We Have TikTok To Thank For This Iconic Los Angeles Bakery

In recent years, TikTok has produced countless viral food trends, from repurposing leftover Raisin Cane's sauce to brewing your coffee through an orange slice. The app has also launched a long list of culinary influencers into the stratosphere. Few of these accounts, however, make it out of the digital realm and achieve long-lasting relevance in the brick-and-mortar world. One Los Angeles bakery is defying those odds: BadAsh Bakes. The bakery, located in Pasadena, was founded by baker, influencer, and former private chef Ashley Cunningham, whose social media following helped propel her bakery into viral success before it even had a physical location.

Cunningham has said she gained her social media following by showing off the meals she cooked for celebrities during her private chef days. From there, she was able to launch an online business selling cookies thanks to the social media hype (and of course, her top-notch baking skills). At the time of writing, her TikTok account had almost 600,000 followers and over 20 million likes on videos chock full of cookies, cinnamon rolls, and other cooking and lifestyle content. She opened the brick-and-mortar bakery in May 2025, and from day one, there were lines out the door. Some reviewers say they waited hours just to try BadAsh's baked goods. With a full coffee menu, new seasonal specials, and a holiday pre-order option, the bakery's momentum doesn't show any signs of stopping.

We all know social media isn't real life, so just because a pastry looks mouthwatering on TikTok or Instagram doesn't mean it actually tastes that way. But in the case of BadAsh Bakes, the long lines and internet hype appear to be more than just smoke and mirrors. Reviews praise the store's inventive cookies, fluffy cinnamon rolls, specialty cakes, and amazing banana pudding. BadAsh takes flavor seriously, often infusing baked goods with matcha and adding fun, decadent twists to drinks and desserts.

Beyond the tasty treats, a large part of BadAsh's appeal is Ashley Cunningham's public journey from personal chef and TikTok creator to brick-and-mortar business owner. Both Cunningham's personal accounts and the bakery's Instagram page receive tons of comments from followers who gush over Cunningham's success and reminisce about being there from the beginning. Because so many customers feel personally connected to the brand's evolution, they're even more motivated to wait in hours-long lines and help it go viral again and again.