Edible Food Find: Cake Ann
Photos by Michael Piazza
Similar to her multi-tiered masterpieces, Inga Logan-McCarthy, owner of Cake Ann in Gloucester, has many layers. The daughter of German and Iowan expats, Inga grew up in Brazil immersed in her mother’s baking before moving to the United States. When she wasn’t dabbling in her passion for pastry, Logan- McCarthy was busy pursuing degrees in Portuguese and Latin American studies, selling software or raising her family.
It wasn’t until Logan-McCarthy started gifting wedding cakes to her friends that the seeds of a greater enterprise were sown. Those wedding presents would ultimately become a gift to the North Shore community as a whole when she decided to go start a baking business, first appearing at the Rockport Farmers Market and eventually opening the original location of Cake Ann on Eastern Avenue in Gloucester.
Today, Cake Ann is nestled on a wharf in Gloucester between fishing charters and classic New England seafood eateries. Boasting a beautiful fireplace and water view, the space is outfitted with ample seating, WiFi and a mouthwatering selection of sweet and savory pastries. Influenced by the recipes of her upbringing, Logan-McCarthy often reduces the sugar in her creations in favor of subtler, simpler flavors; just don’t mistake “simpler” for plain. Quiche, vegetable galettes, cupcakes and their famed Kouign-Amann are made with the highest-quality ingredients and are anything but ordinary.
Gloucester has proven to be “an incredible food town,” says Logan-McCarthy. She relishes her relationships with local purveyors and farmers, partnering with boat captains to make fish pies and transforming surplus tomatoes into tartlets. In addition to the rich food culture, the North Shore is home to several wedding venues, including the Hellenic Center in Ipswich; Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport; and the Cruiseport, Beauport Hotel and Hammond Castle in Gloucester. Recognizing an opportunity to expand her business, Logan-McCarthy began to focus again on wedding cakes.
And what a business it has been. Due to rising costs and pandemic-delayed nuptials, wedding season now spans 11 months of the year. For Logan-McCarthy, that meant designing, baking, frosting, decorating and transporting over 200 cakes in 2022 alone. Whether you’re looking for traditional or modern, vegan or buttercream, funfetti or Oreo, you name it: Cake Ann does it all. Not a cake person? Cake Ann’s dessert bar is a popular alternative, featuring lemon bars, brownies, snickerdoodles and other hand-held confections.
After so many cakes, Logan-McCarthy is still as inspired as ever. She looks to her surroundings, recently mimicking the ironwork of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in a castle-themed cake. Her team prides itself on finding ways to accommodate dietary restrictions without compromising on flavor, and finds motivation in playing such a special role in each couple’s big day. As a favorite part of the process, Logan-McCarthy loves that first meeting with clients, absorbing their individual personalities, backgrounds and visions for the event, literally and figuratively baking it all into a singular dessert.
If you’re in the market for a wedding cake, it’s safe to say you’ll want Logan-McCarthy in your corner. She will gently inform you that your polka-dotted vision will likely clash with the striped wallpaper of a particular ballroom, and ensure your chosen dessert flavors complement the rest of the menu. Collaborating closely with other vendors and staff, Logan-McCarthy and her team ensure delivery and presentation are seamless. This attention to detail is shared by her husband, Matt, master cakedeliverer, who is well-versed in the hazardous steps and various obstacles each venue presents. Ultimately, when things get stressful, Logan-McCarthy is that breath of fresh air reminding you that all you need to do is show up and say “I do.”
And eat cake. Don’t forget the cake.
cakeann.com
63 Rogers St., Gloucester
This story appeared in the Summer 2023 issue.
