After the closing of the Downtown Disney location of Babycakes NYC last March, I was bummed to think that Orlando would lose the vegan, gluten-free bakery chain forever. As fate would have it, Babycakes stuck around and continued their partnership with Disney as they continued to make custom creations for guests and offered a slim variety of products throughout the resort. Last year, it was announced that they’d make a triumphant return to the waterfront marketplace.


From afar, I longed to visit the Bakery’s opening events, but consoled myself by making a point to visit during my Spring Break. After selecting nearby Raglan Road as the location for my birthday dinner, a trip to Erin McKenna’s Bakery (Babycakes’ rebranding) was in order for the perfect dessert to celebrate. Located between Pleasure Island and Marketplace, the new storefront is easily accessible and loaded with plenty of sweets for every member of your family- and any special diet they may have!

When I arrived to the bakery, I fell in love with it’s cute pink decor scheme and pretty feminine touches. Almost out of a storybook, the bakery fits right in to the magical whimsy of Disney and it’s easy to be won over by the colorful array of baked goods- both savory and sweet- that are all 100% safe to eat. Want the basics on what Erin McKenna’s Bakery is all about? Check this out- all treats are:

• Gluten-free/Wheat-free
• Dairy-free
• Soy-free
• Egg-free
• Refined sugar free (EMB uses agave nectar or vegan sugar)
• Soy-free (but some ingredients are processed on same equipment)
• Vegan
• Kosher
• Non-GMO

As I took in the treats on display, I knew immediately I couldn’t resist the colorful cupcakes that combined complementary cake and frosting flavors. Once selecting three, I had to cut myself off and turn to their other sweets. Present in the bakery case were coffee cakes, tea cakes, pumpkin loaf, doughnuts, cookies, sammies (cookie/frosting sandwiches), focaccia, bagels, and so much more. If that’s not enough, they even offer make-at-home mixes to spread the magic to your kitchen (see slideshow below).

Erin McKenna’s Bakery’s signature treat is their picture-perfect, cute cupcakes. Featuring all of the classic flavors, plus a few unexpected ones, there’s plenty of pairs to cater to your favorite tastes. As a cupcake skeptic whose aversion to these classic treats has kept her away, I give full props to EMB for completely convincing me that I can like cupcakes again. My cupcake selection included three very different cupcakes: blondie with chocolate frosting, brownie with mint frosting, and banana with berry frosting. 

Starting with my least favorite of the three, the banana. To my surprise, I loved the berry frosting (strawberry or raspberry- I couldn’t tell), which was creamy, thick, but not too sweet. The cake itself was perfectly banana-y, but was dry and dense. 


Ranking as my second favorite was the blondie cupcake. The texture of the cake here was better as it was more moist, but still a little too dense. The frosting was rich, creamy and chocolaty, and the cake had a delicious vanilla flavor with a nice amount of chocolate chips mixed in. I loved the classic duo of flavors and would definitely order this one again.


Taking the prize for my favorite of the trio was the brownie cupcake with mint icing. Unlike the other two, this cake was moist and had a perfect texture. Richly decadent with chocolate chips scattered throughout, I loved the super chocolaty flavor. The icing was the perfect creamy consistency and had a refreshingly minty flavor. 

The million-dollar question: How’d they get the frosting so picture perfect?!

The Basics

Disclaimer: This review is based upon the information I have at the time of the review and does not reflect changes in ingredients or availability of items. Please contact the restaurant directly for up-to-date information and feel free to contact me with any questions or comments.