Baked by Susan — Restaurant in Town of Cortlandt

I love dessert and this is one place i really wanted to heart, but unfortunately, my first visit to the store was not up to the expectations i had. I've been wanting to try this place out for a while and when i finally had a special occasion, i went in there to get a cake and celebrate. Now, to give some benefit to the business, i did not order ahead and was okay with choosing the pre-made cakes - but shouldn't they all be top notch pre-made or otherwise?

When it was my turn to order, i noticed that the display shelf was empty and they had a few cakes in the refrigerator - maybe this was because i went in there 30 minutes before closing and they probably moved it over already. anyway, when i got to the order desk, i was told that the cakes were in the fridge and the sales girl walked me over there and told that i have three options - a carrot cake, a vanilla cake and a chocolate chocolate with coconut filling. i picked the chocolate chocolate with coconut filling. I took up on the sales girls offer of writing a message, paid $67 + tip and was on my way out.

This is where things go south. I kept the cake out for 3 hours as suggested, went through with the ceremonial cake cutting and when it was time to eat, i was utterly disappointed. First, the cake was super duper sweet. I'm Indian; we dunk our desserts in sugar syrup, so i can handle sweet. but this one felt like an entire Costco sugar bag was dumped in to make the cake. When everything is double loaded with sugar, it starts to suppress all the other flavors. I barely tasted anything at all other than a sugar overload. The second disappointment was the moistness. Now according to this business, maybe a $67 cake is entry level and this is what i was to expect, but gosh! The cake was dryer than the Sahara desert. My mother in law made a comment and tried to microwave it for 5 seconds with a sprinkle of water. Did nothing to it. No fluffiness, no smoothness, no moistness. Everything was smooshed together tight and compacted. We tried everything, thawing it for longer, microwaving it at low setting for 20 seconds. nothing made it better.

I am willing to give this business one more try, but with $60 minimum for cakes, it might be a while before i try this place. But i will....

Update1: Thanks for the offer of store credit, however that is not necessary. The reason for mentioning Costco was in reference to the amount of sweetness in the cake. Costco has sugar in 10lb bags. And thats the amount of sugar it felt in the cake. It shouldn't be a surprise that you use good ingredients.

The only takeaway from my review should be the lack of moistness. I expected better. I will update this review when i come to your business...

Susan and her staff make the best carrot cake on earth. Their key lime pie is something that reminds me of my childhood in Florida. Her chicken pot pie is a lifesaver when I don't want to cook.

The lemon bars are impossibly good, and they make a perfect dessert, especially during the horrible winter months, when the sunshine is a distant memory and seratonin levels are non-existent. They're probably full of vitamin C, so I will say they probably also help prevent scurvy. Eating a lemon bar in February is self-care! 😉

If you need a special cake, call them. We usually get a carrot cake from Susan when we want to celebrate a birthday right, and we always get one to celebrate our pug Amy's birthday. I order it with extra frosting because we are a little bit greedy! The cake is rich and dense without being heavy, and the frosting is light while also managing to be creamy and delightfully tart.

The applesauce/zucchini/banana/pumpkin breads they make are a lifesaver for weekday mornings when we need something yummy and fast to start the day.

We have been fans since we moved here, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, and the bakery was in its old spot. We really enjoy the bright atmosphere of the new space. It's accommodating for children, with seating inside and outside. It's a great place to meet a friend and catch up.

The menu is ever-changing and expanding, and you're sure to find something delicious to eat on the spot or...

This past Sunday we hosted my 4 year old's birthday party at Baked by Susan and we couldn't be more thrilled. Not only did all the kids have a blast but Susan and her team were the best to work with. We had to reschedule the party last minute because my family all came down with the flu the day before our original date. Susan couldn't have been more lovely and so accommodating. She reassured me that it would be okay and gave us a new date within seconds. It was such a unique party: my guests arrived a bit early and Susan was ready with a table long poster for the kids to color together, then all seventeen 4 year olds got to make their own mini pizzas, followed by a tour of the kitchen, decorating cupcakes, and making candy necklaces. Susan and her team were prepared for everything and each kid got their own designated supplies which made it easy for them really get creative. All the parents were excited to attend this special experience for the kids but Susan made sure the parents were cared for with some delicious homemade pizzas, pastries, and coffee.

Baked by Susan is already know for amazing cakes and baked goods so I don't need to rave about how delicious everything was because IT WAS. So I will say, if you need a fun engaging birthday party idea for your child highly consider hosting with...