It’s not often you find a bakery that specializes in ketogenic and diabetic dessert options, but The Cakery in Pittsburgh, which opened in February 2020, does just that.
That’s because before she opened her bake shop, owner Amber Atkins, who previously worked in the banking industry, was following a ketogenic diet. Unhappy with the options available, she set out to make her own. Being that she also has several diabetic family members, she decided to make diabetic desserts part of her repertoire.
All of the ketogenic/diabetic desserts at The Cakery, which are sugar-free, are also gluten-free. That includes variations on some of her shop’s most popular items like peanut butter pie, cheesecake bites and brownies. Because of this variety, Atkins has plenty of thankful customers, but one sticks out prominently in her mind. A young boy with diabetes was once so excited that he could finally have “a birthday cake like everyone else!”
Atkins’s philosophy is all about taking suggestions from the community and giving them the kinds of choices they want. Atkins’ son, Shane, who’s been baking with her since he was 12, helps her run the bakery. Together they like to come up with creative ideas such as family meals for a weekend and dessert tacos, which they offer seasonally, February through May. Flavors include chocolate lovers, raspberry white chocolate, caramel, and churro, with a different offering every Taco Tuesday.
Everything Atkins knows about baking has been passed down through her family. Growing up, she told Beyondish, “We cooked, we baked, we ate!” The love was abundant and became intertwined with the food they were making. She can remember baking peanut butter cookies with her grandmother at only eight years old, which she makes today at The Cakery.
Around the holidays Atkins supplies her family with apple crisp and pumpkin rolls, both of which are available at the bakery. She also brings the chocolate cake to all of her family gatherings, as they are all “choco-holics.” She sells the same chocolate cake by the slice at The Cakery, which is a customer favorite. Other slice favorites include chocolate and vanilla, though Atkins’ personally loves the white almond cake with raspberry filling, which she said, “speaks to my soul.”
What also speaks to her soul: Making sure customers leave with a “smile and a memory to last.” Our goal, she said, is to continue to “bring amazing goodness to the table.”
AUTHOR
Ashley is a writer and teacher living in Florida. When she isn't reading or writing, you can find her in the kitchen experimenting with a new recipe, on the yoga mat in downward dog, or lost out in nature with her family.
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