Cakes Plus in Baltimore: Custom Cakes and Everyday Pastries in Canton
Cakes Plus is a neighborhood bakery in Canton that splits its focus between made-to-order custom cakes and a steady rotation of donuts, cookies, and prepared pastries for walk-in traffic.
What Cakes Plus actually is
Located on O'Donnell Street, Cakes Plus operates as a full-service cake shop with a retail case. The bakery takes custom orders for birthdays, weddings, and events, but also keeps enough stock on hand that you can walk in without advance notice and buy a dozen donuts or a slice of something ready-made. The operation is small, owner-run, and not set up as a production facility; this is not a destination for high-volume wholesale orders or elaborate fondant work, but a straightforward neighborhood place where people get cakes made for the occasions that matter to them.
Services and pricing
Custom cakes start at around $35 for a small single-layer cake designed for four to six people; a two-layer cake for twelve to twenty people typically runs $55 to $80 depending on flavor and decoration complexity. Pricing varies by design and filling; you order these in person or by phone, usually with a few days' lead time. Donuts and pastries in the case cost between $1.50 and $3 each. A half-dozen donuts runs roughly $9 to $12. Confirm current prices by calling ahead, as ingredient costs shift.
How Cakes Plus compares to other Baltimore bakeries
Canton's bakery landscape includes Artifact Coffee (focused on specialty coffee and minimal pastry), which does not do custom cakes, and a few chain options nearby that lack the personal ordering experience. For custom cakes at similar price points, Whisk in Fells Point and B. Williams Confectionery in Federal Hill are alternatives, but both operate in more tourist-facing neighborhoods and carry higher overhead; Whisk emphasizes elaborate designs and runs $70 to $150 for comparable sizes. Cakes Plus suits someone who wants a straightforward, affordable cake without waiting weeks or paying for a design-intensive aesthetic. If you need a wedding showstopper or a heavily decorated character cake, Whisk is the better call. If you want to drop in and buy a box of glazed donuts on a Saturday morning, Cakes Plus is faster and more accessible than calling a specialty shop ahead of time.
Who it suits and who it does not suit
Cakes Plus works well for weeknight birthday cakes, office celebrations, and anyone in Canton or nearby neighborhoods who wants to avoid a 20-minute commute to Fells Point. It is practical, not decorative. If you are ordering a cake two weeks out for an event and want multiple design consultations, this is not the place. The space is small and does not accommodate large parties waiting inside; it is a pick-up operation, not a sit-down cafe.
What the first visit involves
Walk in and look at the case. Donuts and pastries are visible, priced, and usually available immediately. If you want a custom cake, ask to speak with an owner or staff member, describe what you need, and provide a date. They will tell you if they can accommodate it and quote a price. Payment is cash or card. Pickup happens at the agreed time; expect to collect your cake during regular business hours.
Hours and parking
Cakes Plus is open Tuesday through Saturday, roughly 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., though hours may shift seasonally. Call ahead to confirm weekend hours before visiting. Parking on O'Donnell Street is metered and limited; use the nearby Canton neighborhood lots if curb spots are full.
Cakes Plus matters because it demonstrates that a small, unpretentious bakery still has a function in a neighborhood with rising rent and consolidation. It is not Instagram-famous, does not trend, and will never be called a destination. It is reliable, affordable, and exactly what its customers need.
