The Journal

London’s relationship with cake is older than most of its skylines. Long before cupcakes and laminated pastry became the norm, the capital’s bakers were already shaping the city’s tastes, from the elegant tea rooms of the 19th century, where sponge, tarts and éclairs came with a silver spoon to the post-war boom of corner bakeries that fed neighbourhoods on iced buns and custard slices. As sugar became more widely available, classic treats like Chelsea buns and Tottenham cake quickly followed.