Baked With Love is a proudly local cafe and cakery on Gascoigne Street in Taupo Central, owned by Kim and Scott and run by a large team of chefs, bakers, pastry chefs, cake stylists, baristas and cafe assistants. Everything is made from scratch in their spacious kitchen with real ingredients like butter and eggs — no shortcuts, no premixes, just handcrafted food.
Locals and travellers alike count it among the best cafes in town. Every day the sweet and savoury cabinets fill with handcrafted baking: famous doughnuts, signature chicken pies, sticky pork bao buns, corn fritters made to mum's cherished recipe, and an extensive gluten-free range that includes a much-loved banoffee slice. Talented baristas pour velvety flat whites and bold long blacks alongside it all.
Beyond the cafe, the cakery turns out ready-made cakes for forgotten special dates, custom cakes for any occasion, and wedding cakes, while Treat Boxes full of fresh homemade goodies can be ordered for pickup or local Taupo delivery. The retail corner offers house-made cookies, peanut brittle, caramel corn, macarons, signature sauces and a giftware range to take a little of Baked With Love home. Open from 8am to 2:30pm every day.
Baked With Love sits on Gascoigne Street in the heart of Taupo Central, and it has quietly become one of the town's most beloved cafes. Locals queue alongside travellers here — a daily vote of confidence from the people who know Taupo best and the visitors who have heard the rumours. Doors open at 8am sharp, every single day of the week, and the cabinets tend to be the centre of attention from the word go.
Proudly local, the cafe is owned by Kim and Scott, who lead a remarkable team of chefs, bakers, pastry chefs, cake stylists, kitchen assistants, baristas and cafe assistants. That depth of craft shows in everything that leaves the kitchen: every dish is made from scratch using real ingredients like butter and eggs, with no shortcuts and no premixes. It is home baking at cafe scale, done properly.
The heart of the operation is a spacious kitchen where the team bakes, cooks and styles food daily. Out front, two cabinets — one sweet, one savoury — fill with the day's handiwork: freshly baked pies, wraps, slices and, of course, doughnuts. The coffee programme holds its own too, with talented baristas crafting everything from velvety flat whites to bold long blacks on the espresso machine.
Start with the doughnuts. They are the cafe's icons, so famous they draw fans from afar, and they appear in playful forms like the doughnut French toast — a delightful twist that blends the house treat with a brunch classic. The signature chicken pies are another heavyweight: flaky, freshly baked crust over a rich, savoury filling, and a firm hit with cafe regulars.
Elsewhere in the cabinets you'll find sticky pork bao buns with juicy pork in soft buns, corn fritters made following mum's cherished recipe, and freshly prepared chicken Caesar salad wraps. Younger visitors get their own moment with kids' waffles crowned with a cascade of candy floss — proof that this is a place built for families as much as coffee purists.
Gluten-free diners are treated as first-class citizens here. The cafe offers an extensive array of sweet and savoury gluten-free options — a range they believe is the best in Taupo. The decadent gluten-free banoffee slice, creamy and rich, is a particular favourite among locals and travellers alike, and the savoury cabinet carries gluten-free choices too, so no one at the table misses out.
Beyond the cafe floor, the cakery is a destination in its own right. Ready-made cakes rescue forgotten birthdays and spontaneous celebrations, while the team also specialises in custom cakes for any and every occasion, from the grandest celebrations to the simplest gestures, along with wedding cakes. Treat Boxes packed with fresh homemade goodies can be ordered online, then picked up at the cafe or delivered locally around Taupo.
Before you leave, browse the retail shelves: house-made cookies, peanut brittle, caramel corn, macarons and signature sauces, plus a giftware range of artisanal goods, unique finds and keepsakes. Shippable gift boxes mean you can send a taste of Baked With Love to people further afield.
Baked With Love is open from 8am to 2:30pm every day at 11 Gascoigne Street, Taupo. Call 07 376 5513 or email [email protected] to order cakes, treat boxes or catering. The spirit of #LOVETAUPO runs through the place — in the food, the vibrant ambience and the easy warmth of the team — and as they like to say: Love Food, Love Coffee, Love Taupo.