Melanie PtacekBaker and Owner
Little Bird began in a home kitchen with a birthday cake for a daughter and a stubborn refusal to use anything but real butter. Friends asked. Then friends of friends. Years later, Melanie still bakes every cake herself.
Her work leans toward the quietly luxurious: hand-painted buttercream, mirror glaze poured in one pass, sculpted fondant characters for the little ones, and edible gold applied leaf by leaf. Whatever the theme, the finish has to be immaculate — and it has to taste even better than it looks.
"If it isn't beautiful and delicious, it doesn't leave my kitchen."
What top-shelf actually means
Real ingredients only
European-style butter, single-origin chocolate, Madagascar vanilla, heavy cream, farm eggs and seasonal fruit. No mixes, no shortening, no artificial flavor.
Made in small batches
A handful of cakes each week. That limit is deliberate — it's what keeps every tier hand-finished rather than assembly-lined.
Designed for you
Mel sketches with each client: palette, florals, topper, flavor pairing and how it should look on the table before the first layer is baked.
Finished the morning of
Florals are sourced fresh, glazes poured, gold leaf applied and garnishes placed hours before the cake goes out the door.
From hello to happy birthday
Say hello
Send your date, guest count and a few inspiration photos.
Design
Mel replies with a design direction, flavor options and a quote.
Bake
Your cake is baked, filled and finished by hand in her kitchen.
Celebrate
Pickup or local delivery, with setup notes for the big day.