The Cake Bake Store Eating place is a brand new desk carrier eating enjoy and bakery at Walt Disney International, inside of strolling distance of EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. This evaluate covers our meal at this pricey and debatable new eatery, whether or not it’s value your money and time, visitor varieties to whom it’ll enchantment, and how one can take advantage of a meal at Cake Bake.
In the case of fundamentals, the Cake Bake Store Eating place via Gwendolyn Rogers is situated at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, changing the gap in the past occupied via ESPN Membership. As famous above, this hotel slash ‘WDW district’ is situated between EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Immediately throughout Crescent Lake from Cake Bake Store is Disney’s Yacht & Seaside Membership Accommodations; the Swan & Dolphin Accommodations also are adjoining to it.
All of those resorts shape the Crescent Lake Hotel Space or EPCOT Hotel Space. Possibly extra importantly, Cake Bake Store is a brief stroll from EPCOT’s World Gateway front/go out in International Show off between the UK and France. There’s additionally a Skyliner gondola station over there, making Cake Bake simply available from Pop Century, Artwork of Animation, Caribbean Seaside, and Riviera Accommodations. All of those places are discussed each for the sake of get right of entry to, and as the Cake Bake Store Eating place is wholly distinctive and in contrast to anything else at any of the aforementioned parks or lodges.
Additionally notable is that the addition of the Cake Bake Store Eating place via Gwendolyn Rogers is the general segment of a multi-year reimagining of Disney’s BoardWalk Inn. This additionally added BoardWalk Deli, Blue Ribbon Corn Canine, and a couple of different minor adjustments. Maximum notable up till Cake Bake was once the reimagined rooms at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, which might be a bit of of a combined bag.
It’s conceivable there’s extra to come back of this hotel reimagining. Walt Disney International nonetheless hasn’t introduced the plan for the previous Giant River Grille and each Jelly Rolls and Atlantic Dance Corridor had been on existence strengthen for years, so there generally is a segment two on that facet of the prom within the coming years. However so far as what’s been introduced, that is the top of the hotel refresh and improvements.
For our first meal at Cake Bake Store Eating place, we opted to make a past due lunch Advance Eating Reservation (ADR) for 4:15 pm. Upon arrival on the appointed time, we had been seated at roughly 4:25 pm and our server proceeded to take our order at 4:35 pm.
I notice those instances as a result of Cake Bake has two relatively menus for lunch and dinner. The previous is obtainable till 4:30 pm according to the eating place, and the latter starts at 5 pm. We had been ordering throughout a misplaced half-hour, it appears.
Our server steered us that the lunch menu was once not to be had, because the machine had already converted. This was once mildly hectic given our ADR and arrival time, as I had sought after to reserve from the ‘select two’ menu that’s most effective introduced at lunch.
It wasn’t an enormous factor–it was once merely for the sake of evaluate variety, no longer like there was once some must-have most effective on that menu. We had plans to go back to the eating place with extra members of the family later within the week, so I figured I’d simply check out it then.
In a different way, carrier was once adequate. Our server was once an expert concerning the menu, sufficiently pleasant and attentive. It was once roughly what chances are you’ll enjoy on the adjoining Trattoria al Forno or every other common desk carrier eating place at Walt Disney International.
The most important energy to the carrier was once that, not like every other Walt Disney International eating places, the servers at Cake Bake Store Eating place weren’t stretched too skinny. The ratio of visitors according to server was once reasonably low, kind of on par with a Signature Eating place. This didn’t appear to be for loss of call for–we if truth be told had a point of problem making our ADRs.
With the desk set, let’s dig into the delicacies at Cake Bake Store Eating place…
I ordered the Vintage Burger with Pommes Frites: Floor red meat chuck served on a toasted brioche buttered bun. Crowned with shredded lettuce, pickles, beefsteak tomato, chopped white onion, mayonnaise, and melted Tillamook cheddar cheese.
This can be a really extensive, prime quality burger. The brioche bun is comfortable and buttery, the vegetable toppings tasted recent, and the beef was once juicy and scrumptious.
I’ve 0 lawsuits about this cheeseburger or the pomme frites (french fries). This dish is as marketed–a vintage cheeseburger with fries completed at a prime degree.
Cake Bake’s burger may be not anything memorable or to put in writing house about. Which is okay! No longer each and every burger must be craveworthy or distinctive, and this doesn’t invoice itself as that. So far as burgers move, it’s best 2 within the Crescent Lake Hotel Space. However there isn’t precisely numerous festival. Except there’s a secret menu I don’t learn about, that is the one burger any place at BoardWalk.
As with just about the entirety at Cake Bake, there’s the problem of pricing. The Vintage Burger and Pomme Frites prices $27. As any person who orders so much of burgers at Walt Disney International, I way back turned into numb to their pricing, so this didn’t give me decal surprise. Disney broke the $20 burger barrier again in 2012, and it was once actually stunning again then. Burgers within the mid-$20s at the moment are the norm, no longer the exception.
With all of that mentioned, this isn’t the number one burger within the Crescent Lake Hotel Space. That crown is going to the Cheddar Burger over at Ale & Compass, which (for reference) is crowned with Applewood-smoked 1st baron beaverbrook, Tomato, Avocado, Pickles, Sunny Facet Up Egg, on a Herbed Mayonnaise on a Area-made Bun, and prices $25. For Cake Bake’s worth, I want to see one thing relatively extra attention-grabbing–like that burger. Regardless of being moderately excellent, the Cake Bake Burger is a one and executed for me–and is hard to suggest with out that “one thing extra.”
For her entree, Sarah ordered the Roasted Salmon Filet: Contemporary wild salmon filet completed with a lemon dill crème fraîche served with smashed fingerling potatoes and roasted asparagus.
Salmon is a type of entrees that Walt Disney International does nicely (even at EPCOT fairs), so we had been a little bit anxious about ordering the Roasted Salmon at Cake Bake for the reason that it’s a 3rd celebration. Fortunately, the Roasted Salmon Filet at Cake Bake Store Eating place is beautiful.
The fish is a large reduce, and completely ready–a crisp external that provides solution to flaky items which are wet, juicy, and be offering a fantastic taste. The filet had the easiest quantity of fattiness for taste, particularly for wild salmon. This fish would’ve been implausible by itself, however the lemon dill crème fraîche put it excessive. It took the already wealthy and buttery taste of the salmon and deepened it, providing an umami high quality. I’d order this over and over again, and we extremely suggest it.
The smashed fingerling potatoes are likewise very good–crisp skins which are well-seasoned, with comfortable interiors. Those are filling and fulfilling, and this plus sizable salmon made for a shockingly massive meal. (As could be obvious, I ate numerous this.) As for the roasted asparagus, it tastes like…roasted asparagus.
In fact, the problem of value as soon as once more comes up. The Roasted Salmon Filet is $40 at Cake Bake Store Eating place. That is about center of the pack for salmon at Walt Disney International. Once more, it didn’t strike us as sudden or egregious.
The nearest comparability to this dish is if truth be told the Roasted Salmon served with Roasted Celery Root, Arugula, and Meyer Lemon Crème over at Flying Fish. That dish prices $49 and is similar to this. It’s been some time since I’ve had that, so it would possibly be a relatively greater or higher-quality filet, however I used to be very happy with Cake Bake’s. This can be a near-Signature caliber dish, at minimal.
Now come the truffles. That is supposedly the primary match, as chances are you’ll be expecting for a cafe named Cake Bake Store.
My authentic aim was once to post this previous to Christmas and in addition go back for every other meal throughout which we’d order common truffles, however the most efficient laid plans of mice and males steadily move awry. For this meal, we opted for 2 seasonal alternatives: Peppermint Sweet Cane Chocolate Cake and Gingerbread Guy Cake.
Each and every of those truffles value $23. That’s via the slice.
A lot has been manufactured from the cake slice pricing at Cake Bake Store. Some shield those costs via claiming that every slice of cake serves 2 to a few folks.
I don’t know who the ones persons are, however they should no longer like cake. I may simply polish off a slice of this alone. In case you’re claiming this serves 3, then the typical Walt Disney International desk carrier eating place that prices $10 serves two.
To make sure, those are greater than customary, however I’d say they’re 1.5x measurement, reasonably than 2-3x. We did finally end up taking numerous those truffles house, however most effective for the reason that entrees had been so filling (and we’d been grazing all over the world at EPCOT’s Competition of the Vacations previous to our meal).
If it had been if truth be told the case that everybody had been sharing slices, Cake Bake may merely promote smaller parts at decrease costs and make it up in quantity. That will get rid of numerous the largest lawsuits, so win-win, proper? They clearly don’t do this as it wouldn’t pencil out.
The larger factor for us, although, is that those truffles are not anything particular.
They’re no longer dangerous or mediocre, they’re simply no longer $20+ slices of cake. On each, the buttercream and ganache is top of the range, and tastes nice. The cake itself, although, is a bit of at the dry facet and no longer all that memorable.
Our go-to truffles are from the bakery at Entire Meals. (Sarah is a huge fan as a result of they use “blank” components, and the Berry Chantilly Cake is implausible.) For a complete cake, the ones value about the similar worth as a unmarried slice at Cake Bake Store. Clearly, grocery retailer to desk carrier eating place (at Walt Disney International, of all puts) is beautiful a ways from an apples to apples comparability.
On the other hand, it’s no longer as though Entire Meals is understood for its affordability. Extra to the purpose, a desk carrier eating place at Walt Disney International with “cake” within the title will have to most certainly serve cake awesome to a grocery retailer if it needs to price considerably larger costs. It does no longer, so this comparability is truthful recreation. The truffles we simply purchased for Christmas and New 12 months’s at Entire Meals had been each higher than Cake Bake Store.
So if it’s obviously no longer cake, then what, precisely, is the spotlight of Cake Bake Store Eating place at Walt Disney International? Check out the way it will get decked out for the vacations…
Footage don’t even start to do justice to the Christmas decorations at Cake Bake Store Eating place. It actually is a glistening iciness wonderland.
The central sales space crowned via an attractive snow-tipped Christmas tree if truth be told rotates, revealing Santa Claus pulled via reindeer because it turns. Those figures are all animated, with a restricted vary of movement, plus lavish costumes and coats of fur. It’s not anything in need of resplendent.
Cake Bake Store’s Christmas decorations rings a bell in my memory of the shows you’d see at prime finish department stores. That is completely no longer a backhanded praise, as I’m no longer speaking concerning the demise department stores dotting the rustic. I imply the ones in portions of New York and California–or higher but, Paris and Tokyo. It’s all so luxurious and surprising.
Cake Bake Store isn’t a Signature Eating place at Walt Disney International within the customary sense of the time period.
For essentially the most section, the menu is a lot more approachable and strange, although it’s pricey. Many of the dishes are American convenience meals, with a transparent New Orleans-inspiration. There are a few larger finish choices, similar to Crab Muffins, New York Strip Steak, or the Salmon. That’s actually about it, although. In a different way, it’s numerous sandwiches and soups.
Truthfully, the menu feels a bit of at odds with the ambience. I wouldn’t name Cake Bake subtle, however it’s sublime.
To that time, we felt a bit of misplaced at Cake Bake Store with a baby.
It’s no longer that the servers made us uncomfortable or attempted to transport our meal alongside–they had been completely delightful. Partially, it was once the ambience. Cake Bake Store Eating place felt extra on par with a Signature Eating place than its menu instructed. Even supposing animated polar bears, reindeer, and Santa Claus figures scream “kid-friendly,” it was once all imbued with such an opulence and magnificence that we felt like we shouldn’t had been there. Identical to we wouldn’t take a baby to within reach Flying Fish or Yachtsman Steakhouse or Citricos.
This was once additional bolstered, no less than in our minds, via buyers in any respect different within reach tables. There have been older {couples} in our neighborhood who had been dressed up for date nights, ordered ‘fancy’ glowing water, and gave the impression (no less than to my side-eyeing) to be having pretty and romantic foods. I later noticed considered one of them at Candlelight Processional and couldn’t assist however assume: now that is the easiest solution to do Cake Bake Store Eating place!
Suffice to mention, Cake Bake Store Eating place could be highest for a date night time.
It’s going to best our checklist of the most efficient eating places for Valentine’s Day at Walt Disney International. Our server was once raving concerning the plans they have got for decorations as soon as Christmas wraps up, and it sounds implausible. It’s refreshing to peer a cafe care such a lot about seasonal decorations, particularly as Walt Disney International is going in the complete opposite path with its personal eating places.
In case you’re making plans additional upfront, Cake Bake Store Eating place would even be highest for a pre-Candlelight Processional meal. (Hands crossed they’re incorporated in long run eating applications, however I doubt it.) I will’t bring to mind many higher pairings for a memorable meal and display, even a few of the EPCOT International Show off eating places.
It’s no longer simply that Cake Bake Store Eating place is a superb choice for {couples}.
I’d believe that if our daughter had been a couple of years older, Cake Bake could be highest. However because it stands, she’s nonetheless a baby who is solely discovering her toes, and isn’t able for an extended and extra sublime eating enjoy. (Therefore this evaluate no longer that includes that 2nd meal–we cancelled and as an alternative opted for a extra toddler-friendly choice.)
We’ve got pals again in Indianapolis with daughters who’re 5 to fifteen years outdated. They completely adore Cake Bake Store. Regardless of having one now, I don’t purport to be the authority on this kind of factor, however I’d danger a bet that’s concerning the candy spot: women of that age who’re well-mannered and need to enjoy the ‘finer issues’ however aren’t moderately able for grownup Signature Eating.
Amongst Sarah’s grownup pals, it additionally turns out like Cake Bake is fashionable for women nights out. Once more, I’m no longer knowledgeable in this, however it assessments out. I don’t know what the complete opposite of ESPN Membership is, however this has gotta be beautiful as regards to it! Cake Bake is principally Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique: The Eating place. Throughout, consideration to element is off the charts at Cake Bake Store. It does the little issues actually nicely, extra so than can via conveyed via pictures or a evaluate. As a visitor, you’re feeling such as you’re a part of one thing particular.
In the long run, we preferred positive sides of Cake Bake Store Eating place a lot more than anticipated, and different elements a lot lower than expected. Regardless of giant plans to check out each and every cake at the menu, I most certainly wouldn’t order every other cake–or we’d break up a cake, only for the sake of making an attempt one thing new, seeing if it’s any higher, and announcing we had what the eating place is understood for.
Quite than that specialize in dessert, we’d reallocate that portion of the price range to entrees, ordering the ‘fanciest’ ones that very best approximate a Signature Eating place. We’d each completely get that Roasted Salmon Filet once more. I’d be susceptible to check out the Crab Muffins and New York Strip Steak, however I’m no longer positive what else. The gumbo and shrimp po’ boy sound excellent…however no longer actually becoming the vibe of where. Level being, we’d if truth be told reasonably spend extra money on entrees versus the cake to have a complete package deal enjoy that felt value it.
Cake Bake Store is undeniably pricey. Our out-the-door invoice was once $140 for the above, which is locally of what we’d’ve spent a couple of doorways down at Flying Fish. It was once an overly other enjoy, in fact, however our most effective actual factor was once the fee the truffles contributed to that overall. I don’t care the way you slice it: those truffles are wildly overpriced. Tweaking our order a bit of to deemphasize muffins and move larger on entrees would’ve progressed our meal immensely and made it extra fairly priced.
The secret’s that we can completely go back to Cake Bake Store Eating place in a couple of years–most certainly once more at Christmas–when our daughter is the precise age to comprehend its setting. To its credit score, Cake Bake provides one thing you gained’t to find any place else at Walt Disney International when it comes to the overarching enjoy, and the unbelievable consideration to element here’s Distinctly Disney.
The eating place actually nails the sophisticated small issues and provides great little touches (proper all the way down to customized to-go packing containers and baggage) in some way that exceeds even what Walt Disney International is doing. It’s actually in a class of its personal–no longer moderately a Signature Eating place for cuisine-caliber, however a lot more than one in different ways.
It’s undoubtedly no longer going to be for everybody, and even the general public, however Cake Bake Store goes to have super enchantment for its goal demographics. As soon as the mud has settled on its pre-opening value and building controversies, it’s most probably that Cake Bake Store Eating place might be an enormous hit and fan-favorite at Walt Disney International with some visitors.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What are your ideas concerning the Cake Bake Store via Gwendolyn Rogers? In case you’ve already dined right here, what was once your enjoy with the delicacies, truffles, and setting? Will you be making ADRs right here or skipping Cake Bake? Stunned via simply how pricey that is? Suppose the costs are value it, although they do require a 2nd loan? Agree or disagree with our eating place evaluate? Any questions we will allow you to solution? Listening to your comments–even while you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please percentage your ideas under within the feedback!
