Le Gateau Elegant

I have been coming to this bakery for almost 20 years… was a regular when they were in Martinez. I would get the cakes for birthdays, special events, and every Christmas… in short I have probably bought about 60 cakes in the last 20 years. The last 3 cakes have been a complete embarrassment. The first cake was for my fathers 80^th birthday party. I called 2 weeks in advance to place the order asking for an elegant jazz themed cake along with the beautiful roses they do. My daughter picked up the cake at noon, which is when I asked for it to be ready, and she had to wait 45 min because the lady who decorated the cake was doing a consult and wasn’t ready yet. When the cake was finally ready my daughter took a picture and sent it to me — it looked like it was decorated in less than 10 minutes and looked like a child decorated it. I called while my daughter was standing there and told them I was completely unhappy with it and was not decorated how I asked for it. I asked for it to be redone with just roses. While they were fixing it they were trash talking me in the back loud enough for my daughter to hear them. Very unprofessional.
The next cake was for a birthday and the cake tasted as it had been in the display for several days. Very dry and did not taste fresh.
I tried one last time at Christmas. I ordered our usual chocolate ganache cake. I have Merry Christmas and our last name put on the cake along with the year… I have been doing the same design for the last 15 years. I pick it up and they usually show you the cake before they box it. It was busy when I went in and they brought the cake already boxed and taped. I bring it to my brothers house for our Christmas Eve dinner party and when we open it up we notice it is the wrong size cake — a 6 inch instead of an 8 inch, the writing goes from cursive to print in the same word, and to top it off they spelled our name wrong. I was completely embarrassed and will not be back.
I used to rave about this place and tell everyone to go there… now I tell them to stay away and spend their money elsewhere. Such a shame.

I was really happy with our wedding cake we bought from them. It looked amazing and tasted good too.

I just ordered my wedding cake here and I must say this was the most fantastic experience. Of course I am not reviewing the actual delivery of the cake as of yet, but the variety of flavors was amazing. Also their butter cream is not heavy like other shops. It’s like something between whip cream and butter cream. The silky light texture was divine.
I chose princess cake and frangelico cake as my 2 cake flavors and both are so unique and absolutely scrumptious. Karen and staffs are fantastic as well. This shop is not easy to find online, but I am so glad my mother in law (who lives close by) recommended the store to me. The wedding cake search is finally over! Yay!!! The design, flavor, service, lightness of sponge and cream — all five stars !

My mom buys my birthday cake here every year. It’s always so so good, but this last year’s may have been the best cake I’ve ever had in my life. My mom couldn’t remember the exact description, but I think it was chocolate cake with espresso (maybe kahlua?) mousse and something raspberry-​flavored and covered in ganache. So heavenly. I was that kid that didn’t want to share her birthday cake. Well done, La Gâteau Elegant!

Pricey, but beautiful and tasty cakes for that special occasion. Slices of cake and other tasty treats for everyday. Friendly staff, cute environment.

I had the pleasure of getting my sister 40^th Birthday Cake from Le Gâteau Elegante. I sent her a sketch and she copied it exactly. It was suppose to be a fondant cut out of Jessica Rabbit on the top of the cake but Karen drew it out with butter cream and it looked awesome. Now, the cake was the Lemon Mousse Cake and it was moist, the fondant tasted like marshmallow… yum, and the lemon flavor and butter cream inside the fondant layer was amazing! The only complaint was that the bomb that was used on the top of the cake (which was a great 3D design detail) was made out of chocolate and my sister hates chocolate cake that’s why she decided on the white lemon cake. All in all it was beautifully executed and we are just finishing up the last 3 pieces. It was most definitely a hit!

I met with Karen back in feb of 2015 to reserve a date for my wedding cake. From the start she was very attentive and the cakes were so delicious. She gave me pointers on how to save money and incorporated all the details i wanted on my cake she listened to every detail. She really exceeded my expectations. I got married 11÷28÷15 my cake was 4 tiers, 3 flavors. It was so delicious and perfect. I got so many compliments so happy to have found this place thank you Karen for your expertise and for making me my perfect wedding cake. cant thank her enough.

Picked up my sister’s favorite, kahlua cake. This was really yummy! However the macaron and éclair was not that good this particular day. Éclair was a bit soggy for my liking and the green (pistachio?) macaron I got had a very VERY salty filling in the middle — like they may have mistaken salt for sugar. Had to spit it out immediately. Wrong day for me to get the macaron and éclair! Ate both in the car during a road trip so we didn’t turn back around to complain.

Many thanks to Karen for the beautiful Princess Cake. We had a forgotten order and Karen made it right for us. The cake was delicious and we are very happy. Thanks again for taking care of us.

This place makes something amazing treats. Whenever I am in the neighborhood I stop by to pick up a little something something to trey myself and my husband.
We were introduced to this bakery by my sister in law who had order my other sister in laws wedding cake here (back in the day when they were still situated in Martinez).
My husband and I went for a cake tasting together and were immediately impressed with the selection they offered. When I came back with my sister in law to order our wedding cake, a wedding present from her family, I noticed how very professional Karen handled our appointment. I was also very pleased to notice how well Karen paid attention to the dynamics between us and how she worked around that. It’s always nice to know that you’re being heard as a bride who wants everything to be perfect!
And that is exactly what we got, our wedding cake and the whole process of ordering and delivering was perfect.
I would also like to mention that we ordered a mini version of our wedding cake to serve to our guests for Christmas (none of them knew this was our choice for our wedding cake) and we received a lot of compliments and questions about where we got it. Because it was simply delicious! And they made our preferred taste combination work exactly the way we wanted it!
So if you’re looking for an amazing wedding cake and a professional to take care of you during the process, I would definitely recommend this place.

Cakes are good.
patisseries are well above average, definitely better than anything you’ll find in whole paycheck around the corner.
Parking is. .. pain, so stop and pop in to pkup and leave.
For now, they’re better than anything else in WCrk area.

To die for! The lady «that does everything» these were the best pastries that I have had. We had a slice of chocolate decadence it’s is even better than it sounds, luscious choc moose with moist cake, so good. We also had a Halloween ghost, filled with almond cake and raspberry moose, chocolate dipped with marzipan to create the ghost. I suggest that you make a stop here and try on of their pastries. They also do a variety of cakes.

We ordered two cup cakes my son tried half of one and I tried half of another. The cake was dense just like I like it, the frosting may have been a little too sweet for my liking but not too sweet to where I would say that I would not come back to try other flavors. The service was really good and she did not hesitate to answer any of the questions that I had. I will return on my next cheat day ;)

This place is amazing !
I was in a hurry to get my wedding cake and they we wonderful.
The tasting was so informative, and they had so many options .
The day of the wedding, my cake went by so fast everyone loved it ! Definitely recommend this place. It is a bit pricey but you are paying well for it. We paid about $ 800 for a 3 tier cake

We stopped here to buy some macaroons, the kind we rarely find in other places. It is a sweet little Shop with an amazing spread of cakes in all sizes. The staff here are very friendly. When we mentioned that we were buying for someone else, the lady offered to wrap the box with ribbon and she made it look so pretty. There is seating available for people who want to have coffee or cake here. Updating the review to 3 stars because the macaroons turned out to be extremely sweet, so sweet that the flavors were unidentifiable.

A few days ago my husband and I finished his doctor appointment at the nearby Kaiser, and drove by this little bakery on our way home. We stopped in since it was our 3 year wedding anniversary and picked up a couple desserts to take home with us.
I’m not much of a dessert person, but I like sweets in small amounts so I picked out a couple of raspberry petit fours (I bought two for us, and two extra ones that we took to my parents). We also picked out a custard filled éclair and a Neapolitan slice. My husband bought a croissant for breakfast and we boxed up the rest.
The total was just over $ 20, which we thought was a lot but we weren’t really surprised. After all, it is a little bakery in downtown Walnut Creek. Everything is a little bit more $$ around there.
The desserts were good. The little cakes (petit fours) were really sweet — it was a little too much for me, but my husband liked it. Custard was pretty good and I liked the Neapolitan bar.

I love this bakery so much!
First off, they are my go to for every event that I have since they were in Martinez. I was turned onto them when a girlfriend of mine had a «champagne cake» for her bridal shower. I have used them many times since then! See some of my pictures attached. I’ve used them for baby showers, bridal showers, birthdays and family get-​togethers.
Every time I order something from them it turns out way better than I had imagined in my head. Not only are their creations beautifully done but they are so tasty. The cakes I’ve had have been moist and fluffy; the brownies are so chewy and delicious. The quality and taste is unbeatable.
So, when people ask me where to get a cake or bakery type items, I always recommend this place. I do like this bakery very much, and spend a lot of money here.

Time: 5:23pm/84°F sunny
Purpose: I was told they’ve St. Honore cakes here. Been waiting for the right time to hit it up. Today was the day.
Ambiance: Located in a open strip mall complex next door to Babushka. Not much seating outside only a bench against window front. Inside an eleven seater with see through glass table and couple of diamond cut lacing table. Walls are hand drawn with soft pink pastel color scheme. Reminiscence that of looking outside window a villa countryside home. Without this décor, place would be just a plain looking place. Feels a little dated, but in a way. Counters matching the interior keeping it pink and light. Kitchen area window arch with hand drawn vines adds a unique look. The place is done with grape vines in mind. Yes, its cute and charming to some. I find it like a regular bakery that wants you to think the otherwise.
Staff: Double ponytail girl about mid 20s was engaging in her work. I went ahead and ask series of question regarding their offerings. She didn’t hesitate or blurp things out. Instead went over each item with details taking it out showing it up close. She only knows her sweets as for beverages, not informative.
Cleanliness: Grade C, flies flying around with no zapper or fly tape. Even though display cases were shut there’s still that questionable feeling.
Eats/​Drinks: One slice of princess cake at $ 4.25 after being told no St. Honore to be had. It looks really good, but too much cream and not enough sponge soak layers. Custard was perfect velvety smooth not too sweet. Whipped cream was fresh tasting however, raspberry layer was just a thin slather on once amount. Green marzipan was sweating showing glistening shine. Thus may not be their fault as weather was warm at the time of purchase. Overall for $ 4.25, I’m getting a slab of cake with 35% cream, 20% sponge cake, 5% raspberry filling, 10% simple syrup, 15% custard and 15% marzipan. Not my favorite item here, but just a try. There’s potential for this to be better. Probably will buy again as I have addiction for marzipan. Judging Copenhagen and Schubert’s this place would be just a runner up for princess cake.
Main Features: Wedding cakes are the bread and butter here.
Products/​Services: House drip, cappuccino, latte, mocha, café au lait, espresso, macarons, lemon bars, brownies, opera cake, cookies, tarts, petite fours, pastries/​danishes, personal slices, whole cakes, B-​Day cakes, wedding, anniversary, fruit bars. Breakfast simple eats, Torani syrup, coffee by Umbria/​tea by Stash/​Bigelow, CC $ 5 minimum, wedding tastings (schedule appointment only). More listed offerings (see pic).
Punch Lines: Mediocre to average, seats are minimal, charming décor, modest cost, no locally sourced ingredients, drool-​worthy, laid back, devotees, light bites, nothing out of the ordinary, kept its standards, satisfactory, itty-​bitty, private lot parking.
Tradeoffs: Not all listed items are available on a daily basis. When you’re ask to buy a certain piece of cake, it may or may not be available. Gets your hopes high, but you’re chancing it. Call ahead at least a day ahead.
Final Thoughts: It’s a good thing that I came for myself today. Now if, I had to buy it for someone they would be disappointed by now. I understand it’s a small place with limited space. Two showcases, but at least get the word out. Let people know that some items may not be available. I’m not sure if this is done on purpose to get you in or not. Hoping next visit, I can perhaps try a slice. Anyways, it gets the job done provided that you’re just there for yourself. Nothing really stood out as outstanding or award winning. My standards set for pastries and desserts are really high. That’s coming from years of experience, hands on and consuming at trade shows.

I am re-​writing my review since the bakery moved from Martinez to WC and my reviews didn’t.
The best Swedish princess cakes, hands down. I used to live in Concord, right down the street from Alpine bakery, but would drive to the old shop in Martinez for my princess cakes.
They did my wedding cake as well as all other special occasion cakes for our whole family, for years.
I highly recommend this bakery. I’d say to look up the Martinez listing to read all the reviews and check out the photos.

I fondly remember Le Gâteau Elegant from their small specialty shop in Martinez. More than a decade ago, my co worker got me the BESTEST swedish princess cake and a chocolate kahlua cake for my 21^st bday.
Fast forward to present time, my friend who’s an East Bay native asks me ( Unilocal princess!) where to get the cutest cake for his wife’s baby shower. I didn’t hesitate to recommend La Gâteau Elegant. Their red velvet cake is a knock out: buttery whipped icing on the cover, luscious layers of red velvet made richer with cream cheese filling. Decadent. Rich. Velvety.
Most of all, living up to the memories I’ve had so long ago from when I had my first taste of their cake.
Thank you for keeping it consistent all these years. I was confident enough to recommend you and you did not fail me.