Caramel Afternoon Pastry and Catering, a new bakery and cafe at 216 E. Calder Way in State College, opened its doors on June 28, offering European-inspired treats in a large, comfortable space for the local community.
The cafe, located in the underground alcove of Calder Way in a space last occupied by Dulce Luca Café, is owned by Seyhan Baskaya, whose dream has been to open her own bakery. Now, her dream is becoming a reality right in downtown State College.
“I like to say this college town is safe, and there’s lots of potential here. So, I decided to come here and start looking for a space to open my shop,” Baskaya said.
Hailing from Turkey, Baskaya changed her profession from finance to the culinary arts by moving to the United States 8 years ago to learn and grow as a pastry chef. Before moving to State College, she grew her craft in kitchens across Turkey, Spain, Georgia, New York and Pennsylvania.
“I switched to culinary, went to culinary school and studied specifically French and European style and histories. And, I was given a chance to train in Spain,” Baskaya said.
Caramel Afternoon offers a little bit of everything, featuring several kinds of tiramisu, unique coffee beverages such as a blue cotton candy latte, cheesecakes, puddings, tarts, pies, cakes, brownies, cookies, both classic and unique pastries and crookies, a hybrid of a croissant and chocolate chip cookie.
“When people visit the shop, I want them to see some familiar things, like muffins, cookies and some small treats they can try,” Baskaya said. “We create a little bit of European and French desserts, but also some American, familiar tastes.”
Since the start of her culinary journey, Baskaya’s goal has been to one day open a place of her own, where she can create handmade treats from scratch, while providing a nice environment for her customers.
“I’ve been dreaming about this place for a very long time,” she said. “And, behind my head, there’s always been this song named ‘Caramel Afternoon.’ I thought it would be a great pick for a pastry shop. I love caramel, I use it a lot on my pastries. And also it gives me an atmosphere like afternoons, a nice day, just chill in a coffee shop. So I decided to call this place ‘Caramel Afternoon.’
Baskaya plans to eventually expand her menu by adding ice cream, paninis, breakfast sandwiches and granola bowls, along with some more “easy-to-eat” lunch options for her guests.
Caramel Afternoon is open daily from noon to 8 p.m.
