Topi

About Topi

Topi is a cake and dessert shop on El Camino Real in Palo Alto. Its website sums up the business in four words: cake, dessert, DIY and catering. The shop sells ready-made cakes and smaller daily desserts, takes custom cake orders and has plans for hands-on cake classes. Many of the cake names on its menu appear in both English and Chinese.

The shop opened on October 8, 2025, according to The Almanac, which covered the opening a few days later. It took over the space that Shekoh Confections had used at 2305 El Camino Real. The owners are Tiffany Xing and Ivy Ling, whom the paper described as best friends. Xing told the paper that she chose the name because Topi always stands high and carries itself with confidence.

Cakes and desserts

Tea is the thread that runs through much of the menu. The cakes listed on Topi's order page include a Black Tea Cake, a Matcha Yuzu Cake, a Japanese Hojicha Genmaicha cake, a Peach Oolong Cake and a Jasmine Green Tea Cake. Other flavors stay closer to familiar bakery territory, such as Tiramisu Cake, Blueberry Chocolate Cake, Strawberry Mousse Chocolate, Sea Salt Oreo and a Soy Milk Cake.

A second group of cakes is built around the look as much as the flavor. The menu names designs like The Bear, The Doggie and The Ribbon, each listed in a 6 inch size, plus The Smile, The Floral, The Rainbow, The Black Pink and a Jellycat Cake. These are the kind of cakes people order for a child's birthday or a small party at home.

The order page splits the menu into two tabs, Daily Desserts and Cake. Around the opening, The Almanac reported single-serving chiffon "box cakes" in flavors such as peach oolong tea and black sesame mochi, along with scones stuffed with cream cheese. Menus at small bakeries shift with the season and with demand, so treat any flavor here as an example. The order page shows what is available today.

Ordering, custom cakes and catering

Topi takes cake orders through its website for pickup at the shop. The site says orders must be placed at least 2 hours in advance. That makes it a workable choice for a same-day birthday cake if you plan a little. For anything personal, such as a name, a theme or a particular color scheme, the shop offers custom cakes. The Almanac also reported that it makes wedding cakes.

Catering is one of the four services named on the home page. The site also sells gift cards and runs a rewards account for regular customers. A Book Online section and a photo gallery round it out. The gallery is the quickest way to see the shop's decorating style before you ask for a custom design.

Topi lists several ways to get in touch. You can reach it on WeChat under the name Topicakes, on WhatsApp at (650) 313-0330 or by email at [email protected]. Questions about a custom design are easier to settle in writing, with a photo of the look you have in mind and the date you need it.

DIY cake classes

Classes have been part of the plan since the start. The Almanac reported that the owners intended to run cake decorating classes both in the shop and offsite, with step-by-step instructions on a tablet so that beginners could follow along at their own pace. Xing told the paper she was "very confident anyone without experience or any age can make a cake by following that instruction."

When we checked the website on October 29, 2026, the DIY Class page still said "Coming Soon." If a class is the reason for your visit, contact the shop first. Ask whether sessions are running, how long they take and how to book a spot for a group.

Who it suits and tips

Topi suits anyone who needs a cake for a birthday, an office celebration or a family dinner. It is a particularly good fit if you like tea flavors such as matcha, hojicha or oolong. The character designs will appeal to families with young children. Our guide to Palo Alto with kids has more ideas for a family day out.

• Order online at least 2 hours ahead for pickup. Allow more time for a custom cake.
• The shop opens at 11:30 a.m. and closes at 6 p.m., so plan an evening party pickup before then.
• Keep a decorated cake flat and cool on the drive home, since El Camino Real traffic can be stop and go.

For more sweets around town, see our guide to bakeries and desserts in Palo Alto. Our Asian food guide covers restaurants, cafes and dessert shops with roots across East and South Asia.

Location and getting there

Topi is at 2305 El Camino Real, Suite B, Palo Alto, CA 94306, in the California Avenue area of Palo Alto. Our California Avenue guide covers what else is around.

The nearest train stop is the California Avenue Caltrain station, about 0.3 miles away. That is roughly a 8 minute walk.

Parking: street spaces and city garages with posted limits (see parking in Palo Alto).

Hours

Hours from the business's own website, checked October 29, 2026.

What is nearby

• Best in Class Education Center, school or studio, under 0.1 mi
• Club Pilates, studio or gym, under 0.1 mi
• Panda Express, quick-service spot, under 0.1 mi
• Village Flower Shoppe, store, under 0.1 mi
• Technology Credit Union, service business, under 0.1 mi
• College Terrace Library, 0.2 mi
• Bowden Park, 0.4 mi
• Peers Park, 0.4 mi

Other bakeries, ice cream and sweets nearby: Baskin-Robbins (1.1 mi); Manresa Bread (1.1 mi); Sweet 55 (1.1 mi); The Penny Ice Creamery (1.1 mi). Browse the full bakeries, ice cream and sweets list.

Before you go

• Popular items can sell out by early afternoon, especially on weekends. Go early for the best choice.
• Many bakeries take orders for cakes and large quantities. Allow a few days' notice for special orders.
• Seating is often limited, so plan to take treats to a nearby park if the shop is busy.

About this listing

Checked October 29, 2026 against Topi official website; Topi online ordering; Topi DIY class page; The Almanac: New Palo Alto cake business offers DIY classes and custom cakes (October 13, 2025). How our listings work. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

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