The Whimsy Chronicles

The Goose Chase Cake Design

Fanciful wedding dessert spread by The Goose Chase Cake Design, with a 3-tiered ombre butterfly cake, mushroom-shaped meringues, macarons, and cream puffs on rustic wood cookies with fairy lights and florals.
Credit: Hannah Photography

The Goose Chase Cake Design is a fabulous dessert catering company based in Waitsfield, Vermont. We're huge fans - Sarah did our own wedding! If you love desserts like I do, then finding the right baker for your celebration is a must-have. We wanted a cake that looked gorgeous and in line with our vision but also tasted mouth-wateringly delicious AND wasn't a flavor combo that you had every day. Not to mention, someone that could do a variety of mini-desserts as well. Sarah delivered it all, with a smile.

The woman behind the business

Sarah is the real deal. She graduated from The Culinary Institute of America back in 2009, then spent 10 years working as a pastry chef in Vermont, San Francisco, and New York City. After returning to her roots in Mad River Valley, she decided to found her very own company, The Goose Chase Cake Design, with an emphasis on serving weddings and other special occasions. We love the name, inspired by her two pups: Goose and Chase.

From a more personal perspective, Sarah is a lovely human being. She was very kind and easy-going, as well as a great communicator throughout the process. We never had any stress on this front (once we'd found her), which is saying a lot. We were thrilled to have had her as the baker for our wedding, and we absolutely recommend her to other couples.

The Goose Chase Cake Designer owner and baker, Sarah Auguer, holding a multi-tier cake with gold flakes and floral decoration.
Credit: Sarah Auger
Four-tiered wedding cake by The Goose Chase Cake Design, decorated with pressed flowers and surrounded by fresh florals.
Credit: Barrie Fisher Photo

Her creations

All of her creations are made entirely from scratch, using fresh and (whenever possible) local ingredients. She describes her cakes as "not too sweet," which was originally a bit of a worry for me...I like things sweet! But Dave, not so much. We found her cakes to be the perfect middle-ground that we both loved, as well as nice and moist. She also gave us the option of a "deconstructed" tasting, where we got to try 3 flavors each of cake, fillings, and frostings all prepared separately. We could then mix and match until we found our perfect combo! (They were: lemon-thyme cake with lemon curd and smooth blueberry sauce filling and ginger buttercream frosting; and maple-caramel cake with apple butter filling and maple caramel buttercream frosting. They were A-MA-ZING!!!)

If cake isn't your thing (or you want it all, like us), Sarah also makes all kinds of mini desserts, from incredible macarons to adorable mushroom meringues, and probably just about anything you can think of - pies, tarts, donuts, eclairs...you name it! We hope to try more of them in the future...

From a design perspective, Sarah grows edible flowers in her garden and enjoys harvesting and decorating with those. But you'll see on her website that she can produce cakes in a variety of styles (even "painting" with frosting, which is one I find super cool). And the style we wanted wasn't necessarily something she had done previously, but she totally took our vision and ran with it!

Close up of mushroom-shaped meringues by The Goose Chase Cake Design, adhered with chocolate to wooden cookies. The table is decorated with fairy lights and a slate sign by Whimsically You.
Credit: Hannah Photography
Artistically painted cake by The Goose Chase Cake Design, with a colorful rendition of Vermont's Green Mountains and the frosting
Credit: Sarah Auger

In their own words: Sarah Auger

What are your personal favorites of the things that you make?

I love making tiered cakes; they are challenging and incredible rewarding. It's really fun to see how each one has it's own character, and they certainly keep me on my toes! I also enjoy when I'm asked to pipe or add a buttercream colored element to cakes. I like to think of each one as a blank canvas. My favorite flavor is my rosemary polenta cake. I pair it with cream cheese frosting and, in August, add some fresh blueberries and peaches. It is to die for!

How do you approach the design process, and where do you find your inspiration?

I try to pull inspiration from nature as much as I can and like to keep my designs as organic as possible. I also love pulling from other parts of the wedding, such as the bride's veil and dress, along with the couple's invitations.

Is there anything that you are dying to make for someone but are just waiting for the right opportunity?

I would love to make a tiered buttercream palette knife flower cake, like the ones that have been trending lately! I love how bold and colorful they are!

What do you wish couples understood when booking a baker or about the process?

I'm always thrilled when I book a new couple and they're willing to push their tasting to the winter, instead of during my busy summer months - so thank you in advance! It also gives you time to better conceptualize what you want before we meet. I'm not talking about the details of flavors, amounts, or exact items - more of a general idea as to whether you want a tiered cake, a cupcake table, a dessert bar, etc. I want to guide you to your perfect options but need a little bit of a starting point! If you haven't given the general structure much thought in advance, it's much harder to make decisions at the tasting...which means we have to revisit and decide later, when the flavors are not fresh in your mind.

Who is your ideal couple?

Honestly, if you love cake, you are my people! When couples come in with an open mind and want to have a bold flavor and/or a fun design and are really excited about the process, I am over the moon.

Do you welcome all types of couples (genders, ethnicities, races, ages, etc.)?

Absolutely!

Aside from baking, what are some of your favorite things to do?

I'm basically a Vermonter through and through. I love being outside, taking walks in the woods with my dogs, gardening (planting flowers), skiing...I also love discovering new foods and enjoy going out to eat when I'm not in the kitchen.

What is your favorite local establishment?

Bohemian Bakery in Montpelier is one of my favorite places to get a treat, and I love the vibe in there!

Shout out! Who is one of your favorite vendors or venues that couples should check out?

Farmhouse Flowers in Moretown is a really beautiful newer venue! Bridget and Thomas are incredibly nice, and their new event barn is so beautiful! As a person who grew up in Moretown and has come back to stay for good, it's so nice to see younger folks move here and create a life and beautiful place for people to enjoy this little town I call home!

Three-tiered cake by The Goose Chase Cake Design on wooden slabs, decorated with fresh flowers.
Credit: The Fox & the Hare Photography
Birch tree style two-tiered cake by The Goose Chase Cake Design, decorated with fresh greenery and perfect for a Vermont wedding.
Credit: Sarah Auger

Your dessert items, flavors, and design can all reflect things that are meaningful to you and align with your celebration! If you're looking for help or guidance on how to make your wedding truly reflect who you are as a couple, let us know!