AppleCore's Bake Shoppe — Restaurant in Columbia

(PURCHASED DEC 7TH, 2024) So I was having a craving for some dessert goodness on a Friday. You know, one of those moments when you're craving something sweet after a long week at work and the gym. I came across this little hidden gem whilst going down a local bakery Google search rabbit hole. And boy I'm glad I did!! The misses and I got into the truck and headed on out.

Now... this is where we messed up, I thought it was an actual brick and mortar store front, but sadly it's not. We drove around, and got lost for a couple mins before we actually called the number on online, and to our surprise, it was answered by the owner herself (Aisha). We eventually found it, but she politely told us that unfortunately you have to order in advance to pick up the pastries, but we could order them today, and she will bring them 1st thing in the am on Saturday morning, and they will be ready. "Deal!" We ordered the lemon bundt cake, brandy apple bread pudding, and sweet potato cheesecake before even leaving the parking lot. As you can see, I was committed to these treats. The following day, the misses drove out, picked up the PACKAGE, and called me immediately to say, "They look so good!" When I got home that evening I had to try them one by one, and let me tell you, these desserts were well worth the wait!!

The lemon bundt cake hit all the right notes – moist, fluffy, with just enough lemon to make it interesting without overwhelming you. This was the misses favorite! But the sweet potato cheesecake? That's where things got serious. If you’re a fan of sweet potato pie, and cheesecake, this here will blow your mind! I’ve had sweet potato cheesecake several times before, but this was the best one I’ve ever had.

Lastly, the bread pudding. The BREAD PUDDING.... The real star of the show! The apple pieces were perfectly sized, and unlike many bread puddings that turn to mush, this one maintained a lovely texture throughout. While I couldn't really detect the brandy, it honestly didn't matter – each bite was so good I found myself rationing the slice to make it last longer. Definitely going back for more of this.

Sure, you'll need to plan ahead to enjoy these treats, but trust me – Applecore is worth the extra effort. Whether you're looking to satisfy a dessert craving or need catering for an event, this hidden gem delivers quality that'll keep you coming...

Whew!! Applecore’s Bake Shoppe absolutely threw me through a ‘decadent dessert’ loop!!!

I typically treat my personal friends and hard working colleagues to sweet treats, especially at work, where we are all running around busy during our long shifts. And unfortunately, some people miss out on the goodies because they have a gluten allergy or other dietary restrictions, so when I stumbled upon Applecore and their eclectic dietary dessert offerings, I was excited to try them out.

This shoppe is also black owned, and the founding baker is a phenomenal woman! So y’all know I was eager to support.

But little did I know that Applecore would hit me with a serious “GOTCHA” moment after my first bite of their bestselling sweet potato cheesecake. This was literally theee bessssstttt cheesecake I have ever had!!!

The flavor of the sweet potato was so on point, and had a wonderful balance and warm spice profile, without being overly sweet or too rich. And The graham cracker crust was also 100%. So I had purchased some more of these sweet potato cheesecakes-exactly 3 days later (hahahaha), to give out to a few extraordinary coworkers for the holidays, and every single one of them raved that it was sooo delicious..one coworker claimed he was licking the packaging to get every last drop :)

I also tried their ‘award winning’ vegan apple bread pudding and their vegan lemon raspberry cake..and both were absolutely delectable.

Btw, I also surprised one of my favorite nurses with a gluten free bundlette box, which came with four mini gluten free bundt cakes that were a variety of cake flavors with drizzles and decorative holiday toppings. And He loved every bite and claimed the cakes were fantastic!!

So yelp peeps-don’t sleep on this bakery….

Also, shout out to the “Applecore” family, who packaged every single item so neatly and beautifully..thank you! And for making my pick up experiences very seamless and efficient.

Overall, I...

I have multiple reviews here. First, I picked up two whole cheesecakes (Sweet Potato and Bailey's Irish Cream) to take to a BBQ in Delaware. Since I am a long time customer of AppleCore's Bake Shoppe I already knew the deliciousness that what was to come from the sweet potato cake. But I also picked up a slice of the Pistachio cheesecake to eat on my ride up the highway because hey, I love all things pistachio and all things AppleCore so it's a win win naturally. When I tell you that Pistacio cheesecake was AMAZING please believe me people. Oh my goodness it was everything that I needed a Pistachio cake to be. Moist, rich perfectly flavored and had crumbles on top. I mean it was just perfect. Do yourself a favor and live this experience for yourself.

Ok so the Sweet Potato cheesecake came out first at the BBQ and folks loved it. I mean plates were cleaned off quick fast with "who brought this cake, where did it come from?". And then the Bailey's cake came out shortly after and all I know if that I didn't even get a chance to taste it because I was moving slow and it was gone before I got to it. So now I have to go back to the Shoppe (poor me right?) and get another Bailey's cake and I guess more Pistachio because why wouldn't I do that.

Ok, and I am long overdue on this one but some time ago I had ordered a Chunky Monkey Cheesecake which didn't not disappoint either. I forget which holiday it was, but I remember saying to myself "man this cake is heavy". It was. Heavy on flavors of banana pudding cheesecake, wet walnuts and walnut crust and chocolate ganache. It was just a huge cake and I for one appreciate whenever a business gives you more for your money at a time when everyone else seems to put less in a package. We loved every bite of it in my house. I'm not even gonna lie, I ate most of it myself. No shame.

Applecore....you have done it again. Your hands...