Our Story
Two friends with a shared vision – enjoying life!
Once upon a time, summer 2003...
when the two friends Alexander Weinzetl and Henrik Svensson went on their first backpacking trip together to explore the wide world. A trip through Australia. They were impressed by the positive, life-affirming mentality of the "Aussies" and other backpackers from around the world. This lifestyle inspired them, and they wanted to embrace it, live it, and share it with others.
They were full of drive...
School was completed, university on the horizon, but where should all their energy and enthusiasm go? They wanted to create something new, to develop and build. It should embody the joy of life. It should be fun – for themselves and for others. Further trips abroad during their studies strengthened their vision even more.
2006 – then the brilliant idea came...
Friends and engineers from Sweden had developed a cake printer. A cake printer that allowed anyone to design their own individual cake. That was the idea. As cake lovers and fully convinced by the product, the two acquired the license rights and presented the device across Germany. Many bakers were impressed, but most lacked the courage to invest in the idea.
But that didn’t stop them...
They decided to take over the production of the cakes themselves. Only the best quality was used: super tasty cakes, top cake toppers, and the unique printers where almond paste could be printed with motifs in edible colors. With countless flavors and cake shapes, a variety of motifs, and the possibility for everyone to use their own photos and designs. Everything just the way they themselves would have most enjoyed.
In August 2009 it was time...
The site “deineTorte.de” went online. The two friends wanted a platform that was simple to use, full of ideas, and most importantly, interactive. Everyone could participate, contribute ideas, suggest new flavors, and bring the site to life. People were thrilled, and more and more cakes were designed and ordered. The site became a success and thrives on the fun of designing your own individual cake.
The Image Editor – breakthrough in designing your own cake...
In 2010, a crucial tool went online: the Image Editor for Photo Cakes. Now every customer could upload their own photo, edit it, add text, and select a matching frame for the occasion. Additionally, the German cartoonist and photographer Uli Stein noticed the project and liked the idea. He licensed his illustrations and has since worked with the deineTorte team.
Into the wide world...
What impressed Alex and Henrik most in Australia was the communication between different cultures. They met backpackers from many countries. Keeping this memory in mind inspired the idea to offer cakes in France as well. VotreGateau.fr was born and went online in April 2011. More countries would follow.
The first cakes for lovers...
In 2012, the first multi-tiered wedding cakes were introduced. Since then, customers could order one-, two-, or three-tiered wedding cakes in various designs with matching decorations. Additionally, the first cakes featuring popular characters from different themes went online and became especially popular for children’s birthdays over the years. The online shop received its first makeover with pink as the main color, which remains familiar today.
The product range grows...
Customers could now also order cupcakes, tartlets, brownies, and macarons. For cakes, imagination had no limits. In 2013, heart-shaped and number-shaped cakes went online, along with Face-Cakes, allowing for fun pictures. Looking further afield, the Dutch shop jeeigenTaart.nl opened in February 2014.
5Years of deineTorte...
A first milestone was reached – in August 2014, deineTorte turned 5 years old. Many of their ideas had already been implemented by Alex and Henrik during this time. In the meantime, a great team of employees had formed. The next step was to further develop the company and create space for additional growth. The premises in the right-bank startup center were slowly becoming too small. It was time to take flight. The family-like atmosphere should be preserved, office and bakery should remain together, and there should be enough space for everyone – these were the requirements. The two found a solution, and the team moved to the other side of the Rhine into a larger building in Cologne-Ehrenfeld. Not only were the premises changed, but deineTorte also received a new logo and the website a fresh, stylish design.
DeineTorte trains apprentices...
One of their goals was always to pass on knowledge. By now, deineTorte had grown to a size that made training possible. In 2014, the first trainee for office management was hired, and in 2016 the first trainees for pastry chef training joined. Since then, several have completed their training, and most have stayed on as employees of deineTorte.
Increasingly innovative baked goods...
Alex and Henrik, the pastry chefs, and even the customers kept coming up with more product ideas. One idea was the increasingly popular Cake Pops and Cake Popsicles in England. These delicious cakes on a stick had to be included in the range. So Alex and Henrik, together with their pastry team, decided to introduce creative Cake Pop varieties to their shop and create their own unique interpretation of these little treats. The deineTorte Cake Pops are much larger than the classic ones and decorated with various toppings and glazes. Also newly introduced were the Deluxe Cakes – elaborately produced cakes in all sorts of shapes (handbag, sneaker, double height, etc.) as well as the unique Rainbow Cake filling: brightly colored layers with a special interior filled with tasty chocolate drops. Furthermore, the shop was expanded further. In 2015, the Swedish shop dintarta.se went online, followed by the Polish shop twojtort.pl in 2017.
Partnership with Dr. Oetker...
In February 2018, deineTorte entered into a partnership with Dr. Oetker. For Alex and Henrik, it was an exciting moment to have secured such a renowned and traditional company for collaboration. Soon, the first joint projects began, such as creating a Halloween cake with decorative items from Dr. Oetker. The B2B sector also became increasingly important. To this day, there are several thousand corporate clients for whom deineTorte has been able to produce cakes and other baked goods with their logos.
Latest trend: Naked Cakes...
As a young, modern bakery, the goal over the years was always to continuously offer new products. Looking beyond their own borders also helped, so Alex and Henrik explored international trends and how they could be implemented. The latest trend in cakes is Naked Cakes. deineTorte developed its own Naked Cakes and launched them online in 2019.
10 years of deineTorte...
"...and time flew by," say Alex and Henrik. Looking back at the beginnings, at the essence of what the idea really was, they were able to accomplish a lot. They developed a product that brings joy to customers. They themselves are passionate about what they do. And they have created an environment where employees can also feel comfortable and produce a product that they themselves enjoy. But the story continues! The two are full of plans for the future. Later this year, for example, the entire team will move to a new, larger building, also in Cologne-Ehrenfeld. Many more delicious cakes are yet to be baked. :)
