Salem is fortunate to have some outstanding bakeries doing desserts of all kinds. Cake lovers can choose from giant five-layer cakes or cakes with layers of flan interspersed, while pastry fans can try different eclairs and napoleons or sample Kolaches or conchas. Whatever your dessert desires, these four bakeries in Salem are an excellent place to begin your dessert odyssey.
Gerry Frank’s Konditorei
310 Kearny Street SE, Salem
One of the classics of the Salem dessert landscape, Gerry Frank’s Konditorei, opened in 1982 and is still going strong. It’s hard to overstate the popularity and number of options for sweet treats at the Konditorei. The focus is overwhelmingly on cakes, and they do them exceptionally well. For anyone visiting the bakery, the cakes by the slice are the place to begin. All available cakes are presented in the cases, and choosing one can be overwhelming with so many beautiful cakes! On a recent visit, there were 30 different cakes available to eat by the slice, 20 different varieties of cheesecakes and tortes, and upwards of 30 kinds of cookies and pastries.
The cakes and cheesecakes range from classics like red velvet and birthday cake to seasonal fruit-themed bakes. You also have special cake and cheesecake flavors like Snickers and Barney’s Blackout with five decadent dark chocolate cake layers. The bars and cookies run the gamut, from different brownies to classic drop cookies like chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin. The cakes and cookies are all available for order if you want to take one home for a special occasion. Prices for slices of cake start at $7.50, and most portions are huge. Ordering an entire cake starts at $37, and they ask for 3-5 days’ notice for special orders.
In addition to the cakes, the Konditorei has a robust lunch menu featuring quiche, soups, and sandwiches. This place is a Salem classic for a reason. Open Monday through Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The Little Cannoli Bakery
Pringle Park Plaza
315 High Street SE, Salem
The Little Cannoli Bakery is an outstanding Salem dessert landmark. Pastry chef Tim Goods bakes and runs the whole operation from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. The three cases at the bakery display an astounding and colorful array of treats. As the name suggests, there are cannoli, but there are also eclairs, napoleons, danishes, cookies of all kinds, and an entire case of mini macarons in eye-popping colors. All the goods are baked there daily, and everything offered is delicious.
Prices start as low as $1 for peanut butter balls and some of the small cookies and go up in small increments from there. The bakery also serves a full range of coffee, espresso, and Italian sodas. Finally, there are foods other than pastries — daily soups, pizzas, and focaccia are available for those wanting lunch. Previously located in the Reed’s Opera House building, the Little Cannoli Bakery is now nestled in a cute, cozy space within the funky 1970s-era Pringle Park Plaza.
Sweetly Baked Cafe and Bakery
680 Hawthorne Avenue SE, Salem
If you are looking for cupcakes, look no further than Sweetly Baked Cafe and Bakery. With 25 cupcake flavors daily, from banana chocolate peanut butter to four different takes on vanilla (vanilla, vanilla chocolate, vanilla strawberry, and vanilla sundae), there is bound to be a flavor for everyone! There is an extensive cake menu for those who want to order ahead, with any potential flavors available, both regular and gluten-free.
Sweetly Baked is also the only place around that offers Kolaches, a sweet bread-based pastry from the Czech Republic, also popular in Texas. You can buy them at the bakery in the traditional sweet and new savory varieties. If cookies and bars are your choice, the bakery also has a full menu of those delicacies as well. Sweetly Baked is an essential stop for any dessert lover in Salem.
Maravilla’s Bakery and Cafe
3815 Devonshire Avenue NE, Suite #105, Salem
Maravilla’s Bakery, which also includes a cafe, is a well-loved Mexican-style bakery. Open early, many people swear by the vast selection of pastries at this yummy bakery. From conchas and orejas to various kinds of empanadas and pan fino, all the classics of Mexican bakeries are here. In addition to the fabulous wall of pastries, customers can order whole cakes (and some slices) in styles ranging from tres leches and mil hojas to cakes that combine traditional cake with flan in different layers. These cakes are indeed a treat!
The bakery is open Monday to Friday from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on weekends (both Saturday and Sunday) from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Maravilla’s is a fabulous stop for coffee and a sweet pastry, and you can order another sweet treat to take home.
