For the last nine months, cake designer Dana Alfahham has been setting up shop in her permanent baking quarters in Leesburg. Although the Covid pandemic slowed the process a bit, it never robbed Dana of her dream to create beautiful cakes in her own commercial kitchen.
While growing up in Syria, Dana spent her free time baking. At first, she thought it was just a hobby and even went on to study biology. Overtime, she realized it was baking that fed her soul. “Baking is my passion and is the thing that I love to do,” says the now Loudoun-resident and owner of the newly opened Dana’s Cake Shoppe, a local bakery that has been offering gourmet desserts, freshly baked goods and special-occasion cakes in the region for nearly a decade.
Dana decided to explore her appetite for cake design and trained both in Dubai and England. That’s where her pastry and cake decorating flourished. Eventually she became an authorized cake decorating instructor abroad for several years prior to moving to the U.S. where she has shared her delicious baking ever since.
Undeniably, Dana’s cakes are pleasing to the eye and a wonderful treat for anyone who has tried. Starting with well-tested recipes, each cake is made entirely from scratch using fresh and all-natural ingredients. With butter, sugar, flour, eggs, and cream, Dana creates stunning cakes for weddings and special occasions. “Working with my hands is part of the fun,” says Dana, but adds that the most rewarding part is “the look on the faces of customers’ when they see the cake that they imagined,” and their praise after tasting.
Among the most popular flavor choices is the pina colada coconut cake, says Dana. This has real pineapple filling and shredded coconut completes it. Lemon-raspberry also ranks high, as well as red velvet and chocolate.
A physical shop at the Village at Leesburg has the added bonus of more face-to-face customer engagement, says Dana who wants everyone to feel welcomed to stay and enjoy a treat or two. And that’s the vibe of the shop. When you walk through the doors, you’ll notice a feminine, inviting charm to its design with a soft color palette. You may also see one of the seven employees manning mixers in gazing view.
In addition to visiting the new storefront, online orders as well as delivery will continue. Dana says opening the store wouldn’t have been possible without her supportive husband, three children, and the Loudoun community.
Dana’s Cake Shoppe opening weekend is August 14-16th, Friday 3pm-8pm, Saturday 10am -9 pm, and Sunday 10am-6pm.
1604 Village Market Blvd. SE, Unit 125, Leesburg
