Beyond Melbourne’s bustling food capital where bakeries and patisseries light up the streets, one cake business has stepped away from the shopfront altogether. 

Maime Bakes is the creation of a one-woman powerhouse who runs her business entirely on Instagram, where founder Maime designs and bakes every cake herself. 

For her, baking is more than a job. It’s a passion that began at the age of three when she discovered the joy of baking.

 “I always had a drive and passion for anything I could create with my hands,” she says. 

That drive later prompted her to take an apprenticeship in cakes and pastry. By 2017, she had launched her Instagram account, which acted as a digital portfolio for her creations.   

Instagram as a storefront

Maime believes Instagram was the perfect platform to display her craft.

Its visual nature complements the vibrant colours, textures and artistry of cakes, giving her a stage where her product could shine. 

“Instagram was perfect for the audience I wanted to reach back when I started in 2017,” she says. 

“It’s visually focused, which made it ideal for showcasing cakes in a way that really highlights their colours, design, and creativity.”

Her followers and orders grew quickly, and while her online presence bloomed, she made the choice to not pursue a physical store.

Instead, she built her brand entirely online, relying on word of mouth and online presence. 

What sells online

Maime says the baking industry has inspired her to develop creative ideas.

"It's more about taking inspiration and adding my own personal touch and creative twist,” she says. 

“Definitely the look,” she adds: “The more aesthetic, unique or eye-catching the design, the more likely it is going to get more attention.” 

She describes how flavour is vital for customers who prefer to taste the cake before they purchase. However, for an online business, it is the visual presence that catches attention first.  

Connecting with customers

Operating without a physical store may appear as a limitation to some, but Maime perceives it as a strength. 

“I think the joy of sharing my cakes online has been the biggest reason,” she says, describing the feeling of being  “just as excited to create a cake as the customer is to receive it". 

Customers may arrive at Maime Bakes' virtual doorstep already invested, having followed the Instagram account. 

“Instagram makes it easy to connect with people,” she says. 

She appreciates how her customers often tell her they are excited to order because they have already seen the cakes come to life on her Instagram page. 

For customers like Konon Kuboi, who moved from Adelaide to Melbourne at the beginning of the year, Maime's work offered something she could not find in a traditional bakery. 

“Moving to a bigger city, with so many more options to choose from, I was excited to look for a birthday cake with my shared star sign for my joint birthday party.” 

It was only after scrolling on Instagram that she stumbled upon Maime Bakes. 

“The moment I saw Maime's cakes, I knew I had to order from her. My birthday cake turned out exactly how I imagined and it was so special knowing she made it from scratch all on her own,” Kuboi says. 

Vintage cakes return 

Kuboi's choice reflects a bigger trend. 

According to Melbourne company Baked by Britt’s 2024 cake trend survey, vintage-style cakes with layered piping, garlands and pastel palettes, with accessories on the side such as cherries and bows, are making a comeback online. 

These vintage designs can be spotted for celebrations via Instagram, where visually lush decorations matter.

This mirrors Kuboi's experience, when searching for a personalised aesthetic and unique design online.  

A one-woman challenge

Maime says her greatest challenge complements her proudest accomplishment: running every aspect of the business herself. From designing, baking and business management, she says, there is never a dull moment. 

“The most rewarding part is seeing my creative visions come to life, and then seeing the customer be overjoyed with the outcome.” 

She say several aspects behind the scenes contribute to her intense workload. 

“Even colour matching, an exact colour of ribbon a client has requested, is a lot to juggle,” she says. Despite the hardships of a one-woman show, she says she wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Beyond personal goals, she reflects on her business as part of a broader shift in how food businesses can thrive in the digital era. Platforms such as Instagram and TikTok have allowed small-business creators to compete with established bakeries and cake stores. 

She celebrates how a single post can reach so many people, which would be impossible with just walk-in traffic, assuring all the passionate bakers out there a chance to shine.  

Embracing individuality

For Maime, moving from Wollongong to Melbourne, which is often hailed as Australia’s food capital, posed its challenges. 

However, she chose to embrace individuality rather than conform to Melbourne’s food trends, describing her cakes as playful and colourful.

“I may not fit the typical Melbourne vibe, but that’s the most important thing to me, to stand out."  

As for the future of Maime Bakes, she is content with her current setup.

“I love working from home and being able to pour all my creativity and love into every cake”. 

Her advice for aspiring bakers hoping to grow through social media is simple: “Post! Post, post, don’t wait for the perfect moment.” 

From a childhood fascination with flour and butter to building a solo cake business in one of Australia’s biggest food cities, Maime’s story is one of passion and creativity — and building an online presence where the goods can speak for themselves.