The Mighty Baker

Hands down my favorite place to sink my sweet tooth into. I’ve ordered two cakes from The Mighty Baker and they more than met my expectations. I highly recommend working with Pete for any special event cakes you need. He is a delight to work with.
Although Pete’s specialty is custom cake, the treats you can pick up in the shop are extremely yummy for the everyday sugar craving.
I love:
–all of the cheesecakes
–the stroopwafels (especially when they’re warm)
–the Saturday morning brioche

That I love baked goods of all shapes and sizes is no secret. Many an afternoon have I spent in pursuit of bakeries all over this great state, and many a vacation have I sidetracked, sidetripped, and sidestepped to find a bakery with delightful sweets, savories and other sundries that rise up to the level of baked perfection.
While perusing Unilocal not too long ago on such a virtual bakery search, I was surprised to see The Mighty Baker pop up. Although I don’t spend very much time in Provo, I thought that surely a bakery with such a prodigious self declaration in its name would have crossed over the Unilocal radar over the years. Indeed, as I clicked with interest, I discovered that it had only recently opened; it was a new target on my bakery to-​do list.
A few weeks later, I found myself headed to Provo and I dialed up the address to give it a go. Located inside of a building now owned by a local musician and remodeled to hip (but not cutesy) proportions, I think the first thing I noticed was the polished look and feel of the building and its branding. Certainly its name falls on the tongue-​in-​cheek side of the question regarding how serious they take themselves, but still, they’ve put some thought into things and spend some time and money on making sure the vibe meets the title. Oh, and I’m a sucker for a bright red door.
Inside, there’s not much room. So don’t bring a massive group. A couple of small tables dot the minimal floor space, and there are small shelves on the side, a counter, and a small bakery case up front.
The word «bakery» is really a big word, with a world of meaning. From the strictest flour/​water/​yeast/​salt purism of a French boulangerie, to an indulgent pâtisserie, to loaf pan white bread shops, and every kind of cookie, pie and brownie stop from here to grandma’s house; each bakery has its own specialty and feel.
Where The Mighty Baker fits in is really a tough question, and they’re still exploring the answer to that question, so I can only do my best to report my impression. As the story goes, The Mighty Baker himself, owner and head baker Pete, started as a home-​based business with some family recipes and a real interest in baked goods. It soon blossomed into a near full-​time gig with special events including lots of weddings, and he made the jump into the retail space.
Wedding cakes still make up a chunk of the work (this is Provo, after all) and you can schedule a private wedding cake tasting after the shop closes at 3pm. But for the regular crowd, you have a limited supply each day of Dutch Stroopwafels, cheesecakes, assorted cookies, tarts, and French macarons. On my visit, we sampled a couple different cookies (the classic sugar cookie is a solid recommendation) and a few different cheesecakes: pumpkin, sweet potato, and a plain. Each was unique and none was heavy-​handed in its flavor. On a subsequent stop I tried a key lime tart, which was just that — tart, bursting with lime flavor, and just the right size to satisfy but leave you wanting to come back for more. The French macarons are made elsewhere, and marked as such, and honestly… they may still be a hot food trend but there are probably better examples out there to try.
I’m told that currently he does brioche on the weekends, and that he’s looking to add more savory items to the menu. In addition to the baked goods, he also bottles and sells jams. My own love for canning/​pickling/​and preserving aside, this is my kind of place.
It’s not so much where they are now, but where they could go. Definitely it’s a solid success already — my biggest gripe is that in my stops here they are often sold out of items — but really, they’re just getting started. And Pete deserves special recognition. His sheer patience in answering all my questions has been admirable, and letting me in after hours was a gesture too kind. The Mighty Baker himself is a major draw here, and his excitement shines through. Where can he go? There’s so much more room here for expanded selection, and tweaking the quantities of existing items will only get better to ensure that things aren’t sold out. Will he stay open later for dates? Will they expand into savory goods? Breads? Beverages? More canned things? Only time will tell, but the only limit is time and kitchen size.

I had a cake made here for an event and this was my first time coming here. It was by far one of the best tasting cakes I’ve ever had. I hadn’t given him much direction, I just told him the theme and the amount of people it needed to feed, and the result was fantastic. It was a white cake with some sort of an almond flavoring filling which was very silky. Then the icing was also a good texture with just the right amount. So often bakers put too much icing on, this one was perfect. Lastly, the way he decorated it was just perfect for the event.
The owner was very flexible and easy to communicate with. You can tell he cares about the quality of his cakes. I’m going to start using him as my go to baker after this.

Absolutely wonderful! My friend and I were in at about 10:30 in the morning and there was no shortage of delicious treats. We couldn’t make up our minds! We settled on an an outrageously cute and delicious sugar cookie, a heavenly pumpkin cheesecake (with one of the most amazing crusts I’ve had), and a perfect apple crumble tart. All three blew away my expectations. Among the treats we didn’t buy but will be returning for were sweet potato pies with toasted marshmallows on top, some divine looking gingerbread, stroopwaffles, and so many more. I also can’t wait to buy a jar of what looked like their house made cookie butter! So excited to have such a good bakery nearby. The staff were so friendly and personable. Will be returning often and with much gusto! Would highly recommend.

I stopped by at 3 pm on the Mighty Baker’s third day of business, and it looked like there had been a run on a bank. The dessert case was almost empty – only a few stroopwafel and regular and pumpkin cheesecake slices were left. My sister and I quickly purchased stroopwafel, pumpkin cheesecake, and a hot chocolate. And while we ate, a full twenty people came in. The super nice owner, I think his name was Pete (the Mighty Baker himself!), apologetically explained to each customer that though he kept baking more desserts each morning before opening, he was still basically selling out about noon. He promised to keep upping his quantities and gave out free tastings of a super delicious pear-​something jam he’d made from scratch.
The Place
The location is great – just across from the Provo Library, where before the only quick eating option was 7 – 11. And the interior is spare but elegant. Inside there are three tall tables with a few chairs, a tiled floor, and a dessert case. Outside there is a small swing set and slide (hooray for people who prepare for children!), which is a great idea for those of us with antsy littles.
The Food
The pumpkin cheesecake was creamy, but a little frozen inside. I liked it, but I think I may have wanted it with a little more pumpkin, sweetness, spice, or texture (maybe candied nuts on top?) or something to make it a little more kapow or oh-​my-​goodness. But the other people in the bakery who were eating it seemed really pleased with it.
The stroopwafel (homemade! I’d never considered such a thing!) had a GREAT flavor, but I desperately wished it were warm, rather than room temperature. I wish they had an option for heating them for us. It felt like it could have sparkled if it had been warm and gooey. Still, I remember the taste now, a week later, and I want more.
The hot chocolate was good and tasted like it was made from real ingredients (not a store-​bought mix), which is so rare. And it made a fabulous companion to the stroopwafel, both in flavor and temperature.
Parking
On the street. But should be plenty for the customs flow.
In all, I’m glad I went. I will definitely go back. And I’m hopeful the Mighty Baker will tweak his offerings until it’s a five-​star joint. I for sure think that someday it could be.