I have been going to Deerfields Bakery for decades; I just realized that it is not "Deerfield" or…read more"Deerfield's", but "Deerfields". Before we fell in love with the mousse cakes of another bakery that's just minutes from home, we used to order most of our birthday cakes from Deerfields, and picked up at the location in Deerfield. In addition to cakes, they specialize in a full line of baked goods, including pastries, cookies, cupcakes, pies, danishes, donuts, muffins, bagels, and more.
Recently, I needed to order a small 4" cake for the first time ever, since all of us didn't want a large cake, even a 6" cake would be too much, because I am usually the one to finish all the cake leftovers. Also, there were only about 3 days for the bakery to make the cake, our other bakery needs 7 days, and probably would not make a 4" cake. I knew that Deerfields could do it in 48 hours.
I was pleased that I could order on their website, although their choices for 4" cakes were very limited. I picked a velvet cake with cream cheese filling and buttercream frosting ($30.95). However, it has 4 layers and serves 6-8, we would still have leftovers.
This time, I chose to pick up at the Deerfields in Buffalo Grove, where I had visited a couple of times, and I like this location much better than the one in Deerfield. It is like a storybook bakery to me! The bakery is picture perfect inside and out, visually appealing with lots of vibrant colors and beautiful displays. When I visited, the spacious bakery was festively decorated, which was quite charming. There's also a café inside, with some tables on the first floor, and the entire cozy second floor dedicated to café dining. The café serves breakfast and lunch Wednesday through Sunday. Like many other bakeries, Deerfields is closed on Mondays. On this weekday when I came around noon, the bakery was bustling.
I would give this experience 5 stars for both the cake we ordered and the excellent service we received, especially from Greg, who greeted me as soon as I walked in. The customer service team had emailed me suggestions for decorating the small cake, and I replied with my specific requirements. However, it seemed that my reply had not been read. I needed the center of the top filled with more roses so the design would not look like a wreath. In the future, I will follow up with a phone call to confirm the details.
One staff member from the bake room (Brianca?) came out and explained that it could be done, but I would need to wait an hour because all the bakers had just gone on break. I agreed and said I would return to pick it up. Just as I was about to leave, Greg came out from the bake room with the good news that a baker was available to do it right away. In the end, I only spent about 10 to 15 minutes waiting, which I used to take photos around the shop.
The cake turned out beautiful and delicious, moist and velvety. I myself didn't care that much for the thick buttercream frosting, but the cream cheese filling was quite good. Since we had the cake after a big dinner, we all opted for small pieces. However, all of us didn't mind eating leftover cakes the next day. When we crave for a more traditional cake in the future, we will definitely return to Deerfields again!
