Today my mother would’ve been 80. Being German she loved coffee and cake in the afternoon. I’ll definitely have a nice piece of cake and a strong coffee in her honor. In this post I picked five Bay Area bakeries with special treats I love. I am not affiliated with any of the businesses and have not received anything for posting this. (This is not to say I wouldn’t be open to a taste test.)
Pastelaria Adega – San Jose
One of my favorite sweets is pastel de nata, a Portuguese egg custard tart pastry. Pastelaria Adega in San Jose does it right. You can watch them making the tart and stirring the custard in a large copper pot. Besides the traditional plain they also have fruit versions. If you are not interested in custard, maybe try some of their donuts, or savory items?
- Pastelaria
- 30 E Santa Clara St. #130
- San José, CA 95113
- https://pasteladega.square.site/
Wooden Table Baking Co – Oakland
Alfajores – You had me at dulce de leche; put two shortbread cookies around and you get this Argentinian dessert. For an extra indulgence try them covered in chocolate! They also have many gluten-free options.
- Wooden Table Cafe
- 2300 Broadway
- Oakland, CA 94612
- https://woodentablebaking.com/
Cocohodo – Sunnyvale
Cocohodo is a traditional Korean pastry, shaped like a walnut, filled with bean paste and a chunk of walnut. If I still had a small child this would be my go-to place. You can watch the machine that makes the pastry right there, while also enjoying their great coffee.
- Cocohodo
- 1082 E El Camino Real, Ste 6
- Sunnyvale, CA 94087
- http://www.cocohodosunnyvale.com/
Mini Taiyaki Cafe – Santa Clara
Another Korean favorite are taiyaki – fish shaped cakes filled with either custard, hazelnut spread, or red bean paste. They are freshly made and come in four fishes. The cafe is actually a hair salon and due to COVID restriction not a sit-down cafe. The taiyaki are fun when they are warm, but they don’t travel well.
- Mini Taiyaki Cafe
- 5075 Stevens Creek Blvd
- Santa Clara, CA 95051
Rosalind Bakery – Pacifica
The artisan bread at Rosalind is amazing, but their croissants are what I crave. The almond one is filled with almond paste, topped with shaved almond, and the crunch is music to my ears.
- Rosalind Bakery
- 450 Manor Plaza
- Pacifica, CA 94044
- https://rosalindbakery.com/
Where do you go for sweet treats?