20 Feb Austin Eats // Capital City Bakery
About Austin Eats: This week I am featuring some of my favorite spots to eat in Austin as part of the Austin Food Blogger’s Alliance 2014 City Guide. Check out any of my featured spots or hop on over to the City Guide (coming Feb 27!) to find something that suits your craving!
Since 2011 Capital City Bakery has been helping Austinites satisfy their sweet tooth with a of variety delicious pastries, all made fresh daily and with organic ingredients when possible. The sugar baby of Kristen Davenport, this Cooking Channel featured bakery serves up cupcakes, cookie sandwiches, rice krispie treats, cheesecake and other irresistible confections in crisp, white recycled paper boxes. And if that weren’t enough – everything is 100% vegan, though I swear, you’d never know!
Once a not-so-humble award-winning bakery on wheels, and now (thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign) a full-blown storefront, Capital City Bakery is located in an inviting, little house on East Cesar Chavez, caddy-corner to another local favorite, Juan in a Million. And while the signage is sparse (Kristen’s still getting the place up and running) they’re open for business and painted a bright, friendly turquoise blue that can’t be missed.
I really love this bakery, not only because of its beautiful desserts (yes, sometimes I do like to be baked for) but because it’s also a local business with a conscience. Capital City Bakery prides itself on sourcing local and organic ingredients whenever possible, and ties in a unique focus on the connection between food, health and the world around us. So much so that they openly commit themselves to providing an alternative choice[s] in attempt to preserve the environment, protect animals, and unite people through a love of food and a desire for progression.
And while I’m a proud butter lover, I also understand how we so often can become bogged down in taste bud gratification that we overlook the impact a business (and even our every day lives) can have on a community as a whole. Especially in the pastry industry where profit margins are extremely slim, which is one reason I find Capital City Bakery’s mission to be so refreshing, not to mention incredibly brave!
And yes, as a frequent baker I can tell that the pastries are made without butter. And [unusually] in this case, I’m totally okay with it. Let me tell ya, they aren’t sacrificing one ounce of flavor by leaving out this blog’s namesake. Butter or not, Capital City Bakery has figured out the secret to baking vegan desserts that satisfy veggie and dairy lovers alike. And honestly, were I not an avid baker, I probably wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference. They’re THAT good.
Cupcakes take the main stage in Cap City’s display case, offering a variety of rotating flavors including Mint Chocolate Chip (a must try!), Turtle and the Cherry Bomb – a combination of chocolate and cherry that is absolutely divine. While there are a few menu staples, Kristen keeps the cupcake flavors fresh, and you’ll rarely visit when there isn’t something new to try. I personally can’t wait to return on a day when the Peanut Butter Crunch is on the menu – chocolate cake, peanut butter buttercream, chocolate ganache, and chick-o-stick candy. Which I suppose means that I’ll have try “try my luck” and keep going back until I can satisfy my insatiable peanut butter craving. It’s a tough life I lead.
Whether you’re looking for a satifying vegan alternative or just a great cupcake, Capital City Bakery is the real deal. Oh, and I almost forgot – they offer gluten-free options too. Do you have any idea how hard it is to bake vegan AND gluten-free? Seriously, Kristen must be a magician! Find your way over there and try one for yourself – you won’t be sorry!
What to order: Cupcakes! Mint Chocolate Chip if there are any left!
More Info:
Address: 2211 E Cesar Chavez Austin, TX 78702
Phone number: (512) 666-7437
Hours of Operation: 10am – 7pm Mon – Sat, (closed Sundays)
Takes reservations: No
WiFi: No
Website: http://www.capitalcitybakery.com/
Josette LeBlond
Posted at 04:34h, 05 MarchThanks for this very interesting article.
victoria james
Posted at 21:08h, 13 SeptemberHeaven, gotta take my significant other. Thanks for the info.