Something Sweet: Confectionary Masters and Local Bakeries

Photo Courtesy of Confections by Casey Renee

Let’s be honest with ourselves for a moment. We love a fresh salad, a hearty fall stew, or even a solid pot roast to fight off a winter chill. But deep down, we know we’re the type to wait with anticipation for the first sign of cake trays, pie tins, and cookie jars to make their evening appearance in the kitchen.

We’re icing people, two tier chocolate cake people. We’re the freshed baked bread and cupcake crowd, the donut (and donut hole) folk. A community of confectionary fanatics, a population comprised of many, all living with the same burning question: What’s for dessert?

We could give you a dozen recipes to answer that question (order our 2020 Recipe Book for a few of those), but instead we’ve gathered some of Pittsburgh’s— and the internet’s— master bakers and dessert destinations to help guide your sweet tooth in the right direction.

Go ahead, indulge. See our roundup below!

Mediterra Cakehouse

Mediterra might be famous for their artisan breads, their use of quality ingredients, and their hearth ovens with more than 30,000 pounds of firebrick and a baking surface comprised of volcanic rock from the Alps (woah…), but we just cannnot stop thinking about their cakes! It’s because inside their Sewickley-based Bakehouse exists their Cakehouse, an artisan pastry and cake shop that provides desserts to a number of restaurants and cafes throughout Pittsburgh (including Mediterra’s own Cafe).

In addition, they offer custom and pre-designed cakes for weddings and other special events, giving customers an array of dessert traditional dessert options made with high quality ingredients, consideration, and, just like their breads, lots and lots of care.

Let them make your dreams become a reality. Consider ordering your next cake from Mediterra Cakehouse, or create your own Mediterra-inspired dessert at home with their recipe for a Strawberry Tart.

Oakmont Bakery

Established in 1988 by the Serrao family, Oakmont Bakery has been serving delicious pastries and decadent cakes for over thirty years, accumulating numerous awards, including the 2019 Readers’ Choice Award from Trib Total Media, as well as the 2019 “Best Bakery” award from both City Paper and Pittsburgh Magazine.

They are known for their assortment of cakes, tarts, pies, cookies, cupcakes, and basically any other treat you could possibly imagine. Visit their online directory and fill your cart with their delicious donuts, fruit tarts, breads, bagels, and gluten free goodies. Or stop into their brick and mortar shop in Oakmont for a coffee and sandwhich from their wonderful cafe (with outdoor seating available).

Confections by Casey Renee

No one knows confectionary cooking quite like two-time James Beard semi-finalist Casey Renee, former head pastry chef at Ace Hotel Pittsburgh. With bright color and whimsical presentation, she bakes up some sweet desserts as beautiful as they are delicious.

Try making her gluten-free Cranberry Coconut Macaroons or her Spiked Hot Chocolate while you’re home this fall. Or, if you’re looking for some quintessentially Casey, visit her site to order one of her fall specials, like Dutch Apple Pie Bars, Pumpkin Chocolate Truffles, or Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Spiced Bread.

Joseph Cuevas

Known online as the Thoughtful Bear, Joseph Cuevas is a queer, Latinx content creator, Brujo (that’s spanish for “socerer”), and artist, finding his speciality in offering spiritual guidance, intention setting rituals, and vegan recipes to make at home.

See his recipe for Vegan Chocolate Breakfast Case (because who doesn’t love cake with coffee in the morning?), and visit his site to see his recipe for a comforting cornbread. Make sure to follow him on Instagram, too, to stay up to date with his newest creations and tarot readings.

Flower & Fin

Featured in our most recent fall issue, Flower & Fin owner Carley Rice creates custom confections, herbal salt, and sugar infusions that showcases her energy-centering approach. All of her work is infused with magickal and spiritual properties, meaning her baked creations— which are tonally beautiful and tastfully delicious— are filled with positive energy, too. It’s because she enters the kitchen with the belief that food does not only nourish, but has the power to heal. We can’t agree more.

”Many joyful and memorable events center around dessert,” she writes. “Flower and Fin is honored to play a small part in these celebrations.”

To learn more about Carley, visit her site or pick up a copy of our 2020 Fall Magic issue and read the“Recipes of Rituals” feature.

Selina Progar of Altius

Photography by Andrew Burkle // Styling by Claire Vredevogod

Known for serving elevated cuisine and offering an exceptionally beautiful view of Pittsburgh, Altius is one of the best restaurants in the city, in part because of executive pastry chef Selina Progar’s talented take on french dessert.

Selina trained at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York before starting work at La Gourmandine in Pittsburgh and going on to add some pretty significant restaurants to her resume, such as Toppers at the Wauwinet, a 4-Diamond restaurant in Nantucket, Massachusetts, and Apex restaurant in Deer Valley, Utah.

At Altius, her touch of French and American pastry techniques is truly unqiue, along with her drive for experimentation. Visit the Mount Washington staple to taste for yourself, or follow Selina’s direction at home with her recipes for fruit-filled, braided and lattice-crusted pies, as well as tips for the best pie dough. Found in the “Simply Seasonal” section of our fall 2020 issue.

Emily Rapp, Baking with Lemon

Emily Rapp is a recipe developer, college student, and the creative brains behind the online baking blog Baking with Lemon. She’s also a first-time TABLE contributor with a mission to provide high quality, easy-to-follow recipes for those with busy schedules and a love for making delicious desserts. And we’re on board for the sweet, decadent ride! Because when life gives us Baking with Lemon, we end up with some pretty fantastic results.

We couldn’t be happier to welcome Emily to the TABLE family and are so excited to have had the chance to share her recipes this week all across our social platforms during our fall Bake Week. To see more from Emily, visit her site or check out her recipes for Blackberry Cobbler, Mocha Brownies, Pecan Pie Bars, and Chocolate Zucchini Bread.

The Pie Place

Photography by Adam Milliron // Styling by Ana Kelly

Powerhouse bake team Julie Cobb Accamando and Jessica Culicerto Gombar combined their passion for baking with their savvy business skills to open The Pie Place in 2017, located just south of Pittsburgh and north of South Hills Village Mall. It’s a bakery that prides itself on providing fresh baked goods made daily and offering specialty, custom order upon request. Pies, muffins, tarts, cakes, cupcakes, cookies— you name it, The Pie Place has it, along with gourmet coffee from 19 Coffee Co. in Washington, PA, and multiple flavors of Betsy’s Homemade Ice Cream made locally in Mt. Lebanon.

Visit their site and, while you’re in the mood for something sweet, check out Julie and Jessica’s recipe for Pumpkin Blondies and Cream Cheese Frosting for some fall-time bliss.

Gaby et Jules

Master pastry chef David Piquard creates beautiful confectionaries, pastries, and macarons at Gaby et Jules. He’s been putting his mark on the Pittsburgh bakery scene since being asked in 2010 to become Head Pastry Chef at the award-winning French Bistro Paris 66, and then at Gaby et Jules in 2013. He has 20 years of experience on the French culinary scene, and the quality of products offered at Gaby et Jules is a testament to his talent.

Their 1,000-square-foot shop in East Liberty also includes a café that opened last year, serving coffee, French sodas, hot chocotlate, quiche, sandwiches and their pastries and macarons. Gaby et Jules in Market Street Grocery Downtown, Pittsburgh International Airport, and Lautrec at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, also feature their macarons. Fans can also pick up their frozen sandwich cookies at Whole Foods Market in Wexford and East Liberty.

They ship macarons and other products nationwide, so order your pastries, chocolates, and confections here.