![\"DANVILLE,](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/SJM-L-RISING-0807-07.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1\")
Across the street from Blackhawk Plaza, this stand-out bakery with the simple name has been wowing locals with its sweet and savory offerings since it opened in July. Glass cases display in jewel-like fashion the laminated croffles, curry puffs and pretzels that have become proprietor-baker Gaby Lubaba\u2019s signatures. East Bay Bakery has no seating but the counter offers views of the open kitchen, where the bakery crew prepares Lubaba\u2019s unique spins on danishes, cookies and croissants. (We recently spied both a baklava croissant and a pastrami-cheese version.)<\/p>\n
Lubaba, who made our 2022 list of Rising Stars<\/a>, offers a wide selection of classic treats and fresh baked breads, too, including rye brownies and a craveable olive fougasse. But there is a certain magic in the seasonal items \u2014 hello, pistachio chocolate escargot \u2014 and treats inspired by her native Indonesia. Be sure to get your hands on the crispy beef curry puffs filled with real curry leaves. They go fast.<\/p>\n The treat:<\/strong> Made from buttery croissant dough, the croffle ($5) is a crowd-favorite that taps into something deeply nostalgic. The crispy, almost caramelized outside leads to a chewy, satisfying interior that\u2019s buttery and not too sweet. Perfection.<\/p>\n Details:<\/strong> Open 8 a.m.-2 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m.-2 p.m. weekends at 6000C Crow Canyon Road in\u00a0 Danville. Also Saturdays at the Orinda Farmers Market and Sundays at the Walnut Creek Farmers Market; https:\/\/theeastbaybakery.com<\/a><\/p>\n Elena Leskina says she\u2019s pretty fearless when it comes to challenges \u2014 whether it\u2019s \u201cnew business, new skills, new country.\u201d An electrical engineer by trade, she taught herself how to bake intricate desserts by watching YouTube videos during her young daughter\u2019s two-hour naps back in Moscow. When she and her family immigrated to the U.S. five years ago, she opened a commercial kitchen.<\/p>\n Last June, she launched LeLe Cake, a cute all-day cafe where brunch is as popular as the pastries and custom cakes. It\u2019s worth waiting for a table to try one of the Euro-style dishes that customers rave about \u2014 the Syrniki (Russian cheese pancakes) with berries, perhaps, Homemade Salted Salmon Toast or the Gruyere Waffle with goat cheese and onion marmalade.<\/p>\n If you didn\u2019t save room for dessert, stop at the bakery case for a takeout order of, say, Kartoshka (chocolate cake \u201ctruffles\u201d topped with fruit), Pavlova or Trifle. The full-size cakes are multi-layer, highly decorated beauties with selections such as the Choco Girl, Poppyseed & Lemonade, flaky Napoleon cake or the Sever, a Norwegian national favorite topped with meringue.<\/p>\n The treat:<\/strong> The star is Leskina\u2019s version of the Medovik, a Russian honey cake layered with fresh raspberries and a light white chocolate and sour cream frosting. It\u2019s available by the slice (three layers) or as a full-size cake (five or six layers).<\/p>\n Details:<\/strong> Open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily at 14178 Blossom Hill Road, Los Gatos; https:\/\/lelecake.me\/<\/a><\/p>\n Charles Farrier\u2019s somewhat random entry into the bakery world came when a coworker asked if he could contribute to a potluck dinner. \u201cI was like, \u2018Sure.\u2019 I brought a cheesecake. Everyone loved it,\u201d he recalls.<\/p>\n That revelation triggered a slow and deep dive into the art of baking, with Farrier studying cookbooks, experimenting with different styles of cheesecakes, and then distributing them at barbershops and businesses along Oakland\u2019s MacArthur Boulevard and later at farmers markets. This December, he opened a brick-and-mortar location in the Laurel District, where he prepares not just the confection that put him on the map but scrumptious pastries, artfully decorated cookies and so much more.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is about building up community, so people can get to know me as a neighborhood staple,\u201d Farrier says. For his breakfast peeps, he has coffee cake, overnight oats and huge cinnamon buns with a jiggly, custard-like frosting. (Try to get them hot.) Folks celebrating a special occasion \u2013 or who just want to treat themselves \u2013 can order his super-creamy cheesecakes in full and puck-sized versions, with vegan options to boot. And for dinner, you can pick up a flaky-crusted pot pie and a banana pudding that\u2019d fool your Southern grandma, with vanilla wafers and the obligatory toupee of whipped topping.<\/p>\n The treat:<\/strong> The much-lauded cheesecakes are not dense but rather melting, creamy delights with seasonal surprises. Cold weather might see a maple-pecan crumble or apple-cider cake version with chunks of fruit. In the summer folks, rave about the blackberry and corn cheesecake, made with a puree of off-the-cob kernels, thyme and brown butter.<\/p>\n Details:<\/strong> Open 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday at 4104 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland; www.crumbleandwhisk.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n For years, Tian Mayimin was focused on the law. Since 2017, it\u2019s been all about leavening.<\/p>\n In the beginning, the self-taught baker delivered her naturally leavened breads, baked in her Menlo Park home kitchen, to neighbors. Then she became the darling of the Peninsula and South Bay farmers market circuit with her creative lineup of loaves. Next came pop-ups. And soon she set her sights on a dedicated brick-and-mortar.<\/p>\n Last March, she and her team opened a storefront location on Santa Cruz Avenue near the Caltrain station. Late in the year, she expanded the hours of their indoor pop-up at the State Street Market in Los Altos, all while maintaining a strong farmers market presence. They staff 16 markets every week, with four seasonal ones starting up again this spring.<\/p>\n With the expansions came more innovation. Pistachio Bundt Cakes and Caramel Nut Tarts for the holiday season. Roman-style flatbreads. Baozi, yeast-leavened, filled buns. Open-face lox sandwiches on European rye. Jalapeno Cheddar Rings. A signature Challah made with orange juice and honey and brushed with olive oil. And Volkornbrot, the hefty German loaf nicknamed the king of seeded breads. Some creations are available weekly; some rotate into the lineup.<\/p>\n The treat:<\/strong> The popular Raisin-Walnut loaves go fast. And keep your eye out for batches of the Provencal herbal flatbread called fougasse.<\/p>\n Details:<\/strong> Open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily at 506 Santa Cruz Ave. in Menlo Park, with a permanent indoor pop-up at State Street Market in Los Altos; https:\/\/littleskybakery.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n Since opening in July on Walnut Creek\u2019s east side, this bakery has become a haven for European expats and others craving Italian coffee and classic pastries without gobs of frosting or other sugar bombs. From the open kitchen, Romanian co-owner and head baker Rica Zaharia, a native of Transylvania, greets customers with a smile and talks them through the day\u2019s fresh bakes while the Lavazza brews on the counter.<\/p>\n The glass case holds a medley of goodies, like almond and honey shortbread, apple morning buns and giant, 7-inch cookies packed with caramel and chocolate chips. Some items, like the covri dog, a frankfurter wrapped in golden pastry dough, are a nod to Zaharia\u2019s Romanian roots. Others are collaborations between Zaharia and staff baker, Vida. One such creation, the tiramisu cookie, features pastry cream sandwiched between soft, round ladyfinger-like cookies.<\/p>\n The treat:<\/strong> We\u2019re big fans of the b\u00f6rek. Thin, flaky, phyllo-like pastry dough is filled with ham, vegetables, cheeses and other savory ingredients. Our favorite is the mushroom ($5), which has flecks of herbs and a distinct truffle flavor. Keep an eye out for heart-shaped treats in February.<\/p>\n Details:<\/strong> Open 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday and until 2 p.m. Sunday, at 2236A Oak Grove Road in Walnut Creek; https:\/\/european-delights.com.<\/a><\/p>\n This classic, family-owned bakery opened five weeks ago and has already added much-needed pizzazz to downtown Hayward. Horchata cheesecake and caf\u00e9 de olla and bu\u00f1elo cupcakes, nods to baker Max Soto<\/a>\u2018s Mexican-American heritage, line the pastry case alongside cookies and brick-sized slices of his Instagram-famous<\/a> layer cakes. Those cakes come in five flavors, including coconut cream, burnt almond and confetti, and are already proving to be top sellers.<\/p>\n After ordering your dessert, take a seat \u2014 or a selfie inside the giant picture frame against the white subway-tiled wall. Or spend some time admiring the historic black and white photos of downtown Hayward lining the walls. Soto appeared on Buddy Valastro\u2019s \u201cBig Time Bake\u201d in 2020 and became the youngest contestant ever to win a \u201cFood Network\u201d competition. There are some pretty cute photos of him eating cake as a baby, too.<\/p>\n The treat:<\/strong> You have to get a slice of cake ($8). Two, actually. The 24-Karrot cake is super moist, topped with cream cheese frosting and brimming with shredded carrots and toasted walnuts. If you\u2019re a lemon fiend, Lemon Supreme, a lemon cake layered with lemon curd and vanilla buttercream, is your jam.<\/p>\n Details:<\/strong> Opens at 11 a.m. Wednesday-Friday and 10 a.m. Saturday-Sunday at 1007 B St., Hayward; https:\/\/maxscakesofficial.wixsite.com<\/a><\/p>\n What\u2019s new in Santa Clara is delightfully old school: a bakery specializing in nostalgic Portuguese recipes that made their way from the Azores to the Bay Area many decades ago.<\/p>\n When Teresa and Nelio Defreitas retired from school district careers (she as a kitchen supervisor, he as a campus maintenance manager), they decided to resurrect her parents\u2019 Portuguese Bakery, which had been in business locally for more than 40 years. They found a spot and opened a year ago.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is what we love to do, especially the interaction with the customers,\u201d she said. \u201cWe have such an amazing mix in this community.\u201d<\/p>\n Customers come from as far away as Sacramento for the pillowy Portuguese sweet bread, pastel de natas (custard tarts), rice pudding, a rich, smooth flan and other goodies. The malasadas \u2014 the Portuguese doughnuts so popular in Hawaii \u2014 are available in 12 flavors (including guava and custard) on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Know you won\u2019t have time to cook for that upcoming potluck? They will bake to your specifications. \u201cBring me your Pyrex dish and I\u2019ll fill it up with rice pudding,\u201d Teresa said.<\/p>\n The old-school touches extend beyond the recipes. Walk in and you\u2019ll be welcomed, as all customers are, with a complementary cup of coffee, sweet bread samples and conversation. You won\u2019t walk out empty-handed.<\/p>\n The treat:<\/strong> Biscoitos, the not-too-sweet cookie rings, come in almond, lemon, cinnamon, anise, chocolate and other flavors and are perfect for dunking in coffee or snacking.<\/p>\n Details:<\/strong> Open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday at 1085 El Camino Real, Santa Clara; www.facebook.com\/PortugueseTastyDesserts\/.<\/a><\/p>\nLeLe Cake, Los Gatos<\/h4>\n
Crumble & Whisk, Oakland<\/h4>\n
![\"Strawberry](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/SJM-L-BAKERY-0122-4_102963658.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1\")
![\"OAKLAND,](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/SJM-L-BAKERY-0122-2_102963686.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1\")
Little Sky Bakery, Menlo Park<\/h4>\n
European Delights, Walnut Creek<\/h4>\n
![\"WALNUT](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/SJM-L-BAKERY-0122-4-1.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1\")
Max\u2019s Cakes, Hayward<\/h4>\n
Portuguese Tasty Desserts, Santa Clara<\/h4>\n
![\"Nelio](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/SJM-L-BAKERY-0122-1-2.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1\")
![\"Malasadas](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/SJM-L-BAKERY-0122-3-2.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1\")