Let Them Eat Cake: The Story of Sweet Laurel Bakery

You know those days when you get trapped scrolling through Instagram looking at beautiful images of decadent desserts? Well, Sweet Laurel Bakery is one of those guilty accounts that will have you immediately obsessed, salivating over its feed of gorgeous cakes. With a huge online presence, this past September the bakery expanded IRL and opened a brick and mortar location in Pacific Palisades. We recently sat down with Laurel Gallucci, one half of the founding duo (and its namesake!) to talk about her experiences creating the sweetest shop in town.It all began when Laurel was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease and was told she would never be able to eat cake again. Not about to give up her love of all things sweet, she began experimenting with a range of organic and dietary-approved ingredients and found joy in sharing her trials (and wins) with friends and family. Her supportive friend, Claire Thomas, knew right away that these cakes were something special, and together they created the online brand, Sweet Laurel.With just one glance at the brand’s Instagram feed, it is evident that Sweet Laurel’s treats are true works of art. Laurel says, “I love the beauty found in nature. I live simplicity. The two combined are my biggest sources of inspiration.”This attention to detail is shown from their delicacies to their decor. Cakes are decorated with elegantly placed flowers and the cafe is designed with a subtle pink floral wallpaper and minimalistic furniture.The female founded company is proud to work with other female founded, local businesses, with their coconut cream, almond milk, cacao, matcha, and florals all sourced from LA based artisans.Sweet Laurel’s aim is to serve people with dietary restrictions the finest quality cakes, so that anyone can enjoy desserts. Indeed, Laurel’s Hashimoto’s disease is now in remission. She shares, “Removing all grains, refined sugar, dairy, and legumes from my diet greatly improved my healing journey. For me it was the most anti-inflammatory approach."An approach she has -- thankfully -- chosen to share with her legions of fans through cakes... and we can’t name anyone who’s not on board with that philosophy.