Israeli Lawyer-Turned-Baker Adi Barak Becomes Top Celebrity Cake Designer
Adi Barak, a 45-year-old Tel Aviv-based lawyer turned baker, has become a leading name in luxury event cakes for Israeli celebrities. Over six months after the wedding of singer Noa Kirel and Daniel Peretz, Barak's giant Dubai chocolate cake remains memorable, alongside the royal-tiered cake served at their second wedding event. Barak owns the successful brand AB CAKE and is now launching a pop-up in Florentin, Tel Aviv, called "Cookie Girl," focusing on chocolate chip cookies, her childhood passion.
Barak's journey into celebrity baking began with a childhood cookie business in France and later shifted from law, where she worked at the Israel Electric Corporation, to baking full-time. Her breakthrough came in 2015 when she proactively secured the opportunity to bake for supermodel Bar Refaeli's wedding, overcoming initial rejections by networking persistently. Since then, her career has expanded internationally, including events in India and at Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump's estate, where she famously extinguished a fire during preparations.
Today, Barak manages a boutique operation, personally designing all cakes, which can take days or weeks to complete and cost from thousands to tens of thousands of shekels. She carefully selects clients to maintain quality and enjoys the positive atmosphere of celebratory events, contrasting with her previous legal work. Barak also plans to release a digital course on cake making and decoration, adapting to Israel's unpredictable event cancellations due to security concerns.
Her new pop-up offers various chocolate chip cookies with ice cream and toppings, including treats inspired by the Dubai chocolate cake. Barak emphasizes enjoying the creative process and connecting with her online followers in person. Despite her success in wedding cakes, she does not plan a traditional wedding herself, preferring to focus on her relationship rather than the event.
Barak's story illustrates determination, self-marketing, and a return to childhood dreams, establishing her as a sought-after figure in Israel's elite event scene.
