The mom and pop business is a dying breed in this age of MegaMart homogenization. Today's victim is the small bakery, where the smell from the sidewalk is enough to lure you in to a world of tempting treats you can't get anywhere else. Sandlot Games' Cake Mania makes this classic David and Goliath story personal: you play the role of Jill in this tasty new flavor of Diner Dash-style gameplay.

After a childhood spent in the kitchens of her grandparents bakeries, Jill Evans has returned home from her culinary training, only to find that her beloved grandfather's bakery has been pushed out of business by MegaMart. Jill resolves then and there to get Evans Bakery back by first selling cakes out of her home, and eventually buying back the property and re-opening the shop.

You'll begin your journey with simple levels in a style very familiar to anyone who has played Diner Dash, Roller Rush, or the like: Customer comes in, take order, prepare order, serve customer, collect money. Cake Mania is clearly not reinventing the recipe for this particular genre, but does include some nice surprises. The early levels are very well done, with polished graphics, good tutorials, and a fun sense of humor.

Levels are marked by months beginning in January. This serves the dual purpose of making your progress easy to monitor as well as allowing for the introduction of seasonal characters as customers (although I don't remember the Easter Bunny having a beard), each with unique personalities. In addition to new characters, you'll have to contend with a growing set of complexities as your business grows, including layered cakes, decorated cakes, multiple ovens and more. Characters also lend an amusing twist to this game: serve Dracula first and get him out of there, he's scaring your customers!

As you progress and your business makes money you'll have the opportunity to upgrade your operation with your earnings, buying faster ovens, high-tech frosting machines, display cases and much more. Shopping for these items adds a welcome break from the frantic pace of serving customers, and introduces a more strategic element to the overall game. It's important to purchase the right equipment in the right order to keep your business growing, and the available gadgets get fancier as you move through the levels.

Another enjoyable element is the rhythm of this game, particularly in the middle levels. Although this type of game normally requires intense focus, once you get into a groove, there is a great feeling of rhythm and accomplishment.

And delicious cakes aren't the only things cooking at this bakery. Is it my imagination, or is that deliveryman ordering more cakes than he can possibly deliver? Perhaps his interest in Jill is not all strictly business.

While the game's an overall winner, there are a few things Sandlot could have done better. These include more creative features, such as bonuses for keeping critics happy. Also, there are some minor "fit and finish" issues that would be nice to resolve, such as a level map that doesn't get obscured by the dialog box, or the ability to see what shape of cake is baking because it's pretty easy to forget what you've got in the oven when things get fast and furious.

That said, this is certainly a worthy entry into the "Customer Management" category, and the addition of "shopping" certainly helps move the whole genre forward. If you enjoy the challenge, focus and fun of these types of games, Cake Mania will make a tasty addition to your casual game collection.