Award-Winning Wedding Cakes that Look Like Art and Taste Like Love
Meet Chef Marie and Chef Carlos
My dogs, Sadie & Jet. They are legit the best buds a girl could have!
Capturing special moments for people like you. Seriously, my job makes me so happy!
Traveling. Our recent adventure was to Rome, Italy and it was so amazing seeing that part of the world!
Hands on Sweets was created by a dynamic husband and wife team who were both trained at the prestigious Johnson and Wales University and have created award-winning wedding cakes, desserts, and edible favors for more than ten years.
Their designs have been recognized nationally by top wedding blogs and magazines like Green Wedding Shoes, Style Me Pretty, and Southern Weddings.
Their press-worthy designs and seamless customer service have made them the trusted cake vendor for luxury Tampa wedding planners and venues.
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After finishing her Bachelor's in Business Administration, Marie attended Rhode Island's Johnson and Wales University, one of the top culinary schools in the country, where she trained alongside premier pastry chefs. Marie's specialty is creating artistic designs with her cakes and desserts using inspiration from her Spanish roots and infusing her work with her mother's not-so-secret ingredient –– love.
When she's not creating art from spun sugar or baking delicious cakes from scratch, you can find her enjoying time with her husband and daughter, gardening, painting, bike riding, and spending time at the beach.
...a rich, decadent, makes-you-want-to-lick-the-crumbs type of brownie.
Inspired by her Mother's love for baking and her hunger for new recipes, Marie started perfecting the art of the brownie when she was just 11-years-old.
It all started with a brownie...
meet chef marie
School bake sales led to summer side gigs selling baked goods at a local office supply store. Soon Marie was pre-selling her delightful creations and quickly created a name for herself.
While working toward his degree in Business Administration at the University of Puerto Rico, Carlos worked at the Intercontinental Hotel and the renowned San Juan Hotel and Casino. This led him to Florida and a career at the Four Seasons Hotel in Miami before moving to Rhode Island to study culinary at Johnson and Wales University, where he crossed paths with Marie and her delicious recipes.
meet chef Carlos
With a background in five-star hospitality for hotels like the Intercontinental Hotel and the Four Seasons, Carlos brings rich business acumen to Hands on Sweets along with his culinary prowess.
The couple moved to Tampa and started Hands On Sweets in a humble commercial kitchen built in a garage. Word of their stunning cakes spread quickly throughout the Tampa Bay luxury wedding scene, allowing Hands On Sweets to move to their current commercial boutique location in 2013.
When Carlos isn't baking at the shop, he enjoys sailing, woodworking, bike riding, and making memories at the beach with Marie and their daughter.
about the process
From a commercial kitchen in a small garage to an award-winning luxury wedding and dessert bakery, Carlos and Marie are renowned for their artistic designs, delicious recipes, and something Carlos describes as "magic that only Marie can bring to the kitchen."
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Fill out our questionnaire, confirm your date's availability and book your consultation and tasting.
Inquire
01
Creating Your Wedding Cake With Us is Deliciously Easy
From the first look to the last crumb, falling in love with your desserts should be a slice of cake. As a preferred vendor for the top Tampa area wedding venues, you can rest assured you're in good hands.
We send our custom tastings home with you so you can relax, enjoy, and choose which decadent flavors and pairings you love. Once you've booked your wedding date with us, we'll prepare your hand-drawn sketch design and proposal.
Taste & Imagine
03
During our in-person or virtual, paid consultation, we'll dream up your custom cake design and desserts together and prepare your made-from- scratch tasting experience.
Meet with Us
02
Your wedding day is just as important to us as it is to you. Your desserts will be delivered on time and photo-ready. Although our cakes look too pretty to eat, once your guests take a bite, they won't be able to stop.
Enjoy Every Bite
04
Spun Sugar and Creamy butter Help Create Moments You'll Never Forget
The moment a couple gasps when they see their final cake design or a bride tears up at her cake tasting when she tells us the lemon zing makes her think of her beloved grandmother's recipe.
The moment when the Mother of the Bride calls to tell us she's having a slice of wedding cake with her coffee and did we know it was going to taste absolutely scrumptious the day after the reception?
At Hands on Sweets, we live for these moments.
We're into creating moments that matter, and we know your desserts shouldn't just be stunning. They should be deliciously memorable.
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Designing a cake starts with you. We work closely with our clients and their wedding planners to ensure their cake, dessert tables, and favors enhance their theme and vision. When you work with us, you don't just get a wedding cake –– you get an edible piece of art.
Artistic Design
Our desserts taste like little bites of heaven because of the ingredients we use. Each wedding cake is created from scratch in a small batch to ensure a luxury taste time and again. You'll never find any frozen or pre-made cake mixes in our Hands on Sweets kitchen for a reason. Fresh ingredients, real butter, and love go into every recipe.
Baked from Scratch
Our cakes are press-worthy, and not just because they demand a photo op of their own, but because the best wedding venues in the Tampa area recommend us to their clients. Our cakes and our customer service never disappoint! Wedding planners and vendors trust us 100% to ensure a seamless, stunning day.
Award-Winning
