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We dined at The Cake Bake Shop in Indiana just to get a preview of what’s to come! Read on to hear our FULL review!
The Cake Bake Shop and Disney World
Get ready for a delicious new offering at Walt Disney World! As we previously covered, The Cake Bake Shop is a new restaurant coming to Walt Disney World. The restaurant will be located at Disney’s Boardwalk Inn and Villas in the former ESPN Club location and will include both a table-service restaurant and bakery counter. Disney’s webpage describes the upcoming restaurant as follows:
“Waterside strolls will be extra special with the opening of The Cake Bake Shop, a new table-service restaurant with glistening cocktails and a specially curated menu. Treat your senses to innovative and seasonal cuisine, including elegant favorites and delicious surprises.
Come enjoy breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, desserts, and cocktails in an exquisite atmosphere filled with magic and wonder while you take in views of Crescent Lake.”
Disney World Website
I (Jaelyn) had the opportunity to check out one of two existing locations of The Cake Bake Shop in Carmel, Indiana. Read on to learn all about the atmosphere, offerings, desserts, and review of this restaurant!
Atmosphere
Walking into the restaurant in Carmel, Indiana was like walking into a fairytale. I was immediately put into the mind of the atmosphere of the Grand Floridian. Even the music playing in the background reminded me of spending time on the Walt Disney World property!
Beautiful floral displays graced the walls, ceilings, and tables. Intricate light fixtures and chandeliers hung from the ceilings, elevating the space and portraying the atmosphere of elegance and sophistication. Framed on the walls and prominently displayed were copies of various magazine covers and articles celebrating The Cake Bake Shop and its owner, Gwendolyn Rogers.
The restaurant had many different small rooms for guests to dine in, along with a walk-up counter for bakery desserts. It was easy for me to picture this restaurant and its charm filling a spot on the beloved Disney Boardwalk.
Drinks and Savory Menu Items
I visited The Cake Bake Shop for a late Mother’s Day celebration with my mom and sister. We grabbed a reservation about a week out for a weekday evening. We planned to check out the full menu, from drinks and savory items to desserts.
For drinks, my mom ordered The Cake Bake Shop Shake Up, a signature cocktail with Tito’s vodka, fresh lemon juice, lemons, and lemon bitters, topped with fresh mint. I opted for the Petunia Punch, The Cake Bake Shop’s favorite non-alcohol cocktail consists of lemonade and lemon-lime soda flavored with guava, served over crushed ice. The guava flavor was prominent and delicious. I loved every sip of my drink and the presentation was absolutely beautiful!
For entrees, we each decided to try something different. My sister opted for the Green Goddess Cobb Salade, listed on the menu as Bibb lettuce with Romaine and Iceberg lettuce tossed in our homemade basil and garilc green goddess dressing, topped with oven-roasted turkey, crisp smoked bacon, eggs, avocado, fresh tomatoes, green onions, and bleu cheese for $22. The salad was very large and filling and my sister noted that the dressing was especially delicious!
My mom chose to order the Angel Hair with Basil and Tomatoes, listed as angel hair pasta topped with olive oil, Campari tomatoes, basil, garlic, red pepper flakes, and freshly shaved Parmesan cheese served with half of a toasted French baguette for $18. She opted to add chicken to the pasta and really enjoyed the taste.
For my entree, I selected the 12 Layer Club Sandwich, three slices of toasted country bread layered with thinly sliced French ham, avocado, fresh tomatoes, crisp smoked bacon, thinly sliced oven-roasted turkey, baby spinach, Gruyere cheese, Maille Dijon, and homemade basil aioli served with pommes frites.
The fries were perfectly seasoned and had a little bit of a spicy kick. My favorite part of the sandwich was the homemade basil aioli, as it truly allowed all of the flavors to combine together perfectly.
Cakes and Desserts
For dessert, we opted to each select a cake flavor to enjoy in the restaurant and took home additional flavors to enjoy. In the restaurant, we tried the Raspberry Champagne Cake, the Cookie Dough Cake, and the Millionaire Cake, a Vairhona French chocolate cake filled with ganache, homemade salted caramel sauce, vanilla buttercream, and homemade butter shortbread cookies.
The cakes were perfectly moist and weren’t too sweet. I really enjoyed the ganache and chocolate chip cookie dough filling in the Cookie Dough Cake.
To take home, we selected a variety of cakes including the Carrot Cake, Lemon Blueberry Cake, a lemon bar, and the iconic Gwendolyn’s Famous Earl’s Court Chocolate Cake. While my favorite was the infamous and world celebrated chocolate cake, my husband raved about the carrot cake with signature cream cheese frosting. There is truly a cake flavor or dessert to suit all tastes!
Who Should Snag a Reservation?
While the exact menu for the Boardwalk’s Cake Bake Shop location has yet to be released, it seems obvious from the plans for the restaurant and the projected design artwork that the new restaurant will be very similar to the ones located in Carmel and Broad Ripple, Indiana. If so, I believe that this restaurant will be an incredibly hot ticket and popular reservation.
You should plan to grab a reservation at the Cake Bake Shop if you are looking for an elegant dining experience on Crescent Lake, just steps from EPCOT’s International Gateway. If you enjoy cake and desserts, stopping by and picking up a slice of your favorite flavor of cake will be necessity! If you enjoy dining experiences like the Grand Floridian Cafe, this is the restaurant for you!
Are you looking forward to the opening of The Cake Bake Shop at Disney’s Boardwalk Inn and Villas? Which cake flavor will you try first? Comment below and be sure to share this article with your favorite Disney foodies!
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