The Famous “Cruise Cake” and the Bakery it Keeps Alive
Credit: The Indian Express
Whisperings of a unique habit of Hollywood A-lister Tom Cruise have circulated throughout a variety of media outlets for years, but it’s only this year that the story really hit the mainstream in a major way. The story is not what one might think, however: every year, the action star orders more then 100 white chocolate coconut bundt cakes from Doan’s Bakery in Woodland Hills, California and gives them away.
That’s right. 100 cakes of white chocolate, cream cheese frosting, and toasted coconut. And he gives them all away.
It all started with Diane Keaton. Evidently, Keaton brought Cruise one of these white chocolate bundt cakes to prove that it was even better than his at-the-time wife’s favorite cake. Clearly, the cake made an impact, and he’s been returning the favor Keaton bestowed on him ever since.
The famous “Cruise” cake– a white chocolate coconout cake from Doan’s Bakery. Credit: Goldbelly

“I love sugar,” Cruise tells James Corden in an interview, “but I can’t eat it because…I’m doing all these movies. So I send it to everyone.”

Credit: Pressform
Whether for a birthday, a holiday, or a major achievement, Tom Cruise finds a reason to send a cake to friends, former co-workers, and other industry professionals. Rosie O’Donnell, Henry Cavill, Barbra Walters, Jimmy Fallon, Angela Basset, and so many more. Kirsten Dunst, who he worked with on Interview with the Vampire 25 years ago, says she gets a “Cruise cake” every Christmas, something her family has grown to look forward to.
The cakes don’t come in fancy packaging from Doan’s Bakery, however. Cruise’s team sends gift boxes to the bakery, and then those boxed-cakes are sent to a second location where they are “spruced up.” Even without the fancy wrapping, however, the cake has become a best-seller.
But to Doan’s Bakery owner, Eric Doan, these cakes are more than a cool opportunity to see his creation in the hands of celebrities. Cruise’s buying habits have helped keep the business afloat. For a family-owned business, these regular purchases make all the difference.
Kirsten Dunst discussing the “Cruise cake” on Graham Norton.
Small businesses are the backbone of America. During this difficult time in the world, many small businesses have suffered insurmountable losses. Without Cruise’s purchases, Doan fears his bakery might have suffered a similar fate.
“This year has been a really rough ride,” says Doan. “In March and April, we wondered if we were even going to be able to stay open. Now, I’m spun like a top.” November and December are busy months for the bakery, but he says that Cruise’s purchases are “honestly one of the things that kept us alive [during the pandemic].”
Cruise’s cake habit has not only brightened the lives of the celebrities he has it sent to, but the family-owned bakery in Southern California. The story reminds us to support our local businesses, because we may find a new favorite we can’t live without.
View this post on Instagram
MORE INSPIRING STORIES
Related
7-Year-Old with “Incurable” Condition Overcomes Her Diagnosis
When Evie-Mae Geurts was just a few months old, she was registered as blind. It’s a difficult prognosis for any parent to hear, that their child will live a more challenging life than others. It’s hundreds of times more difficult when that diagnosis is compounded with...
Anonymous Donor Pays Off Tuition for Graduating Class at Wiley College
Graduation is an equally exciting and terrifying time for many college students. While the time should be spent celebrating the massive achievement, many are fraught with worries of the future—namely, how they are going to overcome the debt they’ve accumulated. Wiley...
Bartender Saves Family from Rip Current
Cape Town, South Africa, is well-known as a tourist destination in part for its gorgeous beaches. People travel to the area for its nature, its culture, and maybe to end the day with a drink on the water. That is precisely how Clair Gardiner and her daughter, Arya,...

Join
Subscribe
GET INSPIRATION & BEAUTY RIGHT IN YOUR IN BOX!