I don’t know how many African Americans visit Indianapolis, but I could increase whatever that number is if I worked for their tourism bureau. I absolutely love the city because it is full of interesting people, stories, a Black food scene that is severely underestimated and the best Bundt cake I’ve ever had. That’s significant because I’ve tasted hundreds of cakes over the six years that The Hungry Black Man Media has been reviewing Black owned restaurants across the nation. We’ve also hosted baking competitions, and this is still the best Bundt cake ever.
Cretia Cakes is ONLY OPEN ONE DAY A WEEK ON SATURDAYS, and for good reason. If the city ever finds out about how good these cakes are, they wouldn’t be able to keep up with demand daily. Pastry Chef LaCretia Allen is one of the coolest ladies you will ever meet. She and her husband and partner Angelo Allen, operate the bakery, which also specializes in designer cakes. Children’s birthday cakes designed with Sonic the Hedgehog, President Obama’s face and many others are among the designs available.
Back to the Bundt. Baked in a Bundt pan that shapes the cake into a distinctive doughnut shape, there is very little difference between the ingredients of this brioche like cake. I tried the appropriately named Caramel Obsession Cake first and it was my favorite. Listen, this is NOT YOUR GRANDMA CAKE, CUZ YO GRANDMA CAN’T BAKE LIKE THIS!!!! You see, Lacretia isn’t just talented, she’s skilled. She is a CAKE BOSS with the ancestral baking wisdom she got from grandma augmented by the pastry knowledge she got from one of the nation’s best culinary schools.
The Caramel Obsession Cake was so soft you honestly can’t use a metal utensil to cut it. You need a very flimsy Family Dollar brand plastic knife, or one of those straws you use to stir your coffee. And the flavor is INCREDIBLE! As classic as it gets. With every sweet bite of this light, buttery, velvety, silky creamy, confection, comes the timeless taste of homemade caramel with hints of vanilla. This cake is so heavenly good it could be a welcome present for Jesus when he returns. I can write poems about this addictive cake. I can give this cake to any ex-girlfriend, and she would take me back in a heartbeat.
My second favorite was the Scrumptious Rum Cake. AMAZING, extremely rich, and soft with a beautiful yellow cake base with an out of this world butter-rum pecan glaze. This cake was soft and moist from the sweetened rum butter that will have you eating too many slices, because it literally will melt in your mouth. Lord have mercy, if you don’t try anything else in Indy, you need to eat these cakes that I’m daydreaming about as I write this.
Next up, chocolate. Another winner. As a chocolate lover, trust me, she knocked it out of the park. The bittersweet balance was undeniable and the stylistic moist, creamy, and soft cake base had my knees literally buckling on the LIVE review. I had to hold myself up by leaning on the counter. Yeah, it was really that serious.
My last cake would be my mother’s favorite because of its name, the Lemon “Church Lady” Cake, but also because it was soft, and filled with vibrant tart-sweetened, bright and super delicious lemon flavor. Unlike the other cakes, it had a slightly lighter flavor, not as bold as the more decadent options, great for when you want something amazing without going too heavy. The lemon butter glaze was a perfect addition to this massively delicious cake.
After pulling ourselves away from her nationally significant Bundt cakes, we had the delectable Mexican Wedding Cookies. They go by several names, like pecan balls, Viennese almond crescents, and the most familiar, Sandies. Whatever you call them, they are spectacular. With a cooling mouth feel and then a tasty buttery pecan crunch, imagine Keebler Sandies made from scratch by a 75-year-old Black grandma from Mississippi.
I can’t praise these amazing cakes enough. I’ll warn you now though. You might be so overwhelmed by the delicious options that you will want to thank me while also secretly cursing me out. You won’t be able to eat just one of anything, so you’ll need to balance things out by spending more time in the gym.
You can reach them at (317) 929-1560. Remember, they are ONLY OPEN ONE DAY A WEEK ON SATURDAY FROM 10AM – 2PM, so get yo a$$ up early if you want to try them, because they WILL BE SOLD OUT. They’re located at 6066 E 82nd St Indianapolis, IN 46250.
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