One of the newest additions to the Disney Boardwalk is the Cake Bake Shop. It’s a small bakery and restaurant chain, and its appearance in Orlando has been with tremendous fanfare. They offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as afternoon tea in the restaurant side of the large storefront, while the shop has cute branded items and bakery take out featuring layer cakes, pies, cookies, and more.
My friend and I went to afternoon tea there recently. It’s such a fun way to spend a few hours that is a little different than a typical lunch. The Ritz Carlton and Four Seasons offer seasonal holiday teas, but this one is offered year-round as of now.
The Cake Bake Shop is gorgeous! Currently themed with English rose garden decor, it’s a feast for the eyes and snapping as many pictures as possible is a must. The staff there is also incredibly friendly, accommodating, and knowledgeable, also willing to take photos for all the patrons. Everyone I encountered was fantastic.
Tea is offered in a private room. This is a nice touch as the restaurant is bustling and loud, and tea can still remain a peaceful event all its own, as it is meant to be.
Loose leaf teas are presented in gold cloches, and we were allowed to smell each before choosing. Here’s the thing. When tea was brought to the table in a small pot, it was not loose leaf. No afternoon tea experience I have been to has used tea bags, and when we were presented with loose leaf and then served a bag, it felt like a not very flavorful or hot bait and switch. When the cost per person is $124 including tax and gratuity, it doesn’t feel special or like a good value. Tea is supposed to be the star of the show, and it most definitely wasn’t.
The tray of finger foods is impressive. Things begin with a scone with butter, clotted cream, and jam. I admittedly don’t love scones, but I did think this one was pretty good. The pop of flavor from the cranberries was a nice touch. Then we proceed into savory food: chicken salad, egg salad, smoked salmon, and cucumber. The chicken salad is the pick of the lot, and is actually pretty exceptional. I keep craving it and would guess the chicken salad croissant on the main menu is practically irresistible. The cucumber was a distant second.
For desserts, I had macaron in assorted flavors and raspberry tea cakes. The cake was moist and tender and the frosting was silky smooth. I did enjoy it but the high level of sweetness made it difficult to eat more than half of one. The macaron mostly just tasted sweet, which was disappointing because they are one of my favorite treats. Featuring fruit flavors instead of birthday cake and rose might help improve them, but it’s hard to say.
In the end, while I think Cake Bake is beautiful and worth a visit, I would not return for or recommend tea mostly due to the high cost and lack of a traditional way of serving tea. Instead I would grab lunch to see the décor again and devour more chicken salad.
The gift shop is definitely worth a visit as well. I picked up a cute dragon bag charm that I can’t wait to wear. In addition, I loved visiting the Boardwalk and was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of sunset.
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