By Melissa Olivares, Staff Writer
Cloverleaf bakes their sweet tres leches cake early to prepare for a busy day in their carefully designed bakery.
Cloverleaf
Cloverleaf is a small family-owned bakery on the corner of Las Tunas and Cloverly Ave. With floor to ceiling windows lining almost every wall, the coffee shop vibes with a light and uplifting atmosphere, accompanied by their welcoming hosts.
It showcases a variety of unique sweet and savory baked goods as well as a plethora of beverages such as bean-brewed coffee and loose leaf teas.
When visiting the establishment, their offered bestseller was the ham and egg bread, a small breakfast bread that gives you a new and unique morning meal. Along with that I tried a mini tres leches cake topped with a toasted ring of marshmallow fluff and a small array of blueberries in the center.
Since Cloverleaf bakes their treats fresh every morning, it was no surprise that the ham and egg bread I received was buttery and warm. The aroma alone was enough to drive my little brother to thievery as he kept
trying to snatch the treat for himself. The bread itself was a bit doughy and I would have preferred a Hawaiian bread instead, but the combination of flavors between the ham, bread and egg made sense together. I personally don’t enjoy the egg yolks but the center mixed along with bits of egg white managed to change my preferences.
The tres leches cake treat however, didn’t match the expectations set by the bread. Compared to traditional tres leches cake, I was unexpectedly overwhelmed by how sweet it was. This specific type of cake, although supposed to be ultra moist, shouldn’t make you crave a huge glass of water. This version’s saving grace was the small pile of blueberries on top, which added a little tart punch to every bite and balanced the flavors together.
I had a wonderful experience and enjoyed their food as much as their customer service. Their prices are a bit high, but I don’t mind if all visits are this high-quality.
“We wouldn’t be able to leave our doors open if it wasn’t for our regular customers and the love of our community,” owner Amy /LN/ said. “We are forever grateful for every single person who supported us through these tough times.”
Ber Ams Baking
Grace makes her cream puffs fresh to order, so she often spends about six hours baking and cleaning up.
Ber_ams.baking is a small baking account on Instagram operated by TCHS alumna Amber Grace. Grace independently develops her baking business at home through creating and selling baked goods via an Instagram page. Her format of business enables her to weave a unique position in today’s COVID-run food market.
Her feed is packed with inviting photos of her delectable desserts. These range from cakes, muffins and brownies to a variety of cookies. Some of her more impressive choices include her lemon bars, cream puffs and gorgeous fruit turnovers.
Most newcomers opt for the traditional chocolate chip cookies, but Grace encourages them to try her more creative treats such as her lemon bars and her best-selling cream puffs. The cream puffs, a pastry reminiscent of a heavenly dream, are flaky with a delectable cream filling. They’re light and airy, but firm enough to support the weight of the filling. It only takes about three bites to finish, but they’re the tastiest bites of any pastry I’ve had in a while.
The process of making them requires precise time management and a free afternoon. Grace begins making the dough by boiling butter, milk, water, sugar and salt. She then adds flour and eggs, letting it cool until she can pipe the dough onto a baking sheet. As they bake, she makes the cream. Once they’re done, she fills them with cream and dusts them with powdered sugar.
Having begun her baking business during the quarantine, Grace received traction through the community’s desire to support small local businesses. Her business continues to thrive, pulling in 4-5 orders per day during holidays and breaks but as of now she limits her orders to 4-8 per weekend so she can focus on her college studies and her job.
Grace is a prime example of how Instagram is turning home bakers into entrepreneurs.
“Everyone has been so supportive, and I have a few regulars. They’re all so kind and I have not yet had an issue with anyone,” Grace said. “I always take special requests and do my best to go above and beyond to satisfy each and every order.”