Kawaii Bakery

Although two of Orange County’s Japanese bakeries (Cream Pan and Okayama Kobo) are better known locally, Fountain Valley’s Kawaii Bakery deserves to be included in some of the same discussions. As its name (Japanese for “cute”) suggests, Kawaii specializes in decidedly Japanese cakes with a very specific aesthetic and light sweetness. Most are fruit-topped, with geometric shapes and distinctive frosting designs that are aerated and light, rather than buttercream-style or icing dense like typical American cakes.

Kawaii sells full-sized cakes at more reasonable (sub-$40) prices than some other bakeries – ideal if the intended recipient doesn’t like super-sweet desserts. Customers seeking immediate sustenance can choose individual slices of some of the cakes (blueberry, shown).