City Gal Bakes

Introduction / Overview

For California residents seeking to elevate any event—from intimate birthdays to major corporate gatherings—with visually stunning and unbelievably delicious treats, look no further than City Gal Bakes. Operating out of San Francisco, this woman-owned bakery and licensed Cottage Food Operation (CFO) has become the Bay Area’s go-to specialist for high-end, fully customized decorated sugar cookies and beautifully crafted buttercream cakes.

Founded in 2019 by Elizabeth Ihidoy—a former Speech Language Pathologist who turned her passion for baking into a full-time, successful venture—City Gal Bakes is a testament to meticulous attention to detail and unwavering quality. Elizabeth’s unique background, combining the disciplined approach of a professional with the artistry of a self-taught baker, shines through in every cookie and cake. Her mission is elegantly simple: to create something special that brings a bit of joy to your life, an aim she consistently achieves with her handcrafted, made-to-order specialties.

City Gal Bakes excels in transforming clients’ visions into edible works of art. Customers consistently rave about the effortless communication, the spectacular decorations, and the delicious taste of the signature Vanilla Almond cookie—a combination that makes this bakeshop highly recommended for anyone looking to truly impress. Serving San Francisco and the wider Bay Area, City Gal Bakes is where flavor meets flawless design for all your dessert needs.

Location and Accessibility

City Gal Bakes is based in San Francisco, operating as a licensed Cottage Food Operation (CFO). As a custom, made-to-order specialty business, it functions differently from a traditional storefront bakery. The primary mode of service revolves around appointment, pickup, and delivery, ensuring every order receives dedicated, personalized attention.

The core address for operations is:

932 Hamilton St, San Francisco, CA 94134, USA

For the convenience of Bay Area clients, the business offers various methods to receive orders. Since services are offered by appointment, it is crucial for customers to arrange their order and pickup time in advance. The central focus on custom orders means that a quick, unannounced visit is not the typical mode of operation, though the business is structured to provide a fast and efficient experience once an order is placed and scheduled. The commitment to a welcoming environment is also clear, with the business identifying as women-owned and being LGBTQ+ friendly and a Transgender safespace.

Services Offered

City Gal Bakes provides specialized services centered around custom-made celebration treats, emphasizing convenience and personal attention for clients across the Bay Area.

Available services include:

• Custom Orders: Specializing in high-end, fully customized decorated sugar cookies, cakes, cupcakes, and other baked goods for personal and corporate events.
• Curbside Pickup: A convenient option for clients to retrieve their scheduled orders at the San Francisco location.
• Delivery: Available for cookies and other treats, often including personalized hand delivery within San Francisco and the broader Bay Area on an order-by-order basis.
• In-Store Pickup: The standard method for receiving pre-ordered items, which requires a scheduled appointment.
• Corporate and Logo Orders: Offers custom logo cookies and large-batch orders perfect for corporate functions, client gifts, and fundraisers, using edible ink printing technology.
• Cookie Decorating Classes: Provides in-person classes for both children and adults in San Francisco, as well as customized DIY kits for events like bachelorette parties and birthdays.
• Holiday Bakeshops: Launches specialized online bakeshops for major holidays, featuring personalized treats, DIY kits, and unique gift options.
• Payment Flexibility: Accepts major Credit Cards, Debit Cards, and NFC Mobile Payments for seamless transactions.

Features / Highlights

What sets City Gal Bakes apart in the highly competitive California dessert market is the unique blend of exceptional artistry, high-quality ingredients, and customer-focused operations.

Key features and highlights include:

• Specialization in Handcrafted Custom Sugar Cookies: This is the bakery’s signature offering. Cookies are thick, often featuring intricate detail work, up to four icing colors, airbrushing, hand-painting, metallic accents, and royal icing transfers.
• Signature Vanilla Almond Cookie: The base for the famous decorated cookies, praised by customers for its delicious taste—a flavorful, high-quality base that stands up to the stunning decoration.
• Artistic Complexity Levels: Offers tiered pricing for custom cookies—from detailed to highly elaborate—to accommodate a wide range of design complexity for weddings, corporate branding, and unique celebrations.
• Custom Printed Edible Designs: Utilizes an FDA-approved food-safe edible ink printer for efficient and budget-friendly corporate logo orders and photo cookies.
• Custom Cake Options: Provides classic buttercream celebration cakes in various sizes (from Smash Cake to 10-inch tiers) and flavors (including Chocolate, Vanilla, Confetti, Strawberry, Lemon, and Pistachio), with options for Tall Cakes and Vegan-friendly requests.
• Woman-Owned and Inclusive: Identifies as a woman-owned business and maintains a welcoming, safe space for the LGBTQ+ and Transgender communities.
• Exceptional Customer Service: Reviewers consistently praise Elizabeth’s smooth, quick, and effortless communication, highlighting her ability to bring a client’s vision to life and go "above and beyond" for special events.
• Self-Taught Excellence: Founder Elizabeth is a self-taught baker who successfully pivoted her skills into a full-time, highly-rated business, bringing a dedicated, high-quality focus to every order.

Contact Information

As a specialty custom order business, the primary method for placing an order is through an inquiry or appointment via email or website submission.

Address: 932 Hamilton St, San Francisco, CA 94134, USA

While a public phone number is not listed for direct calls (in keeping with the custom order model), the most effective way to start the process is to submit an inquiry through their official channels. This is an appointment-required business.

What is Worth Choosing

If you are ordering from City Gal Bakes, you are seeking bespoke, high-impact desserts. The specialty here is custom work, and customers are consistently thrilled with the results.

The top choices worth selecting include:

• Custom Designed Sugar Cookies (Detailed or Elaborate): This is the flagship product and the main reason to choose City Gal Bakes. Whether you need a stunning, detailed set for a bachelorette party, like the "Princess Diaries" theme one customer mentioned, or a high-end, artistic set for an adult birthday, the detail and flavor are unmatched. These are renowned for their incredible visual appeal as well as their delicious taste.
• Custom Printed Cookies: For corporate clients or large gatherings, these are the best option for a budget-friendly way to impress with edible logos, photos, or personalized text. It offers the same great signature cookie taste with the efficiency of modern printing.
• Celebration Cakes: For a centerpiece dessert, choose one of their buttercream cakes. They are available in classic, crowd-pleasing flavors like Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry, or Lemon. Inquire about the 4-inch "Smash Cake" or "QuaranCakes" sizes, which were once popular during restricted times and remain a fun, manageable size for small celebrations.
• Vanilla Almond Cookie Flavor: When choosing your custom cookies, opt for the signature Vanilla Almond flavor, a fan-favorite base that provides the perfect, delicious foundation for the royal icing art.
• Vegan-Friendly Cakes: For guests with dietary restrictions, Elizabeth offers vegan-friendly and allergen-friendly cakes upon request and as scheduling allows, demonstrating a commitment to inclusive baking.

For California residents planning a special event, choosing City Gal Bakes means securing a dessert that is not only delicious but also a true talking point. The combination of artistry, great taste, and seamless customer care makes this small, woman-owned business a clear standout in the San Francisco baking scene.

City Gal Bakes

932 Hamilton St, San Francisco, CA 94134, USA