Meet The Cake Hun: The Great British Bake Off Star Bringing Buttercream Magic to MNT: Live
Amelia Le Bruin has built one of the most joyful, cake businesses in London. We’ve been chatting with her ahead of her appearance at Make New Traditions: Live on 4 October to talk buttercream, Bake Off, and why wedding cakes are worth every penny.
Interview by Melissa Woods
If you've ever scrolled past a wedding cake so beautiful it stopped you mid-thumb and made your mouth water, there's a good chance it was made by Amelia Le Bruin — better known as The Cake Hun.
A Great British Bake Off 2019 contestant turned full-time cake artist, Amelia has carved out a fiercely distinctive corner of the wedding cake world: think Swiss meringue buttercream, vintage piping, bold colour, and designs so personal they could only ever belong to the couple who commissioned them. No two cakes the same. Exactly how we like it.
Cakes aside, MNT Member — Amelia, is also one of our favourite humans, which is why we're thrilled she's joining us at Make New Traditions: Live at Kachette, Shoreditch on 4 October 2026. If you want to meet her in person — gawp at, and taste her work, this is the wedding event you need to attend!
But first, we sat down with Amelia for a proper chat, so you can get to know the face and personality behind the cakes!
It seems you were born to bake. How did that all start then?
I don't think you're too far wrong with that statement! I really did grow up around homemade baking. My mum was at cake decorating college when she was pregnant with me, and I've got so many fond memories of my childhood being in the kitchen around her creating amazing celebration cakes. I also spent a lot of time at my grandparents as a child too – countless Sunday afternoons were spent in the kitchen with my Grandma Joan making everything from fairy cakes to jam tarts from her well thumbed Be-Ro recipe book!
Spill the tea. Great British Bake Off 2019 — what was that experience actually like?
Honestly, it really was amazing. Yes, it was the most stressful thing I've ever taken part in but equally just as amazing! There's so much more work that goes into putting a show like that together than I'd ever imagined so seeing that side of things was super interesting too. The best thing to come from the show was definitely the people. You're all going through such a unique experience which means you make strong bonds really quickly. I made friends for life in the tent!
Do you still get recognised? (Actually, I know you do because my cousin spotted you at our last London event!) But how often does it happen?
Haha! It really doesn't happen very often at all these days. Sometimes there's a really awkward moment where I'll meet someone new and they'll say "I really recognise you! Where do I know you from?" and I'll just shrug my shoulders and laugh it off. Can you imagine how embarrassing it would be if I was like "oh yes, you probably recognise me from episodes 1-3 of The Great British Bake Off 2019!" and then they tell me that they've never watched it?!
Photo by Flora Mac
After Bake Off, a lot of contestants go back to normal life. You went and built a business. HUGE RESPECT! Do you think it gave you the confidence you needed to make the leap?
Thank you! Being on the show definitely gave me more confidence in the kitchen, in a way I think it was quite validating for me. I went back to my normal life (as a fashion designer) straight after the show but was always planning the next "showstopper" for family and friends in the background. I launched The Cake Hun Instagram page in September 2023 and even then, it was just still only a side hustle. After losing my job a year (and six days) later I decided to take the leap and see what would happen if I threw everything I had at building a business.
Is there anything you've struggled with since starting your own business?
Yes, everything!? From working out how to price my cakes, to learning how to build a website and navigating deliveries of buttercream cakes during 30-degree heatwaves there's always a struggle somewhere when you're running your own business! But as cheesy as it might sound, I've loved every minute of it. All of the challenges scratch my brain in a really exciting way and I can't believe how much I've learnt in a relatively short space of time.
What do you wish more couples understood about wedding cakes?
Wedding cakes are a real investment, and I think the cake industry as a whole is often misunderstood when it comes to prices. I regularly hear people say 'it's only a few eggs and some flour' and it makes me roll my eyes so hard every time! You're not just paying to cover the cost of my ingredients. There's my time, expertise and overheads to think about too. No two wedding cakes of mine are the same. Every couple I work with will have a design consultation where I'll really get to know them and sketch up a cake that reflects different elements of the day they're planning. There's a lot more work that goes into a wedding cake than many people realise and I feel confident knowing that my prices reflect my skill set and quality of my work. Right, I'll get off my soapbox now…
What does a typical week actually look like for you?
There ain't no such thing as a typical week at The Cake Hun and that's part of its charm. Generally, orders are usually booked in for the end of the week so Thursday through to Saturday you'll probably find me in the kitchen. The rest of the week is a combination of replying to enquiries, ordering supplies, sketching new designs, shopping for ingredients, the list goes on!
Photo by Kirsty Great
What's on your playlist when you are baking?
No, because why is this the most difficult question you've asked me so far?! My taste in music is varied to say the least so there's no easy answer here. I always get ready in the morning with the radio on so that usually follows me into the kitchen to start with but once I've had enough of that there's no knowing what comes next. It could be Luther Vandross, Lily Allen (West End Girl Album from start to finish) or even a bit of George Michael if that's the mood I'm in! Every now and again I'll throw on a podcast but if the mixer is going at full speed then I won't be able to hear what they're talking about so a good playlist is always the best bet.
I'm obsessed with your Instagram content and having seen your cakes IRL at our event AND having tasted them, I'm blown away by the levels of perfection. Tell the truth — do you always get it right first time?
Wow thank you - you're so kind! I always want to present the absolute best quality of my cakes every single time, but I'd be lying if I said there were never any disasters. I've mixed up amounts of sugar and flour before, and the absolute classic of using baking powder instead of baking soda will never not be the most frustrating thing ever! Recently I even dropped a cake while I was getting it out of the oven too. Whenever anything does go wrong, I'll always correct it as soon as I realise though. When you bake as often as I do you can tell that something's not right as soon as it's out of the oven – sometimes even when it's still in there – so I'll quickly retrace my steps to work out what I've done before mixing a new batch and starting again.
What's been your favourite cake commission to date?
This is like asking a parent to choose their favourite child! I genuinely love all of the cakes I make for all different reasons. I feel so incredibly lucky to work with some of the nicest most genuine people I've ever met. My customers really restore my faith in humanity so being able to work with them on such a milestone event in their lives is really special. When I look back at the cakes I've made it's those human connections that I think come to mind. All that being said, I had the opportunity to work with adidas x END. on a really cool project last year. It was so exciting to be working with two huge brands so early in Cake Hun history. I owe that one to you for making the connection too, so THANK YOU
Are there any cakes you just won't make?
I'm not a novelty, fondant girlie. All of my cakes are decorated in Swiss meringue buttercream and I use colour and vintage piping to create nostalgic designs with a modern feel. Now I'm not knocking fondant work at all, I know people who can make some seriously impressive models and the most realistic sugar flowers but that's just not in my wheelhouse so it's not something I'm ever going to offer.
Flavour of cake that you think is underrated?
Classics are classic for a reason, and there'll always be a place for them on my menu but sometimes I wish that people were a bit more adventurous. My favourite flavour currently on my menu is Pistachio and Orange, it comes with a chocolate ganache filling and is so luxurious. I made a version of it in the Bake Off tent when I went back for the 2023 Christmas Special. Paul and Prue loved it so if it's good enough for those two then it's certainly worthy of my amazing customers too!
If you could smash a cake into anyone's face who would it be?
Nigel Farage? J.K. Rowling? Donald Trump? Tommy Robinson? The list goes on… I mean, I don't think any of these people are worth wasting a Cake Hun fantasy on but give me a comedy custard pie and I'll see to it. The Cake Hun is no place for hate. We're literally all just existing on a floating rock at the end of the day. I don't have the time to tolerate racism, homophobia, transphobia, misogyny or abuse to any other marginalised community.
Where do you see wedding cakes going in 2026 and beyond?
I'd love to see people keep pushing the boundaries in their wedding cakes. The best weddings are always the ones that feel most authentic to the couple you're celebrating and there really aren't any rules on how to do things. From intimate ceremonies with a small but perfectly formed single tier cake or huge celebrations with a whole tablescape of cakes, I'm here for all of it and everything in-between!
Come and Meet Amelia aka The Cake Hun at Make New Traditions: Live London
If Amelia sounds like the perfect cake maker for your wedding, she will be at Make New Traditions: Live at Kachette, Shoreditch on 4 October 2026— our flagship immersive wedding event bringing together the best independent, modern wedding suppliers in the UK. You'll be able to see her work up close, talk through your wedding cake ideas in person, and if you're lucky, taste something spectacular. It's not your average wedding fair.
Amelia Le Bruin is a member of the Make New Traditions Book of Love — our curated directory of the UK's best modern wedding suppliers. Find her listing and get in touch about your wedding cake here.
