Walking into Rich’s House of Cakes with a cup of coffee in my hand and the smell of vanilla in the air I smiled, absolutely loving that this excursion was part of my job. If I’m going to recommend wedding cakes to my clients I not only have to meet the owners of the many fabulous bakeries in Milwaukee but I of course, have to sample the cake. So on a rainy Milwaukee morning I decided that the best way to start my day was to meet with David Rich at his family bakery located on South 27th Street.
Stepping into David’s bakery is an overload for the senses. What immediately hit me was the sweet smell of cakes and sugary frosting. Normally not one for sweets in the morning, I was surprised how quickly I was craving a red velvet cupcake for breakfast. The store itself is small with cake displays everywhere your eyes can see. From children’s birthday cakes designed as castles to wedding cakes atop light-up pillars Rich’s has been concocting their sugary sweets for over fifty years.
One of the best things about Rich’s is that they are still making their cakes the way they did fifty years ago – from scratch. David takes great pride in the fact that all of the cakes and frostings are homemade with no pre-packaged or chemically preserved mixes. They also only use the finest of ingredients in their cakes. Don’t believe me? Their ice-cream cakes are made with Kopp’s or Leon’s custard which for a self-proclaimed ice cream connoisseur such as myself, is as high of quality as you can get.
While the wedding cakes on display inside the shop are all very traditionally designed and displayed on risers, Rich’s is able to create more contemporary stacked designs as well. One thing not available is fondant due the high preservative content needed in creating it. David feels that the fondant comprises the quality of the cake which at Rich’s, is like ordering your filet mignon well-done. It’s just unacceptable. While some couples have a vision of a sleek and smooth fondant covered cake, David hopes that after tasting what he can do with buttercream the couple will come around to one of his creations.
Besides traditional cakes and ice cream cakes, Rich’s also bakes up cupcakes, cookies, cheesecake and other tasty treats. I couldn’t resist taking a few treats home with me including chocolate, vanilla, red velvet and banana cupcakes as well as a sampling of cheesecake cups. (Don’s judge me, I shared!) The cheesecake was freshly baked with a dense but creamy consistency and had a graham cracker base with white chocolate shavings on top. The cupcakes were all extremely moist with plenty of decadent, rich frosting. Since I’m always a sucker for red velvet, I need to claim that as my favorite however the classic vanilla was a strong runner up. My biggest regret right now as I sit here typing, licking my lips and daydreaming of buttercream is not purchasing an ice cream cake as well. I guess I’ll just need to go back for um, research reasons of course.
Rich’s House of Cakes is open seven days a week. To check the store hours visit their website at: www.richscakes.com.
