Cake for ~30?

Hi! Our baby is turning 1 in a few weeks (sniff sniff!) and we're having a little party. Looking for somewhere to get a simple but delicious cake for the adults and big kids (I'll be making her a "smash cake" with minimal sugar, whipped cream frosting, etc.). We'd be happy with carrot, banana or red velvet flavors, cream cheese icing. No need for fancy decorations, probably just writing and a few flowers or some such.

We're in Lincoln Park, and were going to get it from Sweet Mandy B's, but just did a cupcake test of those 3 flavors and weren't very impressed (they seemed generally dry - maybe a cupcake vs. cake issue?)

Would love any thoughts!

Apologies if this has been asked and answered - I searched but didn't find any recent threads.

I'm not sure what their biggest cake size is, but we were really happy with the 9" cake and cupcakes we got for our wedding from Molly's Cupcakes a few years ago, and they're in your neighborhood.

2536 North Clark Street
Chicago, Illinois 60614
(773) 883-7220

It may not be as special, but Costco cakes are really good. They have various fruit fillings, or carrot cake, and appropriate icing choices, including cream cheese. You do best if you go into the store and talk to the bakers, and fill out the form there with whatever personalization you need. I think they serve around 25-50 per cake, depending on how big you cut the pieces.

Costco is a personal favorite of mine for convenience, taste and value. I've also ordered cakes from Swedish Bakery in Andersonville which have been delicious as well, though not as cheap as Costco.

Costco cakes have shocked me - they're very good and ridiculously cheap compared to similarly sized options. I've spent 5-10 times more money on cakes and been far less satisfied.

Lovely Bakeshop on Milwaukee in Wicker Park / Noble Square area, not far from Lincoln Park, has excellent red velvet cake with cream cheese icing, and they do some great banana muffins and loafs. The owners are super sweet and I bet they'd be glad to do a sheet cake for you.
http://www.lovelybakeshop.com

Tres Leches cake for 30!

Panaderia Jimenez
3840 W. Fullerton
Chicago,IL.

or
a wonderful Canolli Cake @ a Bakery off the Kennedy @ Canfield Avenue called

House of Cakes
6189 N. Canfield Avenue
Chicago, IL 60631
773-774-0440
http://www.houseofcakeschicago.com/
CASH ONLY- no plastic.

It's hard to beat a Costco cake for what, $20 for a half sheet? But I wish I could try it, hard to get over an inherent bias against grocery store baked goods. Anyone having a party this weekend I could crash for a sliver of cake?

Swedish Bakery and Molly's look a bit above our price point for now.

Called Lovely and they are very reluctant to do a single layer sheet of cake with cream cheese frosting (something about the frosting not sticking to the cake. Not sure how this is remedied with 2 layers). They say their 12" round serves 30 but I'm nervous about cutting a round cake into 30 slices! Plus I want to err on the side of having a few more pieces than we think we'll need.

Thank you all for the suggestions. Keep them coming please.

I'm a fan of Dinkel's cakes. We used to order them for our monthly birthday celebrations. I've also ordered the red velvet from Alliance Bakery and been pleased.

As far as cutting 12" round cakes into slices, google the "how to." Don't think pizza slices.

Alliance Bakery
1736 W Division St
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 278-0366
alliance-bakery.com

Dinkel's Bakery
3329 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 281-7300
dinkels.com

another vote for Costco. We've always been happy with them.

Costco, yes, for good, yet inexpensive cake. Delightful Pastries makes lovely cakes and will make you just about anything. My niece bought the cake for first birthday at Angel Food Bakery on Montrose.

I love Cafe Selmarie, right in your 'hood, and I know they have at least one of those flavors.
I have not tried the cake, but the cookies are delicious at The Twisted Baker at 1543 N. Wells, only a few stops away on the brown line.

I'll add another vote for Costco cakes, though I've bought two in the last six months and neither location I went to offered the selection of cake, fillings, and frostings they used to. It was either white cake with vanilla frosting and vanilla filling, or chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and filling. No custom combinations.

It tasted as good as ever, but I was disappointed in the lack of choices.

Their house brand vanilla ice cream is the perfect compliment to their cakes, too- great vanilla-y flavor.

Alliance, if you still have time. This is red velvet.




Otherwise, Costco is simple, inexpensive, and actually quite good.