8 great coffeecakes from Cincinnati bakeries

I was reading chef Paul Fehribach's new book, "Midwestern Food," when I first learned that Cincinnati is the coffeecake capital of the world. I was probably late to the party on this one since it seems everyone else in town was already aware of that. If you want to learn all about the history of coffeecake in Cincinnati, please take a look at my predecessor Polly Campbell's excellent piece, "How Cincinnati became the capital of coffeecake," which was published in 2017 and is by far the most comprehensive study of this phenomenon I've ever read.

Campbell said that part of the reason for our coffeecake obsession is Cincinnati's German bakeries, which have been making them for at least a century or more. She also mentions that, while few of the coffeecakes produced by our local bakeries would be recognizable in Germany, the ritual of eating coffee with cake does stem from German traditions. In Germany, kaffeezeit (coffee time) – an admirable ritual of taking a break in the afternoon for a cup of coffee and a slice of cake – is still as popular as ever.

When I was growing up, coffeecake mostly meant crumb cakes, which are a type of coffeecake, except for the fact that there's a lot more crumbly streusel topping. (Think Entenmann's or even Hostess, which both made excellent mass-produced versions.) There's also something known as New York crumb cake, wherein those crumbs are notably bigger and crunchier, characteristics I found in at least one of the coffeecakes I sampled for this article.

After reading Fehribach's book and, later, Campbell's article, I decided to visit a few of the city's most well-known bakeries to see how they stacked up to one another. I have to say that the best part of going on a coffeecake quest is visiting the bakeries themselves. Each has a distinct personality – from the old-world ambiance of North College Hill Bakery in North College Hill and Little Dutch in Mount Healthy to the more modern-day appeal of Grandin Desserts in Hyde Park and BonBonerie in O'Bryonville.

As a nod to the kaffeezeit tradition, I also invited a few of my neighbors over so we could gather around the dining room table and sample a few coffeecakes together. While the cakes and coffee were gone in about 20 minutes, the conversation they prompted lasted for hours: A good reason, perhaps, why coffeecakes should be reembraced as a Cincinnati tradition.

North College Hill Bakery, North College Hill

If you’re looking for the greatest variety of coffeecakes, North College Hill Bakery (or NCH Bakery as it’s commonly known) won't let you down. A chalkboard behind the counter lists around two dozen varieties. I followed the lead of the older customers who crowded the bakery just before Thanksgiving and seemed to know exactly what they wanted.

My wife, Amy, and I were particularly happy with the butterscotch crunchy cake, which was flat, buttery and, yes, crunchy. Amy loved this one so much that I found her standing over the counter picking on the stale remnants after it was past its prime. I also liked the standard apple cinnamon, which had a nice crumb and not too much frosting.

Little Dutch Bakery, Mount Healthy

By the time I arrived at Little Dutch, most of the coffeecakes had sold out. Lucky for me, there were still a few raspberry crumble versions left. This one was a stunner and tasted just as good as it looked. Little Dutch is among my favorite traditional Cincinnati bakeries, not just for the coffeecake, but for its donuts, butter-bit rolls and cookies, among other things.

Graeter’s, multiple locations

I’m always surprised by how few people know that Graeter’s is almost as well known − locally, at least − for its baked goods as its ice cream. While the apple cake I ordered had a sturdy crust and nice streusel texture on top, it is geared toward the sweet-toothed. My neighbor, Jay, liked this one but did admit it was sweet. I also tried a strawberry cheese coffeecake, which looked and tasted more like a Danish than a cake.

Servatii, multiple locations

I mean, who doesn't love Servatii? Growing up, it was my family's go-to for everything from Christmas cookies to marble rye. Jay and I were both fans of the Servatti cinnamon coffeecake, which was moist with crumbly cake topping that reminded us of the Hostess and Entenmann's crumb cakes we grew up with as kids.

And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Servatti's cheese pocket. To make them, bakers take large squares of Danish dough and fold them over a cheesecake-like filling to make a smaller square that is baked and dusted with sugar. According to an article by Campbell, the cheese pocket was invented in Cincinnati by Gordon Nash of Priscilla Bakery in St. Bernard. Nowadays, you can find them at most traditional bakeries in town, though Servatii's version is a standout.

Grandin Desserts, Hyde Park

My neighbor, Doug, has been a fan of Grandin Desserts' authentic German pies, cookies and breads ever since it opened last year. And most of the people who gathered around my table on Sunday admitted its cinnamon-apple cake was excellent. Dense, moist, with fresh apples and a perfect crumb, this was the gold standard when it came to the coffeecakes we tried.

Busken, multiple locations

The double butter cakes I bought from Busken had a super moist, sweet, vanilla-forward taste that almost made it taste like a Twinkie (not that that’s a bad thing!). While some of the neighbors found the bakery's frosted toffee butterhorn coffeecake too sweet, I liked the flaky texture of the dough and its dinner roll-like flavor.

The BonBonerie, O'Bryonville

While Grandin's apple-cinnamon cake was the winner, I think this coffeecake, which I tried by myself a day after our tasting, was a close tie. It's a moist cake with a crunchy topping, and given it wasn't too sweet, it was one of the few I could imagine asking for seconds or even thirds. The best thing about ordering a coffeecake from The BonBonerie is that you get to actually visit the BonBonerie, which – with its open bakery, cheerful vibe and great service – is always a pick-me-up.

Emerson's Bakery, multiple locations

Opened in 1970 by Cecil Emerson and his late wife, Sharon, in Florence, Emerson's is the go-to bakery in Northern Kentucky for great coffeecakes. Its cheese pocket is especially good, but there are dozens of varieties to choose from, including a rich apple-cheese version that combines cheese and apples in a braid (this one gets bonus points for looks).

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 8 great coffeecakes from Cincinnati bakeries