'Baking the world a little better place': N'Dulge Cakes and Pastries making mark in Alfred

A new bakery is bringing the savory flavors of Texas and the sweetness of French pastries to America's Ultimate College Town.

N’Dulge Cakes and Pastries opened late last fall at 3 Church St. in the Village of Alfred, home to both Alfred University and Alfred State College.

The bakery is just a short stroll from both college campuses. Students have taken advantage of that fact, gobbling up cinnamon rolls, breakfast pizzas, scones, quiche and dozens of other baked goods since the business debuted Nov. 21, according to N'Dulge owner Nicole Foster.

“Everybody has been welcoming and excited that we are here," added Foster, a South Dakota native and a graduate of the prestigious Lenotre Culinary Institute in Houston, Texas.

When she was in school, Foster came up with a motto she has stuck with to the present day. It serves as N'Dulge's calling card: “Baking the world a little better place.”

N'Dulge features extensive menu with French, Texas influences

N'Dulge, which is near Alfred's Main Street, is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Saturdays. The bakery is closed on Sundays.

Custom and advance orders can be placed by calling 607-247-5008.

Daily menus are usually posted on the bakery's Facebook page, and that's where it gets interesting. Recent items − in addition to the daily favorites mentioned above − include chocolate cake pops, Red Velvet Cupcakes, monster cookies, Oreo Rice Krispy treats and much more.

Foster said she earned an associate's degree in Lenotre's Baking and Pastry Arts program. She also completed an internship in France.

The result is a French influence at N'Dulge, with customers enjoying macaroons, eclairs, baguettes and other French delicacies from the bakery.

There is also a Texas flavor at N'Dulge. Texas sausage kolaches and key lime pie are two Lone Star State creations making mouths water in Alfred.

Foster said she wants local customers to enjoy products that are not always available in this part of the country.

For drinks, N'Dulge features Finger Lakes Coffee, homemade hot chocolate with ganache, hot tea and Coke products.

N'Dulge bakery owner learned from grandmother

Foster said she has been baking since she was a child, learning at the side of her grandmother.

She has worked at bakeries in several areas of the country, including Houston, Denver and Buffalo.

She said those experiences have helped her efficiency in the kitchen but it's still a time-consuming job that requires her to get started as early as 5 a.m. on some days. The bakery employs three other workers.

Foster moved to the Southern Tier about two and a half years ago and lives in Hornell.

Asked what attracted her to the baking field, she said, "Knowing that with your hands, mixing a few ingredients, you can create something that people enjoy. When I go to birthday parties and kids cut open the cake I made them, just to see the smiles on their faces is so satisfying."

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This article originally appeared on The Evening Tribune: New bakery, N’Dulge Cakes and Pastries, making mark in Alfred