Couture Cakes has sweet opening

Co-owner Lisa Chourabi, left, with Nancy Clark of the Delray Chamber of Commerce and National City Bank, Maria Palavecino, Deputy Vice Mayor Woodie McDuffy and Vice Mayor Brenda Montague.

By DAVID SEDORE, Palm Beach Business.com Staff

DELRAY BEACH — Couture Cakes officially is open for business.

The custom cake bakery opened its store on North Federal Highway Thursday evening with the help of the Delray Chamber of Commerce and Delray Deputy Mayor Brenda Montague and Vice Deputy Mayor Woodie McDuffy.

The store is owned by Maria Palavecino, who designs and bakes the cakes, and Lisa Chourabi, who handles the business end. Stefanie Herrera assists Palavecino in the kitchen.

• Couture Cakes
• 142 SE 6th Ave. Suite A
• 561 279-1828
• www.CoutureCakeShop.com

Couture Cakes has been in business for two years, actually, leasing kitchen space while Chourabi worked from home.

Custom cakes are the headline products, but Couture cakes also does custom cupcakes and cookies using all-natural ingredients. They don’t ship the cakes but they will their cookies. They also make cookies as party favors.

Have a dietary restriction? Couture Cakes has vegan, dairyless and eggless recipes. Have a favorite cookie recipe? They’ll make it for you.

Wedding cakes are staples, but Palavecino has made sculpted cakes in unconventional shapes such as cars, dogs and even boom boxes. She’s been baking custom cakes for five years.

The company has been featured in People magazine for best cake design in Florida, wedding magazine The Knot for hot trends of 2008 and WE Network’s Platinum Weddings will shoot a segment this weekend featuring Couture Cakes.

Palavecino, a culinary school graduate, got into custom baking when she did her sister’s wedding cake. She took lessons from renown cake maker Colette Peters.

“I’m really into the art of food,” Palavecino said. “It’s not such a hectic environment as working in a restaurant.”