With a thin slice of orange sitting atop creamy frosting, the delicate, citrusy “Maria Luisa” cake at Luna’s Cakes + Coffee in Newton Centre is as appealing to the eye as it is to the tastebuds.
It is just one of the attractive and delicious treats created by the Restrepo sisters — Valentina, 29, and Valeria, 24 –- at their very first business.
“We make everything in house and from scratch,” said Valentina, the cake artist.
The impeccably decorated goodies on display include familiar flavors like chocolate, vanilla, and carrot cake, as well as more unusual combinations, including sweets layered with creamy dulce de leche. There were also “Brigadeiros” — a Brazilian dessert that includes a truffle on top as well as an apple cider doughnut bundt cake, to name a few. The Restrepos also offer vegan and gluten-free options.
The bakery, located at the former home of Starbucks at 1269 Centre Street, was named after the sisters’ childhood dog, Luna. On a recent weekday, customer Mia Papazian enjoyed a banana bread latte — flavored with real bananas, not an artificial syrup — as she typed on her laptop.
Luckily for anyone wanting to stay and work in the temptation-filled shop, the WiFi password is easy to remember: buttercream.
Getting creative
Originally from Revere, the sisters now live nearby in Watertown.
“We chose [to open in] Newton because … we loved the sense of community and diversity here,” said Valeria, the pastry chef.
Luna’s is in good company with (as of early October) eight other bakeries in Newton Centre including SALT Patisserie, Tous Les Jours, Tatte, Bakey, Pon de Joy, Blackbird’s Doughnuts, Rosenfeld’s Bagels (which sells pastries), and nearby Blacker’s Bakeshop. Even without including the shops that sell chocolates and ice cream, the list of bakeries within one city village is impressive.
The sisters said they’re glad to be part of such a large community and enjoyed participating in the recent Newton Bakery Crawl.
“We love it! Each place is so unique and it brings diversity to Newton,” said Valentina.
Although they had experience in the food and hospitality industry and have always enjoyed cooking, their journey into owning their own business began during Covid.
“Baking is a passion that we discovered during the pandemic,” said Valentina. “Like many other people during this time, we had extra time to try out new things and find what we were really passionate about.”
As they became more enthusiastic about making sweets, they “started trying out new recipes. I also started to challenge myself and try to decorate cakes by watching videos online and putting it into practice,” she said.
Soon, the sisters were designing one-of-a-kind showstoppers that incorporated multiple design elements, like flowers, cartoon characters, animals, and racecars, to name a few.
“My favorite thing to make are the custom cake orders that we receive. There is no better feeling than to bring someone’s vision to life,” said Valentina. “We make sure every detail is just perfect, and I love when I get creative freedom.”
As for what it’s like to work so closely together, Valeria said, “We have always had a great relationship. We sometimes have our disagreements, of course, but we work well together and find solutions that work for both of us. We really are very excited for this journey ahead and are looking forward to what the future will bring.”
Luna’s Cakes + Coffee is located at 1269 Centre St. in Newton Centre. For more information, visit www.lunascakesandcoffee.com.
