Stressful times call for stress-relieving desserts—like cupcakes.
Some of the best cupcakes I’ve had in a long time can be found at Patty’s Cakes & Desserts, which is celebrating 35 years in business and 10 years at its colorful storefront in Fullerton.
Yes, I like Sprinkles, and I was a fan of Casey’s Cupcakes when they had locations in OC (they are now exclusively at the Mission Inn in Riverside), but what sets Patty’s cupcakes apart is that they are not displayed in a case. You order cupcakes from a menu with photos and descriptions of the desserts, and then each cupcake is individually topped with specific icings and jellies and brought to you fresh from the kitchen.
I’ve ordered (and happily devoured) Patty’s cupcakes in a variety of flavors. Between regular, gluten-free and vegan cupcakes, nearly 100 varieties are available every day. New flavors include Very Berry Strawberry, Snickerdoodle (one of my favorites), Blueberry Pancake, S’mores, and Chocolate Caramel Salty (a chocoholics dream). The cupcakes are amazingly moist, and they have jelly and cream fillings—a surprise to my palate that I was not expecting the first time I bit into a Patty’s cupcake. My favorite at the moment: Lemon blueberry, with lemony frosting swirls and a blueberry filling.
Here’s the backstory: In 1985, Patty Gomez started her business as a single mother from her home kitchen. Her passion for baking and cake artistry quickly grew into a full-time business. Her expertise has earned her bakery national recognition as a nine-time recipient for both The Knot Best of Weddings Award (2012-2020) and WeddingWire’s Couples’ Choice Award (2012-2020). Before its brick-and-mortar location, Patty’s Cakes & Desserts held an exclusive dessert cake contract for Disneyland’s prestigious Club 33 for four years.
“It’s amazing to look back and see how far this company has come in 35 years,” said founder Patty Gomez, who was honored as the Fullerton Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the Year in 2015.
According to Patty’s son Philip Gomez, a co-owner of Patty’s Cakes, the bakery recently launched its own delivery fleet in response to a 350% increase in delivery requests due to the COVID-19 stay-at-home order.
“Before COVID-19 hit, we averaged 100 delivery orders each month, now we average 350,” said co-owner Philip Gomez.
Another result of the pandemic has been a quadrupling of online business. Customers can order cupcakes and cakes to pick up at a preset date and time.
Philip noted that weddings and similar events have disappeared, but that business has shifted from big events to small ones.
“You may not have a birthday party for 50 people, but you may know someone across town who is having a birthday so customers are ordering a cake to send someone so they are not alone on their birthday,” said Philip. “Now we’re doing lots of small cakes—individual cakes, four packs of cupcakes. Events are still happening. People are still celebrating, and desserts are what they go for. When people get stressed and agitated, desserts are what they want.” n
Patty’s Cakes & Desserts, 825 W. Commonwealth Ave., Fullerton, (714) 525-8350, pattyscakes.com.
