United States of Ice Cream

Ice Cream. Who can resist its sweet, creamy siren call on a summer night? Or day? Or...if we're being honest here, any day, regardless of time of year? 

In my opinion, ice cream is a taste of pure happiness. And while that happiness is universal, precise preferences can be regional. Everyone has a favorite spot. For some, it's the ice cream shop in the town where they grew up; for others, it's the swanky scoop shop they discovered as a mature adult; for some, it was a chance encounter: love at first lick while on vacation or visiting relatives or the like.

But collectively, I believe that we can all share in this sweetness, and so I hit up basically everyone I knew and asked where they'd suggest getting a cone or a cup, a scoop or a sundae. And I dutifully logged every single response. Consider this the soft-serve of that labor: a highly informal guide to where to get ice cream in the US. Don't be disappointed if I missed a spot you'd suggest: instead, chime in. I'm happy to add suggestions that come in via email or as comments. Just please no nationwide chains (regional is fine). Also, while I am happy to mention regional brands, I am primarily looking for places with retail locations. 

Got it? Good. Let's go. It's a sweet trip. 

Alabama

Durbin Farms in Clanton (Lisa O., who says "peach ice cream and more!")

Sweet Advantages in Selma (Cindy Lou's Cupcakes, etc)

Honorary Mention (not actually ice cream): Steel City Pops (Minde M-B, who says "100 percent natural homemade gourmet and delicious")

Alaska

Hot Licks, Fairbanks

Arizona

The Sugar Bowl, Scottsdale (Emily S., who says "Very historic and very delicious")

Sweet Republic, Scottsdale (Randi S., who says "has amazing flavors")

Arkansas

Loblobby Creamery, Little Rock (Deede M.)

Yarnell's (Mini Empire baker Christy; "But I heard rumors they were going out of business")

California

Bi-Rite, San Francisco (many people, but the first to mention it was @madebyUSwthlove)

Dandy Don's (Like the self-confidence, @DandyDonsIC!)

Dewar's Ice Cream & Fine Candies, Bakersfield (Donna L.)

Flavor Brigade, Oakland (@tartoakland)

Humphrey Slocombe, San Francisco (@barbie2be)

Ici, Berkeley (famed pastry chef Dana Cree says "best in the country!")

Kind Kreme (Ben C. says "makes some amazing vegan flavors")

Loard's (@tartoakland)

Penny Ice Creamery, Santa Cruz (Erin Hunter)

Scoops (says Jesse LeDoux, who proclaims it "best in the world"!)

Sketch, Oakland (Mari Osuna)

Tucker's, Alameda (@tartoakland)

Colorado

Liks (Mary P.)

Little Man, Denver (Mary P.)

Sweet Action Ice Cream (@dnsvm and Church of Cupcakes)

Connecticut

Rich's Ice Cream, Oxford (Heather L.)

Salem Valley Farms

Shady Glen, Manchester, CT: Classic 50's throwback (Dan Sheehan)

Sweet Claude's, Cheshire (Blondie & Brownie)

UConn Dairy Bar, Storrs, CT: Fresh from University cows, made by scientists or something, very seasonal flavors. (Dan Sheehan)

Delaware

Woodside Farm Creamery (Amie F.)

Florida

Jaxsons, for the "homemade ice cream and home of the kitchen sink." (Kim M-F)

Georgia

Leopold's, Savannah (Kim M.)

Morelli's, Atlanta (Candy W.)

Hawaii

Tasaka Guri Guri Shop in Kahului on Maui (Jennifer H.)

Photo: Vanessa V., on YelpIdaho

Rainey Creek Country Store, Swan Valley (Erin J., who informed me they sell SQUARE ice cream, pictured above)

Sub Zero Ice Cream, various locations in Idaho and beyond

Illinois

Black Dog Gelato, Chicago (famed pastry chef Dana Cree)

Margie's Candies, Chicago

Ollie's Frozen Custard, Sycamore (Emily B.)

Ruth and Phil's Gourmet Ice Cream, Chicago

Scooter's Frozen Custard, Chicago (Sarah K-M)

Indiana

Handel’s Ice Cream (@BigFatBaker)

Iowa

Whitey's (with locations in Iowa and Illinois, per Lindsey P.)

Kansas

Sylas & Maddy's, Lawrence (Courtney J.)

Kentucky

Homemade Ice Cream & Pie Kitchen, Louisville (Casey S-P)

Louisiana

Creole Creamery, New Orleans (Krystle S., who says "Bananas foster ice cream! Homemade Waffle cones! And it's right in the old McKenzie's bakery shop on Prytania. It's a must-stop.")

Eskamoe's Frozen Custard in both Monroe, West Monroe, and Ruston, LA ("is pretty awesome." - Christina R.)

Maine

Mount Desert Island Ice Cream Co. (Blondie & Brownie)

Red's Dairy Freeze, South Portland(Brittany, who says "They have amazing non traditional soft serve flavors.")

Round Top (Blondie & Brownie)

Maryland

The Dairy, University of Maryland, College Park (Says Brittany: "Allegedly has a higher fat content than allowed by law because it is only sold on campus.")

Takahara Bros, Baltimore (Jenny D.)

Massachusetts

Sweet fact: I was told by reader Mary Parker "Did you know they eat more ice cream in Boston, per capita, than anywhere else? Toscanini's, Rancatore's, and Christina's lead the bunch (though they are all technically Cambridge et al.)" .

Four Seas on Cape Cod ("is the greatest ice cream!" says @ExpatC)

Johnson's Drive In, Groton (Wendy M.)

Picco (Jen M.)

Polar Cave, Cape Cod

Rancatore's

Sully's (@sweetactionic)

Toscanini's, Cambridge (Jen M.)

Honorary Mention (in stores only): Batch (Jen M.)

Michigan

Hudsonville (Pam P. and Kimberly CupcakeBoss)

Michigan State University Dairy Store (Laurie E.)

Ray's (Pam P.) 

Minnesota

Sebastian Joe's, Minneapolis (James Norton)

Mississippi

Mississippi Ice Cream Factory, Brookhaven

Missouri:

Andy's Frozen Custard, Columbia (locations in TX, AR, and IL too, but the biggest concentration in MO) (@Kap_L) 

Glacé in kansas city (@jonesingfor)

Ted Drewes Frozen Custard (ReTrailer)

Montana

Chocolate Moose, Bozeman (Lindsey H.)

The Big Dipper (Lindsey H. and Carrie S., who adds They also do " random acts of community" where they will just show up in random spots where they know there will be a crowd and serve ice cream for free for whoever wants it. They keep out a tip jar and choose a charity to donate all of the jar to. Awesome place.)

Nebraska

Goodrich dairy, Omaha (they have locations in the area, but mostly Nebraska) (Tracy Z.) 

Ted and Wally's

UNL Dairy Store

Nevada

Luv it Frozen Custard, Las Vegas (Julie B-H)

New Hampshire

Annabel's, Portsmouth (Blondie & Brownie)

Arnie's Place, Concord (Wendy M.)

The Back Room

Beech Hill Farm, Hopkinton (Jennifer V.)

Bishops Ice Cream, Littleton (Louise W.)

Granite State Candy Shoppe and Ice Cream (Wendy M.)

Sawyer's Dairy Bar (Wendy M.)

New Jersey

Applegate Farm, Montclair (Cait)

The Bent Spoon (Elizabeth S.)

Denville Dairy, Denville (@MrsAdamHughes)

Halo Farms, Trenton (Kathleen L)

Hoffman's

Kohr's

Ryan's, Shrewsbury (Terri W.)

Van Dyke's, Ridgewood (Regina J.)

Zita's Ice Cream, New Providence (Jennifer N.)

New Mexico:

Taos Cow, Taos

New York

Abbott's Frozen Custard (Courtney N.)

Ample Hills, Brooklyn (David V.)

Anderson's Frozen Custard, Buffalo (Kara A.)

Gifford's Ice Cream (Nancy A.)

Herrell's, Huntington (Danielle J.)

Itgens in Valley stream (Linda K-S, who says "written up everywhere")

Ji and Jo, NYC (Beccy R.)

Lake Effect Ice Cream

Martha's Dandee Creme, Queensbury (Josh of Bluebird Microcreamery)

Max & Mina's, Queens (Kelly Mola)

Van Leeuwen, Brooklyn (Mariah E.)

Victory Garden (J. Benjamin)

North Carolina

Mapleview Dairy Farm ("hands down" says @Bakefails and @BLDGbloc agrees)

North Dakota

Pride Dairy

Ohio

Graeter's (Diane Kappa and Elizabeth Gordon)

Aglamesis Brothers; Dojo Gelato; & Madisono's Gelato & Sorbet. @roarke_d

East Coast Original Frozen Custard!! A classic from the days of Euclid Beach Amusement Park! (Kelly F.)

Handel's (Sara D-P)

Honey Hut Ice Cream, Cleveland (Stephanie Z.)

Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream

Mitchell's (Diane Ketler)

Sweet Moses, Cleveland

Oklahoma:

Braum's, various locations

Freckles Frozen Custard, Tulsa (Becca S., who says "the golden driller in particular --- it has an 'oil' pool of hut fudge in it!")

The Custard Factory (formerly Rusty's), Norman (Ashley B.)

Oregon:

K R Drive Inn (Lisa O.)

Ruby Jewel (@lizaface)

Salt & Straw (@sockittomesocks)

Tillamook (Java Cupcake)

Regional Brand to try: Umpqua Dairy Ice cream - Roseburg, Oregon

Pennsylvania

Bassetts, Philadelphia

Dave and Andy's, Pittsburgh (Joe)

Gerenser's Exotic Ice Cream, New Hope

Landhope Dairy in Kennett Square, PA (Jill Lightner)

oWowCow, 2 locations (Audrey O.)

Rakestraw's, Mechanicsburg (Stacy M., who says "you *have* to try the Teaberry!")

Tanner Bros. Dairy in Ivyland Pa (Kathleen L.)

Rhode Island

Ice Cream Machine in Cumberland, RI (Kim S.)

The Original Vanilla Bean, Matunuck, RI: crazy, fun, delicious flavors. (Dan Sheehan)

Gray's Ice Cream, Tiverton, RI: fancy flavors (Dan Sheehan)

South Carolina

Kilwin's Chocolate and Ice Cream, Charleston

South Dakota

Dairy Bar at SDSU at Brookings (@lindseyhurd says "amazing ice cream & they also invented cookies and cream ice cream." - read more here)

Tennessee

Mayfield Dairy (Carol H.)

Sheridan's Frozen Custard (Erin)

Texas:

Note: "Texas is Blue Bell Country," says Anna Ginsberg, author of The Daily Cookie: 365 Tempting Treats for the Sweetest Year of Your Life

Amy's Ice Creams (@charmingred)

Utah

Utah State University. (Erin J., who says "Rich, creamy, thick ice cream. Aggies all the way!")

Vermont

Burlington Bay Cafe (Gina H., who says "Maple Creemees!")

Mountain Creamery, Woodstock

Virginia

Bev's Homemade Ice Cream, Richmond 

Dairy Godmother, Alexandria

Washington

Bluebird Microcreamery (did you know I did a mural in their bathroom?)

Cupcake Royale (Sara Jane Elisabeth)

Elevated Ice Cream, Port Townsend (@gfrancie)

Ferdinand's, Washington State University (Jama W.)

Full Tilt Ice Cream (Jill Lightner )

Mallard Ice Cream, Bellingham

Molly Moon's, Seattle (multiple people, but the first was @vanadiumzest!)

Olympic Mountain, Shelton (Linda W.)

West Virginia

Brake's Dairy King in Buckhannon (Beth J.)

Wisconsin

Babcock Hall (James Norton, who notes "although frozen custard is the real cult favorite in the Dairy State (a big vote for Michael's)". Don't worry James, I have included custard, too!) 

Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream (@epistemophilia) of note: Signage outside says, "You want nutrition, eat carrots."

Kopp's

Michael's (James Norton)

Purple Door Ice Cream, Milwaukee (MKE Cupcake Queen)

Wyoming

Farson Mercantile

Moo's Gourmet Ice Cream, Jackson Hole

Cakewalk (Mostly Carytown) in Richmond, VA

Richmond, Virginia is a fantastic place to get fat. And be very happy doing so. From barbecue to stick-to-your-ribs southern fare, they've got savory down--but they seal the deal with plenty of delicious desserts, too. 

I recently spent a day (yes, just one) in Richmond, and if I do say so myself, I made quite a bakery dent in the bakery scene, especially in the pedestrian-friendly Carytown neighborhood. Care to read about where I went and what I ate? Yeah, knew it. 

First up, in the morning, was TaZa for some coffee. But lo and behold, they had a bakery case and chocolates too! We picked up a couple of donuts made by Dixie Donuts (a glazed old fashioned and "French Toast", pictured top), as well as a few walnut creams from Chocolates by Kelly. The donuts were small, but extremely good quality; they had that wonderful "airy yet decadent" taste, like fancied-up Krispy Kreme donuts.

Next up was breakfast at The Village, where they have a nice dessert menu, but since it was breakfast, I played it safe and just sampled a shake. Chocolate-almond with chocolate ice cream, thank you very much! It was a very good shake. Also of note: if you get an egg dish, one of the optional sides (instead of hash browns) is fried apples. They're like eating the innards of an apple pie on the side of your plate. What a beautiful thing.

Asking for directions next door at Ipanema Cafe, I noticed that they had vegan blondies. I didn't get one, but I thought I should mention it to the vegans, because these looked pretty good up close.

It was time to hit Carytown. Carytown is clearly the "arty" section of town. You can tell by artful touches such as this rainbow-colored brick. 

I like me a good rainbow-colored brick, but I like it even better with a unicorn, don't you?

And they have a ton of bakeries there. Dixie Donuts, it turns out, has a retail outlet! But I'd already tried their donuts so I just peeked inside. It's very cute. Go there.

Next up: Bev's Ice Cream. Bev's is a nice place to get some ice cream - so I hear. But because I was on the move, I got some fudge to go. Nice and smooth, no "chocolate sand" here. I enjoyed it, and wish I had had a bigger appetite at the time so I could have gotten some ice cream too. 

Just up the street was Carytown Cupcakes.

After reading about them on Cupcakes Take the Cake, I knew this was a destination. Things that made me happy at Carytown Cupcakes? Let's see. For one, they had hummingbird cake on the "classic" (readily available) menu, and theirs was a particularly toothsome variety. Also pretty awesome: they have monthly rotating specials -- for instance, during my time there, they had "pie-inspired" flavors, such as "Strawberry Pie"--a vanilla cupcake with a Graham cracker crust, filled with cream cheese icing and topped with glazed strawberries.

Source: cupcakestakethecake.blogspot.com via Cake on Pinterest

Near Carytown Cupcakes is a cute little gift store called World of Mirth, where they sell my book. They're out of stock at the moment though. Reminder: buy my book, CakeSpy Presents Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life.

Luckily, I wasn't tired of cupcakes, cos just up the block is Baby Cakes. Banana cake with cream cheese frosting. Caramel apple spice. Dark chocolate cake with pecan cream cheese frosting. Blueberry cake with blueberry buttercream. Chocolate toffee crunch. These are just a few of the reasons I was enticed to visit this little cupcake shop. Online, I read some mixed reviews about this place, but I found the cupcakes pleasant, if not life-changing. 

Source: babycakesva.com via Cake on Pinterest

I walked by a coffee shop that had watermelon-shaped cookies in celebration of the upcoming Watermelon Festival.

Apparently this is a big deal there, but I was gone by the time it happened! Here's a promo:

Next up was Jean Jacques Bakery, a sort of Frenchie spot. I felt enticed from the very moment I saw this on the outside window:

.

A nice lunch-and-morning pastry type of place, with French leanings (but American standards on offer, too). I got a croissant, figuring it was a good litmus test of a bakery: it was flaky and buttery and good. Interestingly, though, I learned in retrospect that they are known for their cinnamon rolls: per their website, "People who never liked danish love this danish! The cheese danish filing is made with cream cheese, eggs and sugar - just like the best cheesecakes. And our cinnamon buns are a huge craze in Carytown. Freshly baked and warm smelling everyday." Dommage! Next time I shall try you, Cinnamon Roll!

Next door was a chocolate place, but I didn't go in. I can only do so much, people!

Well. It started raining, and I took shelter under a supermarket awning, and then lo and behold, there was another bakery! Since I hadn't gone in the chocolate place, I went in here. It was called Williams Bakery. It was cute, and felt like it had been there for a while. Turns out it's one of a few locations they have in the Richmond area.

I got a doughnut. It was less than a dollar, it was old-fashioned, delightfully but overly oily, and pretty perfect.

On the way out of town, we hit Lucille's Bakery, not quite in Carytown, but close. You can read more about that bakery visit here. 

Across from Lucille's, you'll see this place--for if you've ever wondered where extracts are made!

Driving away toward the highway, you'll see this as you exit town: a fantastic parting view! A commercial bakery which once made Girl Scout Cookies!

Places Mentioned: 

Babycakes, 3324 W Cary Street, Richmond

Bev's Homemade Ice Cream, 2911 W Cary St Richmond, VA 23221. 

Carytown Cupcakes, 3111 W Cary Street, Richmond

CF Sauer Extracts, online here

Chocolates by Kelly, find retail locations on the site.

Dixie Donuts, 2901 W Cary Street, Richmond

Ipanema Vegetarian Cafe, 917 Grace Street, Richmond

Jean Jacques Bakery, 3138 W Cary Street, Richmond

Lucille's Bakery, 719 N Meadow Street, Richmond

TaZa Coffee

The Village, 1001 Grace Street, Richmond

Williams Bakery, 3544 W Cary Street, Richmond

The Inimitable Experience of Attending the Pillsbury Bake-Off

You guys...not to show off, BUT...I got to go to the Pillsbury Bake-Off this year in Orlando.

What's the Pillsbury Bake-Off, you ask?

Well. It's a baking contest run by Pillsbury, celebrating home cooks, which has been run since 1949. Cooks can't be professionals, and must employ Pillsbury products in the finished products. When it first started, the prized was $50,000--nothing to sneeze at.

Today, it's even bigger: One. Million. Dollars. 

Along with my friend Rachel (you may know her as Coconut & Lime), I was invited to attend this awesome-fest in its home at the Peabody Hotel of Orlando. 

And now,  I will tell you about the experience of going to the Bake-off (you can also view a video of the experience as put out by Pillsbury, here).

First, a week before,  I received a packet in the mail. It included a program, a booklet with all of the recipes of the finalists, and general info.

On Saturday, March 23, I took a flight to Orlando. When I arrived, there was a fellow holding a sign that said "J. Oleson". I said "Hey, that's my name!" and he told me to get into his car. Sadly, he offered me no candy. But he did give me a ride to the hotel. And when I arrived, I stopped and got some ice cream before checking in. I also learned of a regional specialty: coconut patties!

When I got to the hotel, I ran into Brigitte Nguyen (oh, you know, I met her while I was on book tour for my amazing book, CakeSpy Presents Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life) who complimented my Hello Kitty jeans and told me she was a judge. A JUDGE! Serious business.

I was there with a group of other "press" people, including magazine and newspaper writers, news people, writers for grocery store publications, and a sprinkling of bloggy types.

That night, we had a really great dinner at a place called Luma on Park. We ate a bunch of delicious savory stuff to warm up for the real highlight, rosemary panna cotta with strawberry sorbet and black pepper sable cookies for dessert. They paired it very nicely with a dessert wine called "Sweet Bliss", which made me smile thinking of my dessert wine tasting with Jameson Fink.

The next day, Sunday, we were delivered breakfast in bed. It included yogurt, topped with an edible wafer with the bake-off logo. Also: I don't want to alarm you, but at the Peabody Hotel, which has a storied past with ducks, they mold their butter to look like little ducks.

BUTTER DUCKS!

After cooing at the ducks for like 2 hours, I attended something called the Food News Seminar. This was an action-packed day of learning. The first part of the day I learned that family meals matter (I already knew this, because it's the best way to warm up an appetite for dessert), that flavor trends include healthy substitutes, international flavors.

I took very good notes, especially on the size of the silverware we used to sample the flavor trend tastes.

Then we had lunch, which included more butter ducks (!) and some panna cotta. There was other stuff too, but I think you know what I care about.

(hint: butter ducks)

Photo: Julie DeilyJeff, a newspaper writer in Tampa, really loved the butter ducks. Like, he ate an entire one loved them. Related: I like Jeff.

After lunch, we got to meet several of the higher ups at various Martha Stewart publications. They talked about Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook. You know, internet stuff.

After that, we got treated to a delicious pitch for the new line of ranges by GE. They were smart, because instead of just telling us about them, they demonstrated them with a famous chef who then fed us, then they gave us his book. Now that's a smart way to make me like a stove. I want one--if you'd like, please buy me one. I'll totally owe you.

After that, we had a short break then met for more food--at a restaurant owned by Emeril Lagasse. Guess who was there too--Martha Stewart! That is kind of like having dinner with the Queen, made by the King. 

Now, since you couldn't be there, I'll show you a picture of what it was like when I met Martha Stewart. So glad someone caught this on camera, but it kind of made me regret eating all those butter ducks the day before.

But back the dinner! There was not one dessert, but three. Coconut Creme Brulee, Kahlua Chocolate Cake, and Fresh Apple Strudel. The whipped cream had little candied apple peel bits in it. Thank you, Martha, Emeril, and Pillsbury!

But you know what...after we got back, we discovered that they had another treat I hadn't yet seen at the hotel: duck cookies. They were butter cookies topped with preserves, then piped with more butter cookie dough, then dipped in chocolate. Score!

After this, we all waddled off to bed (not unlike a butter duck would). 

Photo: Julie DeilyThe following day--Monday--was the Bake-Off! OMG! We got to see 100 bakers at work, simultaneously creating their delicious treats. 

I got to meet all of the contestants whose recipes I'd been covering on this very site. They were all incredibly sweet. A few even recognized me! One, Joanne, even had a unicorn story for me. I like her.

A few of them hugged me, and then one guy even elbow-bumped me. I felt so cool. His name is Brett, and here were some of his thoughts on the contest and his entry:

Then, I saw the most beautiful sight I've ever seen (and I have seen butter ducks, people!): THE PILLSBURY DOUGHBOY. 

We absolutely had a moment. A beautiful moment. It's pictured at the top of this post.

After that, we got to taste some yummy stuff. At first, when we arrived on the floor, there had been these signs up:

...but then, miraculously, they changed to this:

After they were done baking, the entries were all lined up on a delectable table (it was protected by a velvet rope).

And then, we had a dinner and dance party at the hotel. The Pillsbury Doughboy was in attendance.

I also observed that they had a fancy opera cake at the Peabody, with chocolate ducks(!) on top, painted with edible silver paint. Fancy!

The next morning--Tuesday--we got to attend a live recording of the Martha Stewart Show. How cool is this: they actually built a set in the Peabody Hotel (home of the butter duck) just for the show. It was pretty good-looking.

And then Martha announced the winners! 

and guess who the grand prize went to...

it was something sweet...

PUMPKIN RAVIOLI WITH SALTED CARAMEL WHIPPED CREAM!

Oh, what a tasty treat these were. Made by one of the cutest contestants, everyone was very happy to see this deserving dish win the million dollar prize, and I personally felt glad that it went to a dessert. 

After that, we got to attend a little press conference and talk about how awesome the entries were, and to learn more about the winners.

I'm very happy to know that the winner's children will have a nice college nest egg now.

But I'm even happier that I have a million dollar recipe in my repertoire!

oh, and I made sure to get more ice cream before I left. You know, to detox after all those butter ducks (butter ducks!).

When I got home, my pug, Porkchop, was quite pleased to see me.

Thanks so much to Pillsbury for having me as a guest--it was truly a once in a lifetime experience. Til the next Bake-Off, stay sweet!

Cakewalk: A Day of Cake Eating With Molly Allen and Joy the Baker

Last week, something incredible happened.

I got to eat a ton of cake.

But unlike most days that I eat a ton of cake, on one very special day (March 17, in fact) I got to eat cake all day with Molly Allen, who runs the website CakeFYI.com and is a contributor for Best Friends for Frosting, and with Joy the Baker, overall Big Important Foodie Person and a sweet fan of CakeSpy Shop. She had won an all expenses paid trip to Seattle after the "So You Wanna be a CakeSpy?" contest!

It was a contest to support my amazing book.

Now, I should say thanks in advance to Molly because some of the photos below are hers. Thanks!

I had solicted some suggestions for where to take Molly, but I also had a few favorites in mind--especially considering that she is a fan of red velvet cake.

I can sense that you're getting bored of all of these words and starting to wonder where the cake is, so why don't I tell you what we ate now, ok?

First, since it was St. Patrick's day, we stopped at Nielsen's Bakery in Queen Anne. This little gem is the home of the snitter, fine cinnamon rolls, and most notably, something called the Potato. As Molly put it, "A sweet potato. A pastry puff filled with custard and whip cream, then topped with marzipan and cocoa powder." NOM!

Next, we hit up Pinkabella Cupcakes in Queen Anne. This store has gone through some management changes (it used to be Wink Cupcakes) but it had been highly suggested by a Sasquatch Staffer as a great place for Red Velvet. I took a moment to ask Molly what makes a great red velvet cake:

Oh, and I should assure you: of course we brought our magical ponies.

The Pinkabella cake was highly respectable: a great cake-crumb, moist and flavorful, and a surprisingly light frosting--though I like a thicker and weightier frosting personally, the flavor was very good.

Next, I took her to Trophy Cupcakes. After all, Molly clearly needed a Neapolitan cupcake after her winning recipe, and it's overall a magical place to visit. So we got a few flavors, including the Neapolitan and a "green velvet", the St. Patrick's day version of Red Velvet.

I should also tell you, we brought our ponies here.

As usual, Trophy was delicious. If you've never been there, I have a question: what's wrong with you? 

They were super-sweet at Trophy, and knowing that Molly and I would be hanging out with Joy the Baker soon, they sent us on our way with a cupcake for her, too! AND some to share with the guests. Thanks, Trophy!

Next, we went over to Ballard and picked up some gelato at D'ambrosio. This time, I tried the caramel-fig and the nougat. It did not disappoint--this place is awesome.

Next, we made a quick drive-by at Bakery Nouveau, where the floors are paved in butter and the walls are made of sugar. Not really, but I hope that gave you the idea that this palace of pastry is stuffed with delicious. We got a few sweets including a croissant, and cheated a bit and got some savories too. But we had to get going quick, because it was time for...Joy The Baker!

Joy was passing through town on book tour and stopped at CakeSpy Shop. It was packed--naturally! Here we are together, looking cute. Hey, how'd they get so tall?OK. So after hanging out at the signing for a while, we headed up to our final destination for the day of the pastry: Cupcake Royale. Also made of magic, we picked up a Tiramisu, Red Velvet, and Lemon Pistachio. Yum.

And, you might be wondering: how awesome are we? About this awesome:

At this point, we declared "oink oink" and gave up for the day - but oh, what a MAGICAL day it was.

So, as you may have noticed, Molly tasted a lot of Red Velvet on this glorious, sugar-filled day. At the end of the day, she said that she had a favorite. Can you guess what it was, based on the pictures above? Here's a quick roundup of tasting notes:

Red Velvet Tasting

• Pinkabella: A standout cake, a lighter than expected but very good frosting.
• Trophy: A delicate cocoa flavor, lovely frosting, cute decorations.
• Cupcake Royale: A firmer and less moist cake style, decadent and denser frosting.

If you've been to these shops, which is your favorite? I'll do another post to let you know which one she chose in the next day or two!

Sweet Surprise: Delicious Pumpkin Cake from a Rest Stop in Council Bluffs, IA

I'm going to file this one under "unexpected deliciousness": pumpkin cake from a Sapp Brothers Travel Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

I found myself in this rest area for the typical reasons: to refuel the vehicle and to use the facilities while road-tripping.

But I spied something unexpected while I was about to exit the building: a display of cakes and cookies, which said that they were homemade. Say what? 

There was Red Velvet Cake, Carrot Cake, and a variety of cookies.

Oh, and Pumpkin cake. Yeah, let's try a piece of that. Well, actually, three: the box came with three thick wedges, each about the size of a butterscotch Krimpet, for $2.99.

And guess what? This cake was genuinely good. Not just good-for-something-purchased-at-a-gas-station, but actually good. The cake was moist and nicely spiced, and the frosting was generous, and very sweet and rich.

Much better than picking up a big gulp and corn nuts on the road, in my humble (and sweet) opinion.

Seek some sweetness for yourself: you can get this cake at Sapp Brothers, Council Bluffs, Iowa.

CakeSpy Undercover: Cake Gumshoe Molly Visits The Gingerbread Factory, Leavenworth WA

CakeSpy Note: This is a guest post from Cake Gumshoe Molly, a student at Central Washington University, pursuing a degree in English as well as a Professional Writing Certificate. Amongst the reading of great literature and the writing of papers, Molly spends all of her free time baking, visiting bakeries, and writing about all of the sweet things she finds along the way!

Recently, I visited The Gingerbread House. This place was absolutely adorable, with a gingerbread mail box, and a rolling pin built into the door. As you walk inside, and ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg fills your nose, and you can see the bakers working in the kitchen. This small shop offers customers a view from “behind the scenes” as the mixers, counters, and ovens, are right behind the display case.

The cookies, gingerbread and sugar, are incredibly cute. Each is decorated individually with various colors, in shapes such as maple leaves, reindeer, trains, and skates.

Overall, considering this and my other sweet bakery visits in town, I would consider Leavenworth to be an oasis of sweets. This isn’t a town many would live in, but the visits sure are tasty! If you ever have a chance, please, get in your car (or fly) and visit this tasty little town.

The Gingerbread Factory can be found online here.

CakeSpy Undercover: Retro Bakery, Las Vegas

I totally got lucky in Las Vegas.

Am I talking about slot machines? No. No, I am not.

I am talking about the trip I made to Retro Bakery, away from the glitz of the Strip, a buttercream oasis in the Centennial Hills neighborhood.

Now, to say "trip" may not be quite sufficient, because it was more like a Pastry Pilgrimage, involving two bus transfers and about an hour of transit either way (the other alternative was taking a cab, which I was advised would be "well over $50"). But it was so worth it, because once I got there, I was enthusiastically greeted by owner Kari Haskell, who I've known since the beginning of her business over three years ago (read the interview from way back when here!) who is about my height but somehow has about triple the amount of energy...

...and I was also greeted by this amazing spread of cupcakes and cakes and cookies.

Where to start?

Howsabout with a butterscotch cupcake, which I had been informed could "not be missed". I basically made eating this cupcake a race of "how quickly can you get into my belly?". Nobody challenged me to this race, but still, I think I won.

Poor cupcake. It trusted me so much (see picture, top).

and here's what I did to it.

...and then there were the cookies. Oh, the cookies! After eating the better part of a chocolate chip cookie, a white chocolate chip cookie, and a frosted sugar cookie with rainbow sprinkles, I wondered: what would happen if I combined all these cookies to form one super-cookie? What would happen? The answer:

...but don't worry. I was a gracious guest; I left Kari with a bunch of CakeSpy pins and a signed copy of my book!And the rest of the cupcakes I purchased kept me company all through the rest of my journey back to the hotel and then on the flight back to Seattle.

Thank you, Retro Bakery, for making Las Vegas magical!

Retro Bakery, 7785 N. Durango Drive, #130, Las Vegas; online here.

CakeSpy Undercover: Sylvester's, Northampton MA

Photos: Margot L.CakeSpy Note: This is a sweet dispatch from Cake Gumshoe Margot L.!

Recently I traveled to Sylvester's, in Northampton, MA.  

I had their Strawberry Chocolate Chip Waffle, which was awesome!  The waffle was one of their many daily specials - others included pear-walnut bread french toast.  In previous visits I've also had their blueberry pancakes and have sampled a chocolate milkshake, one of their many specialty drinks.  

Sylvester's is located in the Pioneer Valley, home to the Five College Consortium, which consists of Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, Amherst College, Hampshire College, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.  Sylvester's extensive list of coffee and specialty crafted drinks even includes a drink named for each one of the five schools!  My favorite is the "Smithie's Last Resort" which involves two shots of espresso.

Sylvester's is named for former building owner Sylvester Graham, the inventor of the Graham Cracker.  It's a popular restaurant, especially on weekends for brunch, which can mean a long wait - but it's always worth it!  I've eaten breakfast, brunch, and lunch at Sylvester's and have yet to find anything on the menu that I don't like!

Sylvester's Restaurant, Northampton MA; online here.

Sweet and Epic Pastry Road Trip to Chicago

Guess what? I recently took a long drive. A really, really long drive. All the way from Seattle to Chicago. From the Rainy City to the Windy City. Across much of America, that great, big country.

And I ate a lot of sweet stuff along the way. While the driving schedule was fairly tight (I had to make it to Chicago in time for the Renegade Craft Fair), and I wasn't able to stop at every bakery I wanted to based on the hours I was passing through various cities, I did manage to put away my fair share of sweet treats; here are some of the highlights. Let's go:

Washington

Mary Lou's Milk Bottle, Spokane WAThe first stop? Mary Lou's Milk Bottle in Spokane. What could be sweeter than stopping for a shake at an establishment shaped like a milk bottle? The huckleberry shake was delicious here, perhaps slightly thinner than I would have liked, but the flavor and pretty hue made up for it in my mind.

Last time I road-tripped, I also stopped at Rocket Bakery, which some say makes the best pink frosted cookie in the state.

Idaho

Sadly, La Vie en Rose was closed by the time I rolled into Coeur D'alene, but next time!

Observation at an Idaho rest area: This is where I started to notice that we were seriously entering Huckleberry Country. Even the rest area had an end cap display devoted to the berry, including sweets like Huckleberry gummi bears. This trend would continue through Montana and Wyoming.

Montana

Missoula: 

Bernice's Bakery, MissoulaTime for some morning sweets!

Le Petit Outre was the first stop, for coffee and sweets, including a cranberry bread (not cake, I know, but quite good!) and cookies. And caneles.

Poppyseed cake from Bernice's Bakery, MissoulaNext up was Bernice's Bakery, where croissants and a slice of poppyseed cake were obtained. Of note: Poppyseed Cakes are apparently big business in Montana, and I have even heard a rumor that this is where they were invented (who knows? Do you?). I asked a local, who had an interesting theory on their popularity. She she said that drug use is big in the state, and that the poppyseeds might be popular because of the purported high they offer. I'm not sure if I'm convinced about that, but I thought it was an interesting thought.

Recommended by a hotel concierge was Black Cat Bake Shop, renowned for their chocolate eclairs.

Bozeman:

On the Rise, Bozeman MTFor morning treats, you must hit up either Sweetpea Bakery or On the Rise. This trip it was On the Rise, for a weighty oat bar, a tart, and a rich quiche (not sweet!). The reverence for carbohydrates is clear here, with buttery crust and deliciousness abounding. But on to lunch...

Burger Bob's, BozemanShake o'clock! At Burger Bob's, largely thought of as the city's best burger joint, the chocolate shake was made with vanilla ice cream and rendered “chocolate” with syrup—perhaps not ideal for chocolate shake die-hards, but I thought it was pretty good.Burger Bob's, Bozeman

Billings:

Caramel Cookie Waffles, Billings, MTIf you have time to go nowhere else, you MUST hit up Caramel Cookie Waffles in Billings, Montana. Owned by a cute-as-pie couple, this place is THE supplier of caramel-filled dutch waffle cookies, and they do a good job. But wait, there's more!

Chocolate chip cheesecake from Caramel Cookie WafflesThey make a mean cheesecake (which they will top with chocolate sauce and chocolate sprinkles, thankyouverymuch), oatmeal cookies, huckleberry caramels, and—wait for it—they even had NANAIMO BARS!

Nanaimo Bar from Caramel Cookie Waffles, Billings MTThis made me feel right at home, and theirs have a delicious secret: instead of graham cracker crumbs for the base, they use the crumbs from their waffle cookies. Nom! Yum! Awesome!

...but that's not all that Montana had to offer.

Durango Restaurant rest area, MontanaAnother thing I love about Montana is that their huckleberry reverence is so clear in every eatery. Even a casino rest area had delicious huckleberry ice cream, though their shake maker was broken (what?!?). Last time I went on a pastry road trip, I had a fantastic Huckleberry bar at a rest area, too.

Wyoming

Sheridan, WY: Sadly I didn't get a chance to stop there, but I want to give a shout-out to Java Moon because it was so highly recommended by a reader. Next time!

In Sundance, WY, I spied this. I was sad to answer "no" at the moment the question was posed to me.

South Dakota

Krispie bar from South DakotaWhat would a stop to South Dakota be without a krispie bar or Special K Bar? I picked this one up at a gas station. Too delicious. But moving on to Wall, and Wall Drug...

Wall:

Wall Drug, South DakotaIf you have never been to Wall Drug, well then, consider it a must. Their doughnuts are pretty dreamy.

Wall Drug, South DakotaSo is the pie.Available for purchase at Wall Drug, SD

The ice cream was not as special as the baked goods to me, but still respectable. They also have fudge. Including a flavor called Tiger Butter. What's Tiger Butter? Oh:

Rapid City:

Guess what? I also got a speeding ticket in—wait for it—RAPID CITY, South Dakota. The police officer became my new best friend as we both have the same birthday, but he still gave me the ticket. Vive l'aventure, sweeties!

Mitchell:

A stop in Mitchell, South Dakota provided a sweet retreat: not only did I get a glimpse of the Corn Palace, but I also got to stop for some tasty vittles at what I was assured was the best breakfast in town, at the VFW Hall.

 The biscuits were simple but perfect morning fare, and the cookies and pie were down-home tasty.Buttered biscuit from Mitchell, SD

Down the street, highly-recommended Daylight Donuts had already sold out of treats, but I do hope I'll get to try them out one day: also disappointed were a husband-and-his-pregnant wife, the latter having a massive doughnut craving. Very cute, and clearly these are craveable doughnuts if the shop sells out so early!

Minnesota

Because I was booking it across the state to get to Chicago in time, I didn't have much time to stop and visit Cake Eater Bakery, and sadly the Minnesota State Fair was already over.

In Rochester, I had previously visited Daube's, and would have loved to have visited again.

Spied somewhere in MinnesotaI forget where in Minnesota, but I saw this display of fruit...puddings? They were called parfaits. It reminded me of retro cookbook pictures, but this was the real deal.

Wisconsin

Wisconsin: is there anything it can't do? It's got amazing dairy, delicious meat products, and plenty of sweet treats.

Carrot cake from Mauston Rest Area, WisconsinOne of the standouts, for me, was unexpected: the Mauston Rest area. This truck rest stop surprised me with a full-service bakery full of amazing (and huge!) treats. The carrot cake was seriously one of the highlights of my trip: moist and flavorful cake, with sweet-sweet-sweet cream cheese frosting with the perfect lightly-gritty sugar consistency to balance out the cake. It was divine. They also had all sorts of other goodies, including these enormous pig and cow cookies - the scale really isn't evident from this photo, but rest assured each one was as large as your head and half of someone else's head too.

Madison:

Obviously I needed to drive by Ella's Deli, but didn't stop this time. Sometimes when time is tight I like to hit up a local grocery store--sometimes they have baked goods from a bunch of local bakeries. And I had some good luck at the Willy Street Co-Op, where they had baked goods made on site, such as strawberry crumb bars:

Willy Street Co-Op, Madison WI...as well as sweets from local bakers Larsen Bakery, Batch Bakehouse (who made the monkey bread pastry pictured below), Greenbush Bakery, and East Side Ovens.Batch Bakehouse, Madison WI

Illinois

Reaching Illinois, a waffle was obtained at the Country Kitchen restaurant. Waffles don't hum to me frequently, but this one did, and I was rewarded by a pecan-filled and covered waffle. I was a little put off by the fact that the pecans on top, which were dry, but adding butter and syrup to the waffle made it into something really special.

In Chicago, once I made it to the Renegade Craft Fair, a mandatory stop was made at the Alliance Bakery, where I always enjoy a little something. Sadly no trip to the Angel Food bakery was in my cards what with the time restraints, but I can't wait to visit on my upcoming book tour! I wish I could have gone to every place on this list though.

Happily, Black Dog Gelato had a stand just up the street at the fair, so I finally got to sample some of their stuff. You will not be disappointed if you go.

Another sweet find was Puffs of Doom, a cream puff maker of epic proportions. The portions themselves are modest but the rewards are huge: filled with cream and creative fillings of both sweet and savory persuasions. 

Sweet and savory treats were obtained at Milk and Honey cafe, where pastries are made in-house and everything I have ever tried there is delicious.

A big highlight? Natalie of Bake & Destroy brought me one of her crack-filled Peanut butter pillow cookies, which kept me buzzing with happiness all day. Another huge highlight was a delivery of Vegan chocolate snickerdoodles by my pal Bunny Knuckles, who knows how to make me smile.

Vegan chocolate Snickerdoodles by Bunny Knuckles; heart cookie from Artemio BakeryI tried out some heart-shaped cookies from Artemio Bakery, which were sugary and crumbly and quite satisfactory.

My bff customer Margaret stopped by, and then the fair started and I sold so many copies of my book that I think I might be a bestselling author now.

I also had the extreme and exquisite pleasure of eating at a restaurant called Moto. This place made me want to say “golly” I was so delighted the whole time I was there. And for dessert, they had made a sweet surprise: cookies with a CUPPIE image transfer on top! I kind of freaked out, in a good way. They also let me tour the kitchen, which I thought was oh-so-kind of them. It reminded me of Scott of Seattle Food Geek, who would fit in gorgeously there.

Frozen Custard from Niko's GyrosAn unexpectedly wonderful treat was the custard at Niko's Gyros. I also had the extreme pleasure of visiting the Frank Lloyd Wright house in Oak Park; my curiosity having been piqued after reading Loving Frank: A Novel, I also visited the once-home of Mameh Cheney.

Nearby, Petersen's Ice cream was serving up ice cream pies, as well as pints, scoops, and shakes. I saw a lady lose her scoop from the top of the cone while I was there, and it really made my heart hurt.

Prelimary sketches were made at the home of Michelle of Bleeding Heart Bakery—I'm gonna finish that when I go back for my book tour. But can I just tell you a bit about her newest location? Brunch is King there, and they have a doughnut breakfast sandwich and all sorts of crazy-delicious treats. If you live in Chicago, why are you not there right now, friend?

For more of my pastry traveling adventures, click here.

Sweet Love: Frozen Custard from Niko's Gyros, Chicago

Dear Frozen Custard,

Let's make one thing clear. I wasn't seeking you out, but I am so glad I found you. Because sometimes, delight comes from the most unexpected places.

Case in point: whilst heading to do some preliminary mural-sketching chez Michelle of Bleeding Heart Bakery (also a stop on the Tour De Sweet book tour, btw) while stopping for directions, you presented yourself as a bona fide Frozen Custard Opportunity at an establishment called Niko's Gyros. I know, I know. Custard at a Gyro place? 

But here's the thing. You, dear custard, while not what I thought I was seeking (I seriously thought I was looking for directions!) were just what I wanted. While not pinkies-out fare you were somehow perfect: white as snow, rich as Scrooge McDuck, and as thick as a brick—a delicious, sugary, melty brick. A generous scoop of you, dear custard, was not only an ideal mid-day treat, but finding you in such an unexpected spot made it an especially sweet delight.

Love, CakeSpy

Frozen custard from Niko's Gyros, 2775 N. Elston Ave., Chicago.