The Cakery Set to Serve up the Sweets Full-Time in Bellefonte

Those with a sweet tooth will soon be in luck as The Cakery — which opened with limited hours earlier this spring — is poised to have a grand opening on Saturday, all ready to serve Bellefonte full-time.

Don’t let the name fool you. Besides decadent looking cakes and cupcakes, owner Melissa Stitzer will be serving up cookies, pastries and more in the little shop at 135 W. High St.

Baking has always been a part of Stitzer’s life, she said, and fondly remembers time spent in the kitchen with her grandmother and mother when she was a kid. About seven years ago she started getting serious about baking after she took a cake decorating class. The classes seemed to have paid off as the cakes in the shop are beautifully decorated.

Stitzer said that at first she did not enjoy baking as much as decorating, but soon learned to love experimenting with new recipes.

“Once it turned into a business I started having fun with baking and learning new recipes and that led to wanting to try out all sorts of new baked treats,” said Stitzer.

She worked without a storefront, baking custom cakes for a few years, but opening her own store has been a goal and The Cakery has allowed her a space to expand her offerings.

“I knew I’d want to expand and not only do custom cakes, but have a place where I could sell all sorts of fun new desserts and treats. A place where someone could walk in and just buy one item to satisfy a sweet craving or a whole cake if they had a party to throw,” said Stitzer.

And she thinks Bellefonte is the perfect setting for her storefront with all of the exciting new things happening in town.

“I love the small town vibe of Bellefonte. I’ve lived here for 15 years and have watched it evolve over time. There are a lot of exciting new businesses coming in and events happening to bring the community together and bring visitors in. Everyone is so warm and welcoming and I knew right away this is the town I’d want to have a store. Then an opportunity popped up last year to do that and I jumped at the chance,” she said.

In honor of The Cakery’s official opening, Bellefonte Inter-Valley Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting on Friday morning. O Saturday, the grand opening will begin at 10 a.m.

Summer hours will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; noon to 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. More info can be found on the website, thecakerycakes.com, as well as The Cakery’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

“I’m excited to start working on some fun new treats — things you don’t see around here — and give customers the experience of a city bakery in a small town,” said Stitzer. “I’m also excited to be a part of the business group and in the town events throughout the year.”