D’ANGEROUS DAVE and I discovered Sweet Desires by chance, well actually because The Local Cafe in Hilton had great savoury edibles but we needed a sugar fix.

We spotted the cake shop right next door, and have been hooked ever since.

Sweet Desires owner Blake Morphett hadn’t given much thought to the cafe when he opened, but it’s worked a treat, with customers grabbing a cake from the shop to enjoy with coffee, or tea after a meal.

“At first the [cafe] was concerned I would sell coffee, but I had no interest in selling coffee, and we work well together,” Mr Morphett told the Herald.

His interest is purely cakes and pastries, as a look at the range says loud and clear.

“We don’t use any premix, everything is made from scratch.”

We’ve eaten the result with tea at The Local and been back a few times — quite a few times — for some to take home.

D’Angerous’ favourite is the toblerone – go for the $5 version it’s better value, than the smaller one for $4 – a rich, smooth and creamy-textured mousse topped with soft chocolate sauce.

It’s the creation of a new chef from Tasmania, employed to free up the boss for paperwork and running what is now a mini-empire of 11 staff.

“[Including] three different apprentices, a pasty chef and a head chef.”

The chocolate and raspberry cake is pretty good, but my favourite is the baci, just like the mini-chocolate ones, only bigger and cakey and decadently rich.

• Archer Morphett’s dad Blake might own a cake shop, but the display cabinet never loses its thrill. Photos by Steve Grant

The lemon meringue tart and a raspberry one spotted in Cafe Lumos’ cabinet was pretty damn good too.

“The creme brulee is my favourite,” Mr Morphett says, laughing when I say they look a bit like little boobs. “A lot of people say that.”

He started out working at McDonald’s while in high school: “I quite enjoyed working there,” he says.

Snagging an apprenticeship at Cookie Barrel, he became head chef after eight years before heading off to London.

Back home he scored a job as head chef at the Cake Box before setting out on his own.

Pretty soon the Hilton shop wasn’t big enough to keep up with demand, so he moved the production side to a factory in O’Connor and his cakes can be found as far away as Victoria Park and Joondalup, along with the ritzy Frasers at Kings Park.

Sweet Desires makes cakes to order for any occasion.

by JENNY D’ANGER

Sweet Desires
38 Paget Street, Hilton
9331 6688
open Mon–Saturday
9am–4pm