There’s yet another niche eatery in our increasingly eclectic shopping center, Loehmann’s Plaza.
This time it isn’t another frozen yogurt place, nor a restaurant whose menu is wholly made up of noodle-based cuisines, but a bakery which focuses exclusively on bundt cakes.
Nothing Bundt Cakes is the latest in a chain with more than 50 locations across the country. Its first store was founded in 1997 in Las Vegas by two housewives who wanted to bring their recipes to the world.
For those not well-versed in confectionery nomenclature, a bundt is a circular doughnut-like cake with a hole in its center that is often glazed or frosted.
Two weeks ago, I called to ask if their new location was open, and was met with a prompt “I’m not sure.” It was not until after the writing of this article that I found that it had been open since Oct. 4 and held an opening party on Oct. 19.
To get a preview of the bakery, I traveled to their nearest location in Roseville (1112 Galleria Blvd.).
When I entered, I was greeted by a bright cheery interior and the smell of freshly-baked cakes.
Shelves upon shelves of Nothing Bundt Cakes memorabilia lined the walls; clearly they took every merchandising opportunity they could. In the center was a long glass case where the day’s cakes were displayed proudly.
Their cakes come in four sizes, both 8- and 10- inch cake rounds, bowl-sized Bundtlets and their cupcake-sized Bundtinis.
While there is certainly no lack of sizes to choose from, I found the selection of flavors a bit lacking. They have only four: lemon, red velvet, chocolate chip and vanilla.
My favorite was lemon, which contained just enough flavoring to balance sweet and sour, making for the perfect tart-flavored snack. The vanilla tasted as expected, the standard light and sweet cake.
However, the red velvet fell a bit flat. It wasn’t too flavorful, and it lacked that heavy cream cheese frosting that is the flavor’s standard companion.
The chocolate, while delicious, was extremely rich. Believe me, they did not skimp on their chocolate chips; I recommend sharing.
However, the bakery’s most impressive item is their custom cake. Both the 8- and 10- inch cake rounds can be fully made to order. In one corner of the bakery, they have a large flip book with over 50 different combinations of bows, plastic picture frames and other decorations.
All of these come with their own groan-worthy pun names, like their Valentine’s Day-themed Nothing Bundt Hugs and Kisses.
Despite not being completely blown away by the bakery, I feel it is a great place to stop in for an afternoon snack—providing you’re willing to gain some weight.
