Polina believes sweet treats should feel light

For years now, Vana-Kalamaja Street has been filled with the delicious sweet smell of baked goods. One lovingly created bakery is responsible for this, with cakes that are both sweet and light on the conscience. Healthy Sweets by Polina is where gluten-free, lactose-free and refined sugar-free sweets are part of everyday life. And in its kitchen, Polina works with memories from her childhood.

"The first time I was exposed to baking was as a little girl in my home kitchen," she recalls. "It was a place where you could smell fresh pies and slowly rising dough, and where everyone could get flour on their hands."

While yeast dough pies and soft pastries were just a normal part of life, the real speciality of Polina’s family was Napoleon cake. It took time, layers and patience to make, but the result was always memorable.

"Napoleon cake was always something special for us," Polina recalls. "We made it together. We mixed, tasted and layered. I think that's when I realised how much joy a cake made with your own hands can bring."

Exactly like this, working in the kitchen alongside her mother, began the journey that led Polina to open her own bakery in Tallinn.

From pastries to the first custom cake

Baking remained just a hobby for Polina for years to come. For herself and her family. Sometimes more, sometimes less. However, her heart was always drawn to cakes. "There's something different about cakes," she says. "There's more room to experiment and try things out."

And so, at one point, she made her first "real" custom cake. "It was a perfectly ordinary cake... wheat flour, sponge and cream cheese frosting," laughs Polina, as if realising how far she has come from that point. But it was that moment that made her wonder if cake could be more than just a sweet treat. Something easier on the body and with cleaner ingredients.

"I started experimenting," she says. "One by one, I replaced the flour, sugar and dairy products. Seven years ago, the options were still very limited, but I had momentum and didn't stop." Little by little, she developed her own recipe language, which has now become the signature of Healthy Sweets by Polina.

How a hobby grew into a bakery

The more Polina experimented, the clearer she felt it – she didn't just want to make cakes, she wanted to make treats that were also healthy. "I wanted my cakes to be gluten-free, lactose-free, have no white sugar and even be vegan," she says with great conviction. “But most importantly... I wanted them to taste good.”

That's how the idea for Healthy Sweets by Polina was born. Not overnight, but gradually, from home baking. "At the beginning, of course, everything was new and exciting,” she laughs. “Every time a recipe worked, I was happy.” By now, however, there is more to do. Seasonal menus, systematic recipe development, brand building and the role of the entrepreneur in all its glory have been added.

"Right now it's a mix of creativity and professionalism," says Polina. "I can still experiment, but now it has a direction, a meaning and a purpose." And so Healthy Sweets by Polina has become just the kind of place where cakes are made the way Polina herself would want to eat them.

Frosting, sweet smells and hard work

While warm kitchens, whipped cream, sweet smells and beautiful showcase cakes sound romantic, Polina knows that the reality of baking is much more complex.

On the one hand, there is a huge amount of creativity and room to play. "I love being able to create completely new flavours and seasonal menus," she says. "Every new cake is like a little test – does it taste the way I imagined it in my head?"

But behind every sweet moment, there are also hours of work. Recipes take time to test, the raw materials have to be of high quality, the logistics have to work and as a small business, you have to be a baker, manager and marketer all at the same time. "From the outside, you see a beautiful cake in a showcase," Polina grins, "but there's a lot more work behind it than meets the eye."

Flavours that are simple but well-considered

When Polina is asked about her favourite cake, she pauses for a moment. "I don’t think I actually have one," she says finally. "I'm more characterised by the way I create recipes." In her kitchen, it all starts with ingredients and pure flavours. Then it’s about finding the balance – the sweetness has to match the acidity, the cream has to melt properly and the texture has to bring the cake to life.

In Polina's menu, there are places for both seasonal and classic flavours – rhubarb, blueberry, sea buckthorn with new versions of nostalgic favourites in between. "I like to take a familiar flavour and make it healthier," she says. This is how the Bounty cheesecake, Snickers-style cakes and her version of Basque cheesecake are born, with nothing left to chance.

"Each recipe is the result of repetition and experimentation," Polina describes. "I analyse, tune, try again... until everything works."

An airy bun with a lighter heart

But in this bakery on Vana-Kalamaja Street, Shrove Tuesday Buns have a special place. Polina speaks about them with a smile that betrays the fact that the subject really matters to her. "Choux pastry is just so nice," she says. "Airy, light and a bit nostalgic too."

That's the idea behind her Shrove Tuesday buns – familiar, but a little different. Pleasantly soft and delicious. The recipe for the cream, however, remains a little bakery secret. "It's important to have a balance... not to be too sweet, too heavy or overworked," Polina describes.

The only sad thing? Shrove Tuesday buns are eaten only for a short time. "I really love them... and what a shame they are a seasonal product!" she laughs.

Polina knows that sweet can also be light

When Polina is asked in which direction the world of sweets is heading, she does not have to think for long. "More and more people are looking for clean, transparent and allergy-free products." she says. "People want something sweet, but not too heavy. Something that's high quality, feels good and is made from real ingredients."

For young and eager start-ups, Polina has a recommendation. "Don't be afraid to experiment," she says simply. "Quality always comes before simplicity. And most importantly – dare to be different."

Standing in front of the counter at Healthy Sweets, looking at those beautifully glossy cakes, it's easy to see what she means. This is the place to go when you want something sweet. Something special. But also something that makes you feel bright.