The Pennsylvania Bakery

We made a quick stop today. We bought a pumpkin pie (always a winner), small french apple pie (yum), gingerbread people, Chinese almond cookies (my weakness) and three donuts. The clerks are friendly and efficient. Can’t wait to get home and eat some of this yumminess!

A pleasant location. Quaint. Comfortable. Fun for kids. Good selection, but few unique selections. Coffee is OK. Worth a stop and visit over Russian tea cakes.

My boyfriend had a custom cake made for me a month in advance (paid in full too). Showed pictures of exactly what he wanted the cake to look like. Called in yesterday to check on the status because he was picking it up this morning. They told him, «yeah, it should be done by tomorrow morning.» He went to pick it up this morning and it looked somewhat like the photo but not really. He was told by «one of the owners» that they do not make exact replicas and that this was «their version» of the cake. Hmm. That’s weird because when my boyfriend ordered the cake she assured him that they could make it look exactly like the photo! This cake was for my 30^th birthday and the dog was supposed to be a cartoon like version of a dachshund. One that looked like my very first dachshund that passed 2 years ago. Instead I got a strange looking dog like figure on top of my 8 inch round cake. The «owner» also went on to say that they COULD have made a dachshund cake (that fed up to 70 people) but that wasn’t in his budget. He told her a month ago that he didn’t need a cake that size because it’s only for 2 people. At no point in time did he mention ANYTHING about his budget. She said this in front of him with a store full of people. Rude much? I think so. So instead of apologizing for screwing up the cake she tried to justify why this cake looked the way it did and decided to insult my boyfriend. Needless to say we will not be patronizing this bakery and will tell others of our experience.

Pennsylvania Bakery certainly looks impressive but unfortunately, falls short of expectations. Nearly everything I’ve tried there has been subpar… not horrible, but nothing particularly delicious. Some of the prices are outrageous. The quality just isn’t there to justify the cost. The cakes are also very expensive and nothing awe-​inspiring. Save your money and go to a grocery store bakery. You’ll get nearly the same quality.

Beautiful bakery with tons of options, yet the baked items are either a hit or a miss.
I really wanted to give this place a better rating but between the price and the actual quality of their food, I just couldn’t justify anything higher. I ended up visiting here twice within a few days. The first day my mom, brother and I tried a few of their small cakes and cannoli. We tried the cakes of the month: Almond Raspberry and Irish Crème. I enjoyed the former; it had a nice almond flavor and a good ratio of frosting to cake. The cake itself wasn’t very soft and the flavor was subtle. Overall, the cake was average. The irish crème was disappointing: it had an obvious coffee flavor which turned me off but for anyone who likes coffee-​flavored desserts you would probably enjoy it. The cannoli was disappointing. I live in a city which has a big Italian population (plus I’m from an Italian family), so I have had good cannolis before. This was not a good cannoli. The shell to the cannoli was borderline soft and the filling lacked that necessary texture and sweetness.
The second time I came here it was the day before St. Patricks day so we ordered an Irish Soda Bread. I was quite surprised how good this was. It was sweet, soft and fresh and adding butter made it even better. It complimented my family’s corned beef dinner quite nicely on St. Patrick’s Day. My mom and I also split a Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin. Not worth it. The muffin top, which is normally the best part, was the worst. It was chewy and had no flavor. The bottom half was a little better, it at least was the texture a muffin should be, but it was still sub-​par on the taste level. We also ordered a Glazed Crossaint with Butter Cream filling. This was delicious and I would come back to get this again. It definitely curbed our sweet tooth. I also ordered an Irish Crème Latte for $ 4.25. It was not worth the cost. It tasted like an over sugared and creamed coffee. It was only medium in size and it was not anything special. Maybe their other lattes are better, but I would not order one again for the price.
Overall, it depends on what you get. It could be good or it may be awful. It’s hard to predict. For the price, most of their sweets aren’t worth it, but there are a few things I would go back for. Also, I’m curious how their fresh bread is considering I enjoyed their Irish Soda Bread so much. The workers were pleasant and helpful, especially for how busy they can get. In the end, I may come back here, but I wouldn’t go out of my way.

The Pennsylvania Bakery is certainly impressive when you first walk into it; but the impressiveness seems to slowly fade as you take-​in the rest of the experience. For me, Camp Hill Bakery is far superior.
Food: It seems obvious, but it is important to note that there are a crap-​ton of different items available for purchase here. The wide variety is definitely something that is awe-​inspiring. I mention this, because I have only tried two of Penn Bakery’s items. So this review is based-​on my initial impressions of Penn Bakery’s treats.
I ordered a individual-​sized portion of their German Chocolate Cake and and individual-​sized portion of their chocolate cake with white-​cream frosting. Both tasted good, and both were very appealing to the eye — which is the reason that I chose those two items out of the (literally) hundreds of other options. Based on how amazing these two cakes looked, I was anticipating a ‘wow-​factor’ when I first sunk my teeth into them. Unfortunately, I was definitely a little let-​down with the flavor of both cakes.
German Chocolate Cake: This one was definitely the better of the two, but the cake part was a little bit dry. The coconut filling was spot-​on, and the chocolate frosting was good. Overall, I was fond of this cake, and would consider getting it again. ⁴⁄₅
Chocolate Cake w/​White Cream Frosting: In comparison to the previous cake, this cake was nice and moist. It had a great spongey quality to it; but it was still firm with great texture. Unfortunately, the frosting tasted like cool whip. Yes, that is a bummer. I would consider this dessert a ‘light’ dessert in both calories and substance. This isn’t really what I was after. I like a heavier dessert with some flavor. This dessert was far too bland. Despite that, it was still executed well. (²⁄₅)
Overall Food Score: ³⁄₅
Service: The service was pleasant, but a little pretentious at-​first. I am also a little bit pretentious as well, so when one pretentious person acts pretentious to another person with a similar attitude /​demeanor, it typically doesn’t go very well. After I slipped-​in a comment about how this was my first visit to the bakery, the woman behind the counter loosened-​up quite a bit; but the initial impression was not a very good one. Especially when I pointed to a cake that I wanted (The Chocolate one w/​white frosting) and called it by its wrong name. She was quick to correct me in an overly-​snippy manner; but failed to notice that the cake was placed in back of the wrong product name — which is why I mis-​identified it.
Service: ²⁄₅
Atmosphere: As I mentioned in my intro, this place is impressive when you first walk-​in. There are countless confections and creations displayed in seemingly endless cases spanning the length of the entire store. Everything looks delicious and beautiful. Additionally, there is a nice sitting area for one to enjoy their purchase. Honestly, when I picture a bakery, this is exactly what I picture. It was warm, cozy, and coaxed a feeling of my grandmother’s house — except for the arrogant worker behind the counter. Honestly, I would definitely give this place a 5 in this category, but the one experience I have had with that employee soured my opinion slightly.
Atmosphere: ⁴⁄₅ (⁵⁄₅ minus 1 star for the employee who soured the experience)
Price: The price was in-​line with what I had expected, but the quality was not commensurate with the price.
Price: ²⁄₅
Final Thoughts: I am a bakery-​junkie. I love fresh baked breads, fresh desserts, and unique creations that ‘wow’ me. Unfortunately, Penn Bakery does not stack-​up to its illustrious outer-​shell. I strongly recommend going to Camp Hill Bakery instead, as they have provided me with some of the most satisfying and delicious desserts that I have ever had.

I have yet to try better cakes or cupcakes from this place. They have a delicious selection of lattes and coffees as well! Pricey but delicious!!!

I’m highly disappointed with my cake from this place. I ordered a cake on New Year’s Eve for my husbands graduation party and was disturbed when the register lady brought out a lopsided cake for me to to take him. I showed her the cake was lopsided and she took back upstairs to be fixed. There idea of fixing a crooked cake is adding more (whipped) frosting on top to make look even. Only problem with putting that much excessive whipped not buttercream frosting is that it hasn’t set in the freezer. By the time I got home (less than 4 miles away driving very slow) the «fixed cake and frosting pooling on the bottom. For a custom order cake I was ashamed to display this at the party! Totally absurd

Meh!!! I have had way better for way less $$$$. Picked up a sticky bun and a cookie for my son. $ 5.70. Sticky bun was so so, could have had more «sticky» on it. The cookie was ok, my son loved it. Who wouldn’t with all of the icing and food coloring. Their stuff looks «factory» made. All the cookies are exactly the same. I like to see «handmade» sizes and differences. I like to tell them what one I want, here it did not matter. Sorry. I will search for a less expensive place that is more homemade.

Very good and insanely cheap for the quality. Those who call this place expensive must be accustomed to baked goods from Hostess. The selection is vast and the staff is very friendly. My highlights include the cheese Danish, sticky buns, fruit tarts, and blueberry scones.

I used to LOVE PA bakery… however I feel like the quality of product has gone downhill. On two ocassions now I’ve bought stale cake/​cupcakes. I remember going in, picking out whatetver I wanted and it was fantastic. I just feel that this is simply not the case anymore. I hope they can turn things around because I really liked this place…

I cannot go on enough about how amazing this place is. the people there are incredibly nice, the air smells super sweet as soon as you walk in. They keep up to date with their window displays which is refreshing. my fiancé and I are OBSESSEDD with the cheesecake brownies there. omg I could just die thinking about them!

Nice to be able to bring pastries as a gift to someone, but too expensive as a rule. Expected higher, more consistent quality for the price. Soggy cannolli shells, good mini fruit tarts, cream puffs tasted bland. Wouldn’t survive in the Italian neighborhood I’m from!

Stale food and not much of a selection. The employees behind the counter did not greet me and just kind of looked at me without asking what I wanted. It was an awkward experience which is a shame because the outside of it is so welcoming and cute.

Overall quality is fine. Many are better. When placing an order be very clear as the bakers do what they want rather than following a model you may have seen in the bakery. I spent a lot, over $ 300 on three cakes only to have these gifts designed a new way by the baker. The staff and manager said that it was ok, that all bakers can create their interpretation of your order. I will only take a picture when an order is placed at this bakery. I did get some money back, but ended with no cakes as gifts for a very special holiday. Confirm, confirm and re confirm if you are ordering specially items. Pictures may help them remember their own creations.
They do cookies and simple cakes well.

Not a good Bakery at all, but the best in the area. Focuses on overly sweet cakes and other unnaturally-​brightly-​colored items. Not really a place to get plain well-​made artisan bread. Central PA isn’t sure what a real bakery is supposed to be, but this seems to be it. I scratch my head at all the good reviews, but folks around here are not too picky. So go and get your strawberry cake and don’t forget to check your blood-​sugar.

Been looking for a legit bakery like this since I came to the area. Wide selection of treats, cheap prices, and friendly staff. Taste was nothing incredible but it is good and I like that they try to add different flavors.

I’m honestly surprised people give this a full star rating. (Sorry Pennsylvania Bakery, but the truth hurts) Quite simply, this place gets over hyped. Yes they have a nice selection of baked goods and little cakes, but the quality is not there. I’m not sure what the people are ordering saying this is a great place but I haven’t found that yet. The cakes look cute, but it’s not all about looks here when trying to satisfy your sweet tooth. Every one of my experiences here have given me the taste of refrigerator, not something I want to taste in my baked good. You can get the same quality, or better, at Giant/​Giant Eagle/​Wegmans. It’s nice to stop in for a craving but don’t expect too much, especially for the high end price.
Cupcake: Cake was dry and overall not enjoyable. The frosting was also dry and tasted as if it was unfrozen. The pre-​made cupcakes at the grocery store are better.
Chocolate Bomb: Expectations were high since the girl working said this was what she’d recommend. The cake on the bottom was «ok» still dry from probably being frozen. The mousse on the inside of the bomb was good, but not mind blowingly yummy. The chocolate ganache covering it was probably the best part. This was topped with a crusty dried out dollop of mousse. (ICK)
The Cannoli: Let me first say I LOVE cannolis. I usually get one every time I’m in a bakery, so I’ve had my fair share. The cannoli I got today was honestly the worst I’ve had. First of all the shell was not crunchy, it was soft and mushy. Next, the filling on the inside was not even the tradition cannoli filling! There was no ricotta what so ever, instead it tasted like a strange cream cheese mixture. The only thing correct on this was the powdered sugar sprinkling. I ended up throwing this one out even after paying 2 bucks for a mini size.

Not sure what all the hub-​bub is about… this place is subpar & the woman who waited on me was rude & stand-​offish. I had to prye information out of her; when I mentioned I was allergic to various ingredients (so I didn’t accidentally buy something I shouldn’t), I was looked at like I was an annoyance.
Back to the food reviews:
Salted Caramel Cupcake — cupcake was thoroughly overcooked & dry. Frosting had the lightest drizzle of caramel (ie: barely tasteful) & the icing had to be licked to find the salt. In other words: not worth your $ 2 as the cupcake wasn’t edible.
Fluffer Nutter — better, not exactly worth $ 2 but not as bad as the «featured» cupcake above. Peanuts thrown atop the marshmellow frosting & pieces of it in the cupcake. The cake was slightly moist & slight peanut butter flavored. The frosting was very similar to a marshmellow melted on top. Pretty yummy.
Lacewings — what are they? A tub of butter covered in subpar white or milk chocolate that makes your stomach turn after the 1^st bite. When I asked said counterwoman about them, her response was «it’s a lacewing… everyone says they taste like something different»…so she couldn’t really describe them for me. Don’t waste your $$ on these, they’re gross.
Chocolate-​covered pretzels — they’re OK. I prefer Wolfgang’s (out during the holidays). I tried another small, circlish cookie that had chocolate in the middle & it too was gross & flavorless.
I’ve also tried their cookies. Double chocolate is pretty good, regular chocolate chip was disappointing, ginger has serious (candied?) ginger through it, peanut butter was slightly dry (as is normal for peanut butter cookies, it seems).
The highlight for me was the red velvet cake. Finally, a cake that tasted rich, creamy, moist & exactly how a red velvet should taste. Guess I’ll stick to that & maybe try an ice cream cake if anyone orders from there again… but I know I’m not going back & won’t be recommending this place to anyone.

This really was one of the highlights of my stay in Harrisburg!
The bakery is so cute from the in and outside and the selection is huge!
From whole cakes beautifully decorated to you usual donuts, cupcakes, muffins, cookies, anything you sweet tooth could desire.
It gets full but they have alot of people working and all of them are very nice.
I would give it 5 stars but some of the prices are outrageous, other fair.
85 cent for the biggest filled till exploding donuts that taste amazing is more than fair.
$ 4 for a almond pastry filled with jam that transported me straight back to Germany delicious but too expensive.
Muffins and cupcakes at $ 2 apiece borderline expensive but good.
Everything was super tasty really, but over $ 20 for a box of 11 mostly small goodies is a tad too much to enjoy daily.
Still a great place for a special occasion or a nice treat for yourself.