The Baker’s Jar Opens on South Street

This week marks the opening of The Baker’s Jar.  The Baker’s Jar, located on the corner of 16th and Bainbridge just off South Street, is a contemporary take on dessert with an emphasis on both taste and aesthetics.  Started by baker Avery Goldman, each delectable dessert comes individually baked in its own mason jar, with flavors ranging from tres leches to chocolate bread pudding.  The mason jar desserts are really the star of this bakery’s menu, and they come in the standard 8 ounce size or a mini 4 ounce size.

The quaint store-front features a wall with built-in rustic shelves that hold the day’s dessert selection.  The simplistic decor evokes a fresh feeling when you step in the door, and a small counter facing the window lets customers enjoy their coffee and dessert in-house.   The back of the store features a large, open kitchen that allows you to get a glimpse of the bakery.

Avery, who graduated from a small liberal arts college in Indiana, decided to pursue food through working at bakeries and catering company.  After dabbling in some baking of her own, Avery says she had an “aha” moment when she discovered that mason jars could be put directly in the oven.

Although Avery jokingly categorizes herself as “not much of a sweets person,” her success creating endearing confections suggests otherwise.  Along with the mason jar desserts, the bakeshop also serves cookies, muffins, scones, full-sized cakes and pies, La Colombe coffee, Green Aisle Grocer chutneys, and Avery’s very own “cookie in a jar” mix.

First, we tried the ooey gooey chocolate cake, a decadent chocolate cake layered with chocolate ganache and caramel sauce.  The rich chocolate cake melts in your mouth while the gooey caramel perfectly compliments each bite.  This one’s a must for chocolate lovers!

The lemon pie, topped with freshly made blueberry compote and finished with a graham cracker crust, was a fruity delight.  The saccharine blueberry topping balanced the tart citrusy custard.

The creamy and rich cream cheese frosting is the star of Ruby’s carrot cake.  The spiced cake is moist and crumbly, and each bite invokes a sense of nostalgia reminiscent of autumn.  But don’t be fooled, this winning combination is great for any time of the year.

The title “birthday cake” was a little misleading for this dessert, it was more of a sugar cookie cake decorated with colorful sprinkles.  Each bite was filled with frosting that had a slight sugary crunch, and the cake was rich with the essence of vanilla.

Last we tried the apple cake, which resembled bread pudding more than “cake.”  The delightful dessert was a dense combination of candied apples and sticky bread with crumbled brown sugar topping.

 After careful deliberation, these are our favorites:

Monica: Ruby’s Carrot Cake & Ooey Gooey Chocolate Cake
Raquel: Apple Cake & Ruby’s Carrot Cake

-Monica Purmalek & Raquel Macgregor