dessert will communicate. We work with a limited number of clients each season, approaching every commission as a design project rather than a production order. This allows for the depth of attention that yields cakes worthy of being photographed before they are served.
Our studio specializes in custom cake design for clients who value ingredient quality, visual sophistication, and the collaborative process of creating something specifically for their celebration. Whether you are planning an intimate gathering in San Rafael or a larger event elsewhere in the Bay Area, our work reflects a commitment to thoughtful design and careful execution.
A Commission-Based Approach to Dessert Design
Marin Cake Studio operates as a commission-based studio rather than a retail bakery. We do not maintain a storefront or produce standard menu items for walk-in purchase. Instead, each cake is designed in collaboration with the client who has commissioned it.
This approach allows us to work with greater flexibility in design, technique, and ingredient sourcing. When you commission a piece from our studio, you are engaging in a design process that begins with your vision and concludes with a cake created specifically for your event.
Our clients appreciate this model because it positions the cake as a considered element of their celebration rather than a commodity purchase. The consultation process, material selection, and design development all contribute to a final piece that reflects both your aesthetic and the significance of the occasion.
The Studio Process
Every commission follows our three-phase approach: Gorgeous. Personal. Meaningful.
The Consultation establishes the foundation for design work. We discuss your event, gather visual references you find compelling, and begin to understand what aesthetic direction resonates with you. These conversations happen in our San Rafael studio or remotely, depending on your location and preference.
The Design Phase translates consultation insights into visual concepts. Our team develops sketches, proposes color palettes, and presents technique options for your review. Most commissions involve several rounds of refinement as the design evolves toward something that feels exactly right.
The Creation happens in our studio kitchen. Every element is made by hand using techniques appropriate to the design. We work with premium ingredients and pay attention to structural integrity, visual detail, and flavor development throughout the process.
Our Work
The cakes created in our studio range from architecturally minimal designs to detailed painted compositions. Some feature hand-sculpted sugar work, others rely on precise geometry and restrained color palettes. The unifying element is attention to craft and a design sensibility that prioritizes sophistication over trend.
We work frequently with clients planning weddings, as the wedding cake holds particular significance as both a visual centerpiece and a shared dessert experience. Birthday commissions allow for more playful exploration while maintaining the same commitment to quality and design intention. Special occasion cakes address the full range of celebrations that benefit from a thoughtfully designed dessert.
Our portfolio demonstrates range within a consistent aesthetic philosophy. We are equally comfortable executing modern minimalism and romantic elaboration, provided the design direction emerges authentically from the client's vision rather than from template options.
FAQs
What makes Marin Cake Studio different from a traditional bakery?
1
We operate as a commission-based dessert studio rather than a retail bakery. Each cake is designed specifically for the client who has commissioned it, following a collaborative consultation and design process. We do not maintain a storefront or produce cakes for walk-in purchase. This model allows us to work with a limited number of clients each season and devote full attention to each commission.
What areas do you serve?
2
While our studio is based in San Rafael, we work with clients throughout Marin County, San Francisco, and the greater Bay Area including Napa and Sonoma counties. Delivery logistics are discussed during the consultation process.
What is your timeline for commissions?
3
We recommend initial contact at least 6-8 weeks before your event date. During peak season (May through October), earlier contact is advisable as our schedule fills quickly. We discuss specific timelines during the consultation.
Can you recreate a design I found online?
4
We draw inspiration from images you find compelling, but we create original designs for each commission rather than replicate existing work. This approach respects design originality while ensuring your piece is created specifically for you.
