The closure of North Melbourne icon Beatrix Bakes last month – after more than a decade – left a cake-shaped hole in the hearts of many, many Melburnians.

While you can still order Nat Paull’s whole cakes for all your celebrating or commiserating needs, Beatrix’s by-the-slice era has drawn to a close.

But sometimes you need to forgo forethought. Or a whole cake is simply too much. So, we’ve rounded up five of our favourite recently opened grab-and-go cake shops – selling everything from retro, buttercream-slathered creations, to elegant tarts and beyond.

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Mali Bakes, Thornbury Until recently, the only way to try a Mali Bakes cake was to order a whole damn one to pick up from the appointment-only shopfront. But pastry chef Patchanida Chimkire has made it easier to get your hands on a slice of one (or, likely, more) of her exquisitely retro, eye-poppingly colourful layered cakes. Now, on Saturdays only, she’s selling a dozen or so of them by the slice from her infectiously cheerful Thornbury space. Among the most popular flavours perched side-by-side in the cabinet are yuzu and poppy seed with strawberry preserves; chocolate with raspberry, cinnamon myrtle and toasted-white-chocolate cream cheese; and choc-peanut-butter cheesecake. The shop is as vibrant as the cakes it’s filled with – there’s a pretty-in-pink terrazzo cabinet, plus terracotta feature walls and cute baby-blue tables (get in early to snag one).

Holy Sugar, Northcote Audrey Allard – aka Holy Sugar – was responsible for a spike in many Melburnians’ serotonin (and sugar) levels during lockdown. At the height of restrictions, her Instagram bakery’s once-a-week dessert boxes brought some serious sweetness to a not-at-all-sweet time. But, only a year on, the former Lune pastry chef has opened a cosy bricks-and-mortar shopfront in Northcote, brimming with nostalgia. The cabinet is filled with all the sweets that made Melbourne swoon in 2021: both custard and lemon-meringue tarts; Basque burnt cheesecake, dulce de leche, pecan and almond tarts; and yes, her famous butterscotch crullers. But two notable new additions have joined their ranks: focaccia sangas and chocolate eclairs. The shopfront itself also has a sense of farmhouse nostalgia, with shabby-chic tables and mismatched old-school crockery that could be straight out of your grandma’s kitchen.

Tarts Anon, Cremorne and Collingwood Out of Melbourne’s many, many lockdowns rose many, many exceptional Instagram bakeries. But while some have remained online-only, others – like Tarts Anon and Holy Sugar, mentioned above – have since expanded into the real world. In the past, these tarts – by Gareth Whitton, former head pastry chef at the now-closed Dinner by Heston – were only available online. And they sold out in seconds. But now, you can pick them up by the slice, whenever you want, at his snug OG Cremorne shopfront. The light, bright high-ceilinged space has a fit-out inspired by the apartment where the side hustle started. And flavours-wise they vary, but you’ll likely find the signature pear, a classic lemon tart and an ooey-gooey crowd favourite of caramel and chocolate custard. Plus, in what’s very good news for north-siders, it’s also expanded to Collingwood, finding an unlikely second home in a cycling-apparel store. They may seem like strange bedfellows, but Whitton is an avid cyclist. “It was a far-fetched concept until it wasn’t.”

Kudo, CBD The grand, heritage-listed Hotel Windsor isn’t hard to miss on Spring Street. But the same can’t be said for its new bakery, Kudo. Almost two years in the making, it opened quietly in July. And it’s already buzzing. Accessible from the hotel’s side entrance on Little Collins Street, the pint-sized shop is entirely gluten-free, and in the process of becoming coeliac-certified. Behind it is pastry chef Felix Goodwin (ex-Sunda) and his wife Elena Nguyen – the brains behind the bakery’s seasonal creations, such as the mandarin, pineapple sage and apricot jam choux, made with the sharp yet sweet bite of mandarin peels fermented in local honey. There are also a few cakes and cookies on regular rotation – including elegant chiffon variations and spongey madeleines – plus chewy, custardy canelés in flavours like matcha, kumquat, and vanilla and Jimmy Rum.

Mabels, Toorak For Cassandra Hanna and Joshua Green, who both grew up in Auckland, bakery visits were a weekend ritual. Last year, they channelled those memories into Mabels, a warm, welcoming Toorak spot that specialises in lofty cakes and flaky pies – baked by Hanna and Green, respectively. On the cake front, the offering is always somewhat different, but also always delicious. One day you might find a decadent choc-raspberry cake, the next it could be a zesty lemon-pistachio number, and another it could be a heart-shaped creation covered in hundreds and thousands. But the layered-up presentation and thick icing are constants. These are Hanna’s “celebration cakes”, each sold from an impressive display in the front window. She also regularly makes gluten-free carrot cake and vegan chocolate cupcakes, as well as various combinations of lamingtons, marshmallow slices, lemon tarts, chocolate biscuits and gingerbread people.

Additional reporting by James Williams, Jo Rittey and Quincy Malesovas.