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You’ve taken the plunge and set the date. Now, you need the cake. Or maybe you need some post-breakup cupcake therapy. Cheryl Kleinman, a one-time psychologist turned pastry chef, offers sweet succor at Betty, the retail arm of her high-end wedding and custom cake business in Boerum Hill. A homey storefront with discreetly placed racks of impossibly flawless-looking cakes, cookies, and pastries leads into an expansive kitchen bustling with pastry chefs, bakers, apprentices, and all-around masters of marzipan flowers and multi-tiered perfection. The focus is on design as well as delectation; notable examples include cakes lined with retro horizontal stripes and inlaid geometrical patterns, and a flower-lover’s delight bursting with life-like sunflower stalks. Aesthetics aside, "these cakes are made to be eaten,” Kleinman explains. Each one is developed with the same socio-analytical skills she relied on in her old line of work, whether matching a confection to a bride’s dress, a groom’s personality, or a mother-in-law’s dream party. In addition to her shop and special orders, Kleinman also bakes for cafes and bakeries city-wide, including Film Forum, Doma on Perry Street, and 2nd Street Cafe in Park Slope. — K. Emily Bond

Depending on the season, celebration cakes usually require two to four weeks’ advance notice.

Wedding Cakes
Brides and grooms should expect streamlined shapes covered with smooth fondant or marzipan icing and adorned with sugar flowers. Cakes come in eleven flavors, from old-fashioned banana to hazelnut-almond, with assorted fillings ($10 to $12 per serving, though Kleinman will work with budgets as low as $250).