Karin Johnson Specialty Cakes and Pastries

awesome yummies!!!

This KJ bakery is the reason why I come to Palo Alto Farmers Market!!! I am obsessed with their pecan macaroons. My 7 yo and 2 yo love the Chocolate Soufflé cake. The Basque cake is a nice treat with fruit and the perfect cake to bring as a welcoming dessert. I have tried other baked goods and they are good but the above are my must haves.

I am obsessed with their basque cake and macarons. I stop by when I go to the Palo Alto Farmers Market. There’s a nice chewy texture to their chocolate almond macaron and almond Cardamom flavors. The cardamom spice makes for a special kick. The texture is nutty as but so soft. You can skip the gluten free oatmeal cookies and go straight for the macarons! The basque cake is like the texture of the best poundcake you can ever imagine.

The quality and taste of Karin’s goodies are top notch. Real everything. She has so many gluten free items that I purchase for others that need it, but really, they taste so good, it doesn’t matter to me, I just buy them for the flavor and give them to my friends who require the gluten free products.
I also like watching them prepare their baked goods. I wish Karin had a bigger shop, but in time, perhaps. When there are a lot of people it can get tight. Just wait outside and come in.
I’m so glad she finally opened shop. They still go out to farmers markets, but to have the ability to buy her goodies before the weekend is great.
Best wishes to her and her staff.
Basque cake, almond cardamom cookies, cinnamon muffins, blackberry bars, scones, strawberry and chocolate ganache cupcakes, cowboy cookies, the quiche, jam packed with veggies, and the only on Saturdays key lime tart. Oh lord, heaven. These are the only items I’ve tried. The first one was her Basque cake, from the farmers market. So wonderful.

Love this bakery! It’s located in a low key strip mall but the goodies Karin bakes are hardly forgettable. I had her cater a dessert table for my friends baby shower and everything she made was a hit. I highly recommend the pudding cake, pecan macaroons, cinnamon muffins … Pretty much everything. You’ll be glad you found her.

Oh my goodness, the best pecan, gluten-​free macaroons you will ever taste in your life. A must… Particularly if you’re just looking for a scrumptious treat

Awesome job, Karin! I enjoyed the blackberry crumble, and my husband raved over his gluten and dairy free pecan macaroons. He let me have a small taste, but kept the rest for himself.
We will be back!

Absolutely delicious! I don’t think it’s a sketchy area at all wonderful small little bakery for the deliciousness I can overlook anything even poor customer service that’s how good it is!

I special ordered gluten free sugar cookies. I wanted one batch with cardamom essence and the other with lemon essence and they were both exceptional, and I’m very particular since I’m an accomplished baker. Finally Castro Valley has a great bakery.

All I can say is I’m glad I don’t live in Castro valley. My waist line would look much different. Stopped in on my way to get my hair done and bought a cobbler. So delicious!

Stopped into this new bakery and bought chocolate chip cookies, an orange zest scone and a couple of browned butter shortbread cookies. In a word… FABULOUS!
My family and I are very picky about our baked goods. Especially since my daughter and I love to bake (and cook) from scratch. I am ashamed to say that Ms. Johnson’s chocolate chip cookies out rivaled mine (even though my cookies have been deemed the best by many). It had perfectly crisped edges and a soft interior, with a perfect balance of flavor. Delish!
The scone was EXACTLY what a scone should be… slightly crunchy on the outside, but light and fluffy on the inside. And the shortbread cookies were to die for.
I will definitely be back and may end up never baking another chocolate chip cookie again.

Wow, what a terrific addition to Castro Valley! I was at the watch store next door when the bakery sign and some orange chairs caught my eye. The blueberry ?? bar and lemon mini cake were very delicious… and the Basque? cake I sampled was terrific. This is a REAL bakery. I have worked in 3 fine hotels — this pastry surpasses all theirs, really. And what a treat that the entire operation is in plain view from the counter. Karin and staff, I wish you the best… I will be in often.

Although I’d heard wonderful things about Karin’s bakery, yesterday was the first chance I had to go inside it. I bought the almond/​cardamom macaroons and the pecans ones and shared them with friends. We all raved about them so I’m going back tomorrow to get some more to share with the company that’s coming tonight. Best of all, they are gluten free and didn’t interfere with my glucose numbers. There are so many delicious things there and the other patrons were raving also. I’ll be back!

Yum! I have purchased her goodies a few times at the Farmer’s Market and this morning I bought them straight from the source — and right out of the oven. Warm cinnamon muffins are a sure sign if a good day.
Scones and muffins and raspberry squares and granola are all yummy. I’m still yearning
for an old school sugary buttercream cake kinda place — which this is not — but I think I may be alone on that sentiment. Good stuff nonetheless.
Shop is cute, although that center is kinda sketchy and parking can be difficult. Fortunately she opens early so you can get in and out and avoid the riff-​raff.
A nice addition to CV and I love the orange chairs out front. Support this local brick and mortar business and hopefully she can make it work there for many years to come!

Finally, Castro Valley has a really good bakery!
We were at the vet and saw a bakery sign across the parking lot, and of course we had to go in :)
Lemon, strawberry, cinnamon and chocolate mini cakes plus a shortbread cookie was really delicious! They don’t have any seating, but we brought everything home, made espresso, sat outside in our backyard and enjoyed life.
Costumer service was friendly and attentive. Person behind the counter knew her products well, and you can watch people working in the kitchen in the back of the store. They also have gluten-​free, flour-​less and sugar-​free treats.
We always went to Café Atilla in San Ramon for good quality treats, not that we will stop going to Atilla’s but how wonderful it is to finally have a bakery as great as Atilla’s in our town!!!
Karin’s bakery is definitely our go to place from now on!

I had to visit the UPS store today and spotted the bakery sign right across the street. I can’t pass up a bakery. Evidently, this retail location just opened today (I’m so so so glad!)
I bought cardamon macaroons and brown sugar shortbread. To me, these cookies were perfection! Not too sweet, but rich and buttery with subtle complex flavor.
I will go back, to be sure. Castro Valley really needed a good bakery with friendly people! I’m wondering if that charming lady selling sweets today was Karin Johnson. If so, well done Karin! You have a new loyal fan in me.
…and wow… look at the pictures of the cakes! i want one…

Karin knows what she is doing when it comes to baked good. I seriously can not get enough of her Pecan Macaron. Oh. My. Goodness. I haven’t tried everything (yet) but I love everything I’ve tried so far! I only wish I had known of her at the beginning of the year so I could have had her make my wedding cake! Guess I’ll just have to wait till I can have a cake for a baby shower!

Best bakery in California, if not in the entire US!
All mini-​cakes possible: chocolate soufflé, Meyer lemon, rhubard, apple and cranberry — all are unearthly good. Almond macarons to match.
They sell at farmers markets, in Palo Alto and around

The macarons are not the greatest I’ve had, but still worth a try, especially at $ 0.75 per, which is amazing.
The quiche is baked in the mornin’, so it is still warm if you get there early. At $ 4/​slice, it is reasonably priced for the area, especially when some restaurants will sell theirs for $ 7-​$ 10.
‘Tis kinda interesting how the crust comes up over the top and covers some of the top as well.
The quiche is just stuffed with veggies. I would almost say too many veggies as there is barely any room for the egg/​custard part that really makes a quiche in my opinion. Otherwise, it was a very good quiche. The fillings were cooked well and it was tasty nonetheless.

I’m lucky enough to take an art class with her Mom who occasionally brings in cakes and cookies baked from by the heavenly hands of Karin Johnson. It started with a almond shortbread cookie and then a chocolate crinkle cookie (?) and some assorted cakes that were all amazing… but what made me run home and go on and on to my husband was the Basque Cake with cream filling! It’s very deceiving from the outside, just a round pound cakish look deal lightly covered in powdered sugar. But don’t be fooled, this is the cake to wow your friends and coworkers! This will knock your socks off, its light and delicately sweet. So the plain jane of cakes wins my heart along with everything I’ve tried, all perfectly delectable. I must make a trip now that I’ve been spoiled with the freebies, and purchase some for my next entertainment extravaganza!