- About Us
You dream it, I bake it.
Gateau is a bake-to-order private bakery in Warrenton, Virginia.
All of my cakes, fillings, and frostings are skillfully made from scratch using unbleached and unbromated flour, no hydrogenated fats (real butter, not shortening or margarine), no artificial dyes, aluminum free leaveners, non-GMO and organic ingredients.
I create memorable, elegant, and delicious cakes to celebrate weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, and other special occasions. Each cake is made with love and exquisite attention to detail.
- Lora is a Third-Generation Entrepreneur
Lora is a civil engineer and an award-winning pastry chef. She began creating cakes in 2002 as a hobby while working as a civil engineer in Las Vegas. She enjoyed the creative aspect of decorating cakes, but even more so it was important to her that she bake with the finest ingredients for her family and friends.
In 2008, she attended the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Scottsdale, AZ, and was taught by some of the top pastry chefs in the industry. Her baking skills and knowledge expanded exponentially. She decided to take the leap and share her passion for quality desserts with the public by launching Gâteau in Arizona that same year.
Her architectural and engineering background is invaluable to her work, as is her strong understanding of the science of baking.
Gâteau has been serving Virginia since 2011.
Pastry Chef and Owner Lora Vennettilli Gookin
- Lora's Cake Philosophy
it's not just cake...
“I believe that cake is so much more than a mixture of flour, butter, eggs, and sugar. It is the marriage of high quality ingredients, the science of baking, thoughtful design, and artistic execution. Cake is love.
Cake is a much anticipated guest at a party, second only to the guest(s) of honor. It is an extension of a celebration; it is one of the gifts. Cake completes the party. It is the ‘WOW’ moment when mouths open and gasps are heard. Then I know my job is well done.”
