In need of cupcakes, cheesecakes, cakes, or other desserts? Look no further than Lamar's Bakery, a private bakery right here in Gainesville. Run by Brandon Berry, this bakery makes incredibly fun and delicious flavored sweets that you have to try. Lamar's Bakery has every flavor cake from Twix, to peach cobbler, to even your personal flavor request. The Spoon UF team sat down with the man behind this bakery to find out more about his and the bakery’s story.
The Start
“I've been baking since I was probably like 10 years old. But recently, maybe about three years ago, I decided to turn a hobby into an actual business,” said Berry. “I started out, and I made a cheesecake. And then the next week, I had a 500 cupcake order.” His business started accidentally with people falling in love with his delicious cheesecakes and has been growing ever since.
Lamar’s Bakery, named after Berry’s middle name, has done everything from providing cakes for nursing homes and weddings to catering Make-A-Wish foundation events. He can even deliver his sweet treats all the way to Miami if necessary. This bakery is booked and busy, as Berry does everything on his own.
Day-to-Day
“I have about 18 to 20 orders a week. And I'm not talking about just a dozen cupcakes,” said the Santa Fe College Alum. “This weekend, I have 18 decorative cakes along with 250 cupcakes that have to be delivered on Saturday.” Fulfilling all of his orders takes hard work every day; he does everything from baking the cakes to decorating them.
“It starts off, I prepare all my ingredients,” said Berry when talking about his day-to-day routine. “I take out pounds and pounds of butter and milk and sugar. That's all baking on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, those are my big days. And then Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are decorate and fulfill order days. Of course, I'll get small orders in between and I'll also fill those in.” Decorations are part of the appeal of Lamar’s Bakery treats, as each treat is intricately decorated.
Where to Get these Treats
When sitting down with Berry, he generously provided a dozen cupcakes for the team, and we quickly devoured them. He brought six Oreo red velvet cupcakes and six strawberry shortcake cupcakes, which are displayed in the picture above. The frosting was light, creamy, and sweet — exactly what you would in a frosting. The cake was fluffy and moist which complimented the delicious frosting perfectly. Both of these flavors were excellent, so we highly recommend purchasing some of these cupcakes to try yourself.
If any UF students are interested in trying Lamar’s Bakery, some of his cupcakes are being sold in pod markets on campus. Berry stocks the pod markets on Mondays, but be sure to grab them as soon as you can, because they’re usually gone by Wednesday. If you are interested in placing an order at Lamar’s Bakery, you can do so on his website, through Instagram, on Facebook, or even through text.
Trying these baked goods is a must. Support a local business and treat yourself to something sweet with Lamar’s Bakery.
Cover photo and headshot by Ryoanne Nichole Childs. Check out her Instagram @rnicholephotos.