Freshwater Creek Cakes

Freshwater Creek Cakes is a small shop in Freshwater Creek, Victoria, and it's a familiar stop for people driving the coast road toward the Great Ocean Road. Locals will tell you not to be fooled by the modest shopfront. The counter holds hot pastries, pies, quiches, sausage rolls, slices and sponges, and we hear plenty of it comes out of the oven fresh, even mid-morning.

The passionfruit sponge is the one people talk about most. One local has been buying it for over a decade, and visitors tend to call it the thing to order if you only get one. It's sold as a whole cake, so it suits sharing or taking home. The pies get just as much love, with the Moroccan vegetable pie singled out as a standout for vegetarians, full of veg with buttery, crisp pastry. Vanilla slices, custard squares, fruit tarts and butterfly cakes also come up often, and custom cake orders are on offer if you're planning something for an occasion.

Beyond the baking, the pantry shelves carry jams, biscuits and relishes, and there's coffee and other drinks if you want something to go with your pick. Takeaway is the main way people use the place, which suits a quick stop on a road trip.

The service gets warm mentions, with staff described as friendly and welcoming to locals and passers-through alike, and one visitor singled out a young man named Henry. Prices are generally seen as fair for the range. To be fair, opinion isn't entirely uniform: we've heard the odd grumble about a cake or two not matching expectations, and a note about a public holiday surcharge, so it's worth knowing on those days.

Getting in is easy, with free street parking and a free car park, a wheelchair-accessible car park and entrance, and card and tap payments accepted. The shop posts hours across the whole week, but it's sensible to check before a long drive.

If you're passing through the Surf Coast side of the Bellarine on your way to the Great Ocean Road, go for the passionfruit sponge and a hot pie, and leave room for a slice.