Cakes by Edith has quickly become a cornerstone of the Riverton community, offering a taste of authentic Mexican desserts and traditions. From freshly baked conchas to award-winning cakes, this local panaderia has gained a loyal following for its commitment to quality and culture.

Started by Edith Gallegos and her husband Jorge Lopez 18 years ago in Taylorsville, Cakes by Edith launched its second location in Riverton (1515 W. 12600 South) nearly three years ago. Since then, the couple’s daughter Alma Lopez has taken over management of the Riverton location where she was recently named Businesswoman of the Year by the city and the South Valley Chamber of Commerce.

“Our coming up has been immense in these last three years when we opened in Riverton,” Alma Lopez said. “We’re tapping into this neighborhood and into this community. It’s different, because Taylorsville is more of a Latino community, and this is more of an American community. It has given us an opportunity for people to be more aware of us.”

The Lopez family is dedicated to preserving traditional recipes and techniques to help people understand the food culture of Mexico through cakes, sweet breads and pastries. At the Riverton location, Alma Lopez said they see many customers from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who served church missions in Mexico. They bring their families in to experience the delicious tastes and textures of Cakes by Edith.

Favorite menu items at the bakery include the mil hojas cake, with layers of puff pastry, fresh fruit and frosting; marble cakes with fillings made from guava, pineapple, strawberry, raspberry, vanilla and chocolate mousse; and the award-winning tres leches cake, a light sponge cake soaked in a mixture of three sweet milks. 

“We take a lot of pride in showing our traditions with our sweet breads and Mexican pastries,” she said. “We’ve never had to change the quality, nor the tradition or the culture of the breads. We always want to be teaching the community about what the breads represent. There are different breads that we make throughout the year for holidays. So we always want to be teaching people the customs and the traditions that we have with these breads. And we don’t ever want to lose our customs.”

Cakes by Edith also offers cake decorating classes and workshops, teaching techniques, tips and tricks like how to decorate an intricate Mexican embroidery cake. Consultations and tastings are also available for custom wedding, birthday or celebration cakes. Visit CakesByEdithBakery.com to learn more. 

Alma’s sister Diane Lopez runs the Taylorsville bakery and both women are involved in local chambers, encouraging young women to pursue entrepreneurial careers. They mentor high school girls through the Junior Women in Business Scholarship Program, run through the South Valley Chamber of Commerce. Cakes by Edith was also named the 2019 Minority Business of the Year by the Small Business Administration. 

“It’s really important to be able to see different routes that people took, maybe going to college or starting your own business,” Alma Lopez said. “Especially from girls or women that you can relate to, or women of color like my sister and me.”

The sisters are looking to expand Cakes by Edith in a third location, possibly in West Jordan, Saratoga Springs or North Salt Lake. They are also considering a Mexican cafe with bagel sandwiches and breakfast foods. 

“What sets us apart from other Mexican bakeries is that we are becoming very innovative and trendy,” Alma Lopez said. λ