The Illuminated Oven

Thought I would share my experience, good and bad!
Maria is a very talented baker. I ordered cupcakes for my wedding. They were creative, delicious, and she has a great gluten free selection. She arranged delivery, which went without issue.
We ran into a snag with pickup of the cupcake tower. Arrangements were made for the caterer to break down & pack up the tower, and Maria would pick it back up from the caterer’s headquarters. This was so perfect and convenient for me! Except…
I got an email from Maria soon after the wedding, explaining that she picked up the cupcake tower, only to find that it was cracked in two with most of the hardware missing. She needed to keep my $ 75 deposit, and suggested I contact my caterer for reimbursement.
This is all understandable. However, after having followed up with Maria, she admitted that when she picked up the tower, she left without notifying anyone at the caterer, and just determined she would keep my deposit.
In my opinion, it would have been proper to present the damage to the caterer at the time of pickup. In following up with the caterer, they assured me that it arrived at their headquarters in-​tact. A classic case of he-​said she-​said, and I’m left to pay the price.
I would not say that this situation was handled professionally by Maria. The tower should have been checked over & damages documented with the responsible party. Just because you have a client’s deposit does not entitle you to make undocumented claims and keep the deposit.

I feel the need to update this review now that I have had several different kinds of cakes from The Illuminated Oven. This business is the kind of place that makes me wish I was a little more stingy about giving out five stars, because Maria’s cakes are so good that they are in a totally different class from anything I’ve had anywhere else. Six stars for The Illuminated Oven!
The carrot cake is so good that it’s really hard not to order it any time I need something sweet for a special occasion. However, for Valentine’s Day last year, I went with the classic red velvet (gluten-​free), and oh my goodness, it was out of this world. I also ordered a vanilla cake with chocolate frosting for my boss’s going-​away party, as I thought those flavors would please everyone, and it was anything but boring. Several of the girls who ate it said that it was the best cake that they have ever had!
Maria makes many more delciious-​looking products other than cake which I am eager to try, but when I find something I like, I rarely stray. I am developing a hankering for some cake just writing this, and I am looking forward to the next time I order something from The Illuminated Oven!

These tasty treats are amazing! My favorite so far is the sticky toffee pudding cupcakes. I’m not sure if they are gluten free or not (never thought to ask), but they are delicious!

I bought a gluten free coconut torte for my son’s birthday. It was beautiful and delicious. Not too sweet, moist, and light. One guest said it was the best cake they had ever tasted. Maria was lovely to work with.

I am always impressed with the creations that come from Maria’s Illuminated Oven bakery. On several occasions my mom has sent me some of Maria’s baked goods in the mail, and they always arrive professionally and nicely packaged, and as tasty as the day they were made. Biscotti, homemade marshmallows, cookies, all things that you think you’ve had before… but wait until you try these!