Cualli Cakes

For my mom, thank you for making our birthdays so magical. You are me, and I am you.

Welcome to Cualli Cakes. My name is Cashmere. I’m a BIPOC woman and mom of two, running a vegan home bakery in Beaverton, Oregon. Cualli Cakes is named after my beautiful daughter, Cualli. Her name means “good” in Nahuatl.

This menu is a tribute to my mom, Joious Lovato, who passed away on November 25, 2023. My mom was pure magic. My favorite memories are the parties she threw for us, full of creativity, joy, and love. My menu, “To Mom, Love Cash,” is inspired by the cakes she made for me and my sister.

One of my favorites was Mother’s Garden, inspired by a cake she made for my sister’s 6th enchanted forest birthday. She filled a garden pot with chocolate cake, gummy worms, Oreos, chocolate frosting, and fresh flowers, and served it with a shovel. I remember her making snails out of Hostess snacks and caramel. This was long before Pinterest made things like that trendy.

She made cakes that looked like ladybugs, built six-foot sandwiches, and even created rocket ships out of computer parts, trash bags, and tents. She embraced mess, art, and imagination. She encouraged exploration and the freedom to just be. She had the gift of making everyone feel special. She danced to the beat of her own drum, always in a fabulous pair of shoes. She was my best friend and my other half.

My mom used to tell me that I make beautiful cakes that are captured in photographs for life’s special days. At Cualli Cakes, we bake from scratch, creating cakes that are unique and full of heart. We bake memories of arms that hold us, hands that knead, mix and twirl.

When you order from Cualli Cakes, you’re not just supporting my dream of being a baker, you’re helping keep my mom’s legacy of love, imagination, and Joy alive.