In the heart of Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood, a new bakery has garnered an enthusiastic following, compelling cake enthusiasts to queue up hours before the doors swing open. Pookie Crack Cakes, which debuted on July 16, 2023, according to Chicago Tribune, specializes solely in scrumptious mini cake loaves that sell out daily. The bakery's fame has spread far and wide, drawing customers from as far as the Dominican Republic, Ghana, Dubai, and India, piqued by the cakes' TikTok fame.
Founder and owner Dedra Simmons told CBS News that the shop’s success began humbly in 2014 from her home kitchen, where she baked cakes using a recipe that pays homage to her great-grandmother's butter pecan praline glaze. "And people started inboxing me like, 'Hey, how can I purchase this cake from you?'" said Simmons, the demand blossomed so much so that she and her husband, Douglas, decided to expand into a commercial space after burning through multiple home ovens.
Every morning crowds line up outside Pookie Crack Cakes before the 11 a.m. opening time – some having traveled significant distances for a taste of the bakery's renowned confections. "They wait. I go out there, I greet them before they come in," Dedra told CBS News, noting how integral personal connection and community feel are to the bakery's experience. Dedra's focus on quality over quantity, as she puts it, "comes with not about the quantity, but the quality of what I put into the product" and she never fails to emphasize the love invested in her baked goods.
Production of the bakery's eight daily flavors, including the standout Butter Pecan Praline and rotating specials like Peach Crack Cobbler, is no small feat – they manage roughly 500 plus cakes a day despite the physical toll it once took on Dedra, who had to undergo uterine fibroid surgery. Post-recovery, Dedra laughed about their operational adjustments, saying "We will be closed in January every single year... That will be our vacationing month," in a statement obtained by Chicago Tribune.
While the bakery's name, Pookie Crack Cakes, was partly chosen for its attention-grabbing quality, Dedra equates the 'crack' aspect of her cakes to the abundant love packed into each bite. The term ‘Pookie’ she explained is an overindulgence in something delightful. The bakery, located at 105 E. 47th St., advises fans to follow their social media for real-time updates on availability and to be in line by around 9:45 to 10 a.m. for the best chance to snag one of their delectable cakes.
