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Photo courtesy of House of Chimney Cakes
With so many world-class restaurants feeding people savory masterpieces, it makes sense that Metro Detroit and Detroit, specifically, would have equally good dessert places. And, indeed, the dessert territory for bakeries, patisseries, and specialty treats is vast, so you’ll have to try them all to get a good sense of what sugary wonderfulness awaits you. From the heartwarming simplicity of freshly baked goods to the complex symphony of flavors found in modern creations, Metro Detroit’s dessert scene is as diverse as it is delightful. Let’s embark on a sweet journey, featuring standout establishments that satisfy your sweet tooth.
CANNELLE
Multiple locations in Metro Detroit
Chef Matt Knio has created a sugar buzz among foodies all around Metro Detroit with his patisserie. Cannelle is a Detroit-based bakery that fuses the best of Knio’s French pastry knowledge with his love of Detroit, whipping up every possible dessert and displaying them with style and flair. Renowned for its croissants, éclairs, and tarts, Cannelle is a testament to the universal love for pastries. The macarons are extremely detailed and thoughtfully created, like the chocolate hazelnut version that consists of a chocolate macaron with hazelnut cream mousseline, ganache, and a hazelnut drizzle, or the white chocolate raspberry with a berry macaron, berry coulis, cream mousseline, whipped white ganache, white chocolate icing, and chocolate decor atop.
HOUSE OF CHIMNEY CAKES
22737 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn
House of Chimney Cakes is where proud husband and wife Ali Abdallah and Liza Fardoun have transformed a Hungarian tradition into a modern-day marvel. Their collaboration with a Michelin Chef from California has given rise to a dessert haven that blends centuries-old recipes with contemporary flair. The chimney cake, a delightful fusion of a doughnut, croissant, and churro, serves as the canvas for a variety of fillings and toppings, from rich ice cream to fresh fruit toppings and candies. The Tiramisu chimney cake, for example, is made with chocolate and vanilla ice cream inside of a mocha-flavored chimney cone, espresso powder, coffee syrup, a lady finger with Nutella, a Pirouette cookie, and chocolate sauce to top.
Boasting a range of other offerings, the duo tells us, “We’ve transformed into a full-fledged café, tempting you with coffee worthy of Michelin 3-star acclaim, velvety lattes, exquisite crepes, heavenly affogatos, and whimsical, over-the-top milkshakes. Feast your eyes on superstar croffles (think of a combination between a croissant and waffle) and savory chimney hot dogs – all crafted fresh before you for a truly captivating culinary adventure.”
CHRISTINE’S CAKES & PASTRIES
45883 Hayes Road, Shelby Township
Christine’s Cakes and Pastries is a wonderland of confectionery delights, where the display cases are filled with an array of beautifully crafted cakes, pastries, and other sweet treats. Some of the impressive tortes include one brushed with Bailey’s Irish cream and white chocolate mousse between layers of chocolate cake, while the Lady Chambord is a personal favorite, with layers of white cake brushed with Chambord liqueur, filled with raspberries and white chocolate mousse. The poured chocolate cake and cupcakes are also divine, with chocolate cake iced in buttercream and covered in chocolate ganache, perfect for chocolate lovers. Check out the displays for mousse cups, scones, whoopie pies, tarts, cheesecake, and more.
VASI’S CAFE
23000 Harper Avenue, St. Clair Shores
Vasi’s Cafe is a cozy spot, with an inviting atmosphere and a menu of homemade desserts that speak of tradition and comfort at this family-owned and operated bakery. You can find a wide variety of freshly baked donuts available daily, with options like creme brûlée, Bavarian cream, cinnamon apple, maple-frosted, and more. Vasi’s also has other sweet treats, like biscotti, shortbread bars, cookies, cream puffs, coffeecake, homemade ice cream, and Greek desserts like baklava cheesecake, galatoboureko, and koulourakia.
DOUGHBAR
39 Sylvan Avenue, Pleasant Ridge
Doughbar is for the lovers of all things cookies (and cookie dough!). The Doughbar team shares, “Doughbar is built on craftsmanship, quality, and that feeling of biting into a warm, oven-fresh cookie. We make our cookies, cookie dough, and our signature cookie dough candy bar, Doughbar, in small batches to help preserve that homemade feel.” Its Doughbars are made with a base of chocolate chip cookie dough, and topped with salted pretzels, marshmallows, and a chocolate drizzle. As their cookie dough is made with heat-treated flour and without eggs, it’s safe to eat raw. Doughbar also offers chocolate chip, strawberry lemonade, and root beer cookies, and their corresponding doughs if you want to bake your own without the hassle of mixing any ingredients.
BAKEHOUSE 46
Multiple locations in Metro Detroit
At Bakehouse 46, the emphasis is on artisanal craftsmanship of scratch-made gourmet cupcakes. With 29 flavors and monthly features, one trip will simply not be enough to try them all. From strawberry cheesecake and Neapolitan (dark chocolate cake, strawberry filling, buttercream, and waffle cone piece) to chocolate salted caramel and lemon lust (lemon cake, lemon white chocolate cream cheese frosting, lemon zest), Bakehouse 46 is the place to be for cupcakes. Whether you need mini cupcakes, regular-sized, jumbo cupcakes, or pup cakes, they’ve got you covered for deliciously sweet desserts. Additionally, try out some of the scratch-baked cookies, brownies, banana pudding, or cheesecake pops.
CRISPELLI’S BAKERY
931 North Main Street, Royal Oak
Cripelli’s is not only known for its pizzas, but its baked goods are heavenly too. This bakery is where they make the majority of the doughs and pastries used in their restaurants, along with delicious options to indulge in right there. Start your morning with a cherry Danish or almond croissant, or grab the orange pecan biscotti to enjoy with your coffee. For dessert, the cannoli are an excellent choice, as are the eclairs, mousse cups, and lemon meringue or raspberry mousse tarts.
This article has been updated to include new information. The original article was published on March 21, 2022, and was authored by Karen Dybis.
