It all started, as these things often do, with a simple question.
A customer got in touch asking if I could make some vegan cake pops for a birthday.
No drama, no long brief — just a gentle “is this something you could do?”
Now, I’ve learned over time that these kinds of questions are rarely just about swapping butter for margarine and calling it a day. Vegan baking isn’t about subtraction — it’s about re-thinking, re-balancing, and sometimes re-inventing. And that’s exactly where the interesting part begins.
The cake pops were for a birthday social at the Oranges & Lemons pub, shared with a group of people connected through Oxford Mutual Aid — a community built on quietly showing up for others.
And that’s when the idea for Silent Stars took shape.
Not loud.
Not flashy.
Just quietly bright.
Star-shaped cake pops, made to be shared rather than spotlighted.
I built them around a bright lemon cake base — clean, fresh, uncomplicated — bound with cashew and maple for warmth and depth, and finished with toasted almonds for a gentle crunch. They were then coated in a vegan oat blonde chocolate with a soft, almost shortbread-like sweetness that felt just right for an evening celebration.
They’re called Silent Stars because not all stars need a stage.
Some simply shine by being there.
That’s the part I love most about bespoke orders:
they’re never just about flavour. They’re about people, occasions, constraints, and little creative nudges that slowly shape something unique.
This was my first fully bespoke vegan cake pop order, and it reminded me why I enjoy these custom requests so much — they push me to think differently, to slow down, and to make something that feels considered rather than rushed.
If you ever need something vegan, allergy-aware, or simply a little bit different — just ask.
The best creations usually begin with a quiet question.
— Arty