Scary good: Dessert royalty and five of our favorite bakeries in Cape Coral, Fort Myers
Jessica Shoemaker is practically dessert royalty.
The creative pastry chef/chef de cuisine has been making a name for herself with blissful layer cakes and house-made ice creams at Next Door in Cape Coral.
“We have regulars that come just for dessert or come back to dine because they enjoyed the dessert so much,” said Shoemaker, who began cooking in 2011. “The cake was something we thought would be a fun way to keep guests wondering what it will be the next time they come in, like our daily amuse bouche. But I don't think any of us thought it would consistently be one of our top sellers like it has. Desserts in any restaurant usually never end up leading the way in terms of sales.”
They are when they're Shoemaker's cakes. Then again, her natural talent is in her blood.
Her grandmother’s father, John Paul Jones, was the corporate attorney for the Isaly company in Youngstown, Ohio, in the 1920s.
“(He) submitted the original patent application for the Isaly’s Dairy Klondike Bar, working with Sam Isaly,” said Shoemaker, whose favorite desserts are cookies and (of course) ice cream. “The Klondike Bar remains an important family connection that has been passed down for generations. I suppose the love of ice cream has been in my family for a long time before me.”
Shoemaker also draws inspiration from unexpected sources. With the recent ever-so-subtle change of seasons, she's been remaking the pumpkin roll with a maple cream cheese buttercream.
“Other times I get inspiration from common things like a Starbucks drink that yields a chocolate mocha buttercream and salted caramel gelato,” she said. “Sometimes I use the cake to test out flavor combinations I've tried in the past and want to work on again.”
Her process for crafting those custom cakes can take hours, or not.
“Even the simplest of cakes take at least a couple hours from the mise en place for baking the cake itself to making the buttercream, and the final assembly and decorating,” she said. “I do a decent amount more than cakes, so every now and then people will see me build one in a few minutes if I am running behind.”
And as if she’s not busy enough wowing customers at the chic Tarpon Point Marina restaurant, she and chef John Hill (of Gather and Next Door) are expecting their first child — a boy — in March.
“We can’t wait to welcome him into the world and make all his baby food and every birthday cake,” Shoemaker said.
And oh, what cakes those will be. (Next Door, 5971 Silver King Blvd., Unit 114, Cape Coral; (239) 984-2453; nextdoorcape.com)
Do we have your sweet tooth’s attention? Here are five more of our favorite stops and shops to curb your sugar cravings.
Divine Donuts
These two doughnut shops — in Fort Myers since 2018 and Cape Coral as of last November — are, well, divine. There are about 200 different yeast and cake varieties with 40-60 available every weekday morning and 120 on the weekends. Picture Boston cream, blueberry French toast, red velvet cream cheese, Kit Kat and Divine Oreo and you’ll get a taste of the creativity.
“Everything is made in-house,” said Eddie Nobles, who owns the business along with his wife Mitchelle. “It’s a lot of work, but we’re having fun.”
Add in the breakfast sandwiches, biscuits & sausage gravy, chicken & doughnuts, kronuts, cinnamon rolls, bagels and more, and you’ll be having fun too. (110 Del Prado Blvd., Cape Coral (239) 672-4907 and 9131 College Parkway, Suite 145, Fort Myers, (239) 672-8390; mydivinedonuts.com)
European American Bakery Café
Decisions, decisions. Step inside this longtime Fort Myers wholesale bakery-turned-breakfast-and-lunch (and coffee and bakery) spot and you have choices to make. Head straight for scratch-made, preservative-free European and American (as the name indicates) bakery items to go. Think braided coffee cakes, strudel, baklava, eclairs, scones, cookies (including rainbow!), cakes, koloche (!!) and breads (!!!).
But you can also go left or right after entering the large dining room and grab a table for breakfast (omelets, quiche, waffles, sandwiches, French toast and more) or lunch (signature soups and salads and sandwiches from burgers to paninis). Whatever you decide, you won’t go wrong. (12450 Metro Parkway, Fort Myers; 239-225-0450; eabake.com)
LadyCakes Bakery
This custom cake shop in Cape Coral is the perfect place to drop by anytime to curb your cupcake cravings. But you may want to time your trip. While Death by Chocolate, signature salted caramel pretzel and birthday cake cupcakes are available daily, other flavors are only offered on certain days of the week. Swing by on Monday or Tuesday, for example, and indulge with Keylime, Queen Anne’s Lace and raspberry truffle cupcakes to name a few. Caramel mocha, creamsicle and Nutella show up on Friday and Saturday. And the ever-popular maple bacon is offered on Saturday only. And buy three, get one free every day.
No matter when you go, the cupcake lover in you will be glad you did. (2924 Del Prado Blvd. S, Unit 7, Cape Coral; 239-549-2253; iloveladycakes.com)
Mon Paris Coffee Shop & Bakery
This quaint Fort Myers bakery is home to some of my favorite display cases. They’re filled with a delightful array of freshly baked European pastries in all shapes and sizes, Danish, strudels, quiches, cupcakes, cookies, cakes, pies and even bread shaped like alligators on my last visit.
But the 10-year-old shop — the last two under the ownership of Andreas and Katharina Maier — goes beyond that. Its breakfast and lunch feature flavors of France, Italy and Germany in addition to American classics. Mon Paris is a whirlwind culinary tour we’ll gladly go on again and again. (13550 Reflections Parkway, Fort Myers; 239-437-1988; monparisbakery.com)
Peter’s German Ice Cream & Coffee Shop
Marika Weiss, co-owner of this delightful downtown Fort Myers shop with her husband Stefan, is the definition of sweetness. She treats customers like they’re long-lost friends. Luckily for them, Stefan’s baking is just as sweet as his wife. Fresh-baked German cheesecake and apple and plum cake are available daily. Then there’s a special cake every day — maybe a black forest, or chocolate or strawberry. On our last pre-Halloween visit, a vampire’s bloody eyes muffin was offered — a joyous cranberry-orange-oatmeal creation. Whole and special-order cakes can be placed for Thanksgiving.
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“We love to make German and Austrian cakes but we will do whatever customers request,” Marika said. That’s so sweet of them. (1412 Dean St., downtown Fort Myers; 239-400-5282; peters-icecream.com)
Robyn George is a food and dining writer for The Fort Myers News-Press. Send news to [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Divine Donuts to Peter's German Ice Cream: Five sweet spots in SWFL
