Sweet temptations: Cacao inspires Vienna with cake dreams!

Sweet temptations: Cacao inspires Vienna with cake dreams!

A lot has happened in the colorful world of Viennese pastry shops in recent years. New in the shop window is the “Cacao” pastry shop, which opened its doors at Märzstrasse 27 in spring 2023. The founder Albina Hafizović has created a little paradise for cake dreamers with a lot of commitment and passion. Inspired by the consistently positive feedback from her friends after baking over 50 different cookies for Christmas, she took the step into self-employment.

Albina mastered the challenges of interior design and technical equipment herself, while also fighting her way through numerous bureaucratic hurdles. Now “Cacao” offers a variety of classic cakes, including the popular Sachertorte and the “Fruchtkönigin”. In addition, the “Dubai cake” is an international creation that is well received by customers. The plan is to expand the range to include homemade ice cream, which will make the sweet dreams at “Cacao” even sweeter.

Joint planning and creative ideas

The “Cacao” team starts every day with a cup of coffee and discusses the upcoming plans. New recipe ideas often bubble up spontaneously from the employees' heads. The opening times are ideal for anyone with a sweet tooth: Tuesday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you want to find out more about the sweet temptations, you can find plenty of information on the café's Instagram channel.

Viennese café culture has a long tradition that dates back to the 18th century. A prime example of this is the traditional Demel pastry shop, which is located at Kohlmarkt 14 in the inner city. Originally as k.u.k. Founded by Hofzuckerbäcker, Demel has an unbeatable reputation in the city. The story begins in 1778, when Ludwig Dehne came to Vienna as a confectioner and founded a pastry shop on Michaelerplatz in 1786. After several generations and changing owners, Demel moved to its current location on Kohlmarkt in 1888, where it is still a popular meeting place today.

Demel versus cacao

Although “Cacao” is still in the development phase, it is already facing a great legacy. Demel, known for specialties such as the Demels Sachertorte and a variety of other cakes, has earned the title of purveyor to the court and is a must for every sweet tooth. While Demel has a long history filled with tradition and exquisite craftsmanship, “Cacao” is a breath of fresh air in the Viennese cake scene that scores with creative and international offerings.

The competition in this sweet industry is high, but the Viennese love to discover new tastes. Whether at Demel or in the new “Cacao” pastry shop, lovers of fine cakes will find happiness in both houses. So it remains to be hoped that the love of craftsmanship and the joy of baking will continue to be very popular in Viennese pastry shops in the future.

Anyone looking for sweet temptations in Vienna is spoiled for choice: long-established traditional houses like Demel or innovative new companies like “Cacao”. But one thing is certain, everyone will find what they are looking for here!