Overview
Beloved Thornbury cake shop Mali Bakes is entering a new era, with owner and pastry chef Patti Chimkire having now released her debut cookbook, Mali Bakes, in October 2025. The book captures everything that has made the brand so loved: vibrant colours, nostalgic details and a sense of fun that runs through every design. Inspired by vintage decorating manuals and Melbourne's creative spirit, it offers a journey through baking and decorating, beginning with simple, flavour-led cakes and progressing to more intricate designs.
For Chimkire, the book portrays a milestone that has been several years in the making. Although baking is now her full-time job, it wasn't part of her childhood. She grew up in Bangkok, where street food culture dominated everyday life. "I didn't actually grow up baking," she says. "Most days we were eating out or picking up takeaway. Cooking at home wasn't really part of our routine."
The real spark came from long summers spent on her grandparents' farm, where her grandfather loved cooking everything from scratch. "Those summers became this special time where we'd slow down and just cook together," she says. "That's where I fell in love with being in the kitchen."
After moving to Melbourne, she studied cookery and patisserie, eventually working across several kitchens before landing at Proud Mary. When COVID paused dine-in service, Chimkire moved to wholesale baking, where she worked independently for the first time. "It gave me the freedom to work at my own pace and explore what I enjoyed most," she says. When lockdowns paused everything again, she found herself baking at home and posting her creations online. "I started with those big chunky cookies, just baking for fun and delivering them around the city," she says. "Then I started making cakes too, and people really connected with them."
Five years later, Mali Bakes has become one of Melbourne's most recognisable cake studios. Chimkire's designs are immediately identifiable, built on bold colours, nostalgic shapes and playful piping. Her style began simply, without formal training. "When I started, I didn't have any background in cake decorating, so I just did things my own way," she says. She drew inspiration from old Wilton cake books from the 1950s through the 1970s, along with a childhood love of Wes Anderson films and Japanese anime. "I think that's where my love of colour and slightly quirky details comes from," she says.
But the appeal of Mali Bakes extends beyond appearance. Chimkire cares deeply about flavour. "I always bake like the cake is for me," she says. "It has to be something I'd be proud to eat and proud to share." Her Thai background influences her perspective on balance and contrast, often guiding her toward unexpected pairings. One example is her olive oil ricotta cake with blackberry and fennel jam. "Fennel in a cake might sound crazy at first," she says, "but once people try it, they understand. It's unexpected, but it works if you give it a chance."
Building Mali Bakes has brought challenges and turning points. Signing her first commercial lease felt particularly challenging. "We didn't have a big budget, but Luke and I poured everything we had into making it happen," she says. They handled most of the renovation work themselves, learning as they went. Slow but steady growth followed, from custom cakes to Saturday slice days and a short-lived Fitzroy pop-up. "Seeing people come in, enjoy what we'd made and share that excitement felt like such a turning point," she says. Now Chimkire runs the kitchen on her own, with Luke working behind the scenes. "Success doesn't always mean getting bigger. Sometimes it's about finding balance and staying true to what works for us."
The cookbook extends that philosophy. Chimkire wanted the book to feel approachable even to readers who might be intimidated by vintage-style cakes. "When you see a beautifully decorated retro cake, it can feel a little overwhelming," she says. "That's why the book starts with simpler cakes so that people can build confidence." She describes baking as something similar to painting, a process of building structure and detail. "Once you understand how the parts work together, you can create something truly special."
She hopes the book will resonate with everyone, whether they bake frequently or are just starting. "You can make the cakes as they are, or you can try the decorating projects," she says. "My hope is that people can come back to it throughout their baking journey and always find something new."
For Chimkire, the release also marks a new beginning. "It feels like a way to give back to the lovely cake community and the retro decorating scene that supported me from the very beginning," she says. Looking ahead, she's excited to continue exploring one-off custom pieces, especially wedding cakes. "Those projects push me creatively and keep me learning all the time," she says. "Right now, that's what I'm most excited about."
As Mali Bakes enters this next chapter, the cookbook offers a way for baking (and decorating) enthusiasts to bring its colour, charm and creativity into their own kitchens, one slice at a time.
Images: Supplied