Coffee & Treats in Mustang

Cooking was always LaDonna Andeel's passion, but when she opened LD's Specialties & Gourmet Cafe in January 2009, it became her business as well. Now, she spends her days doing what she loves: baking fresh quiche, crafting gourmet sandwiches to pair with pots of fragrant tea, and getting to know the patrons who stop by. She also bakes specialty desserts for private events held in her café or at offsite locations. For children's parties, LaDonna brings out a castle backdrop, pintsize tables draped with shimmering pink or powder-blue tablecloths, and other whimsical decorations.

Self-taught baker Megan Stottlemyre has been tempting her family’s sweet teeth for years. Once the demands of her friends and family reached critical mass, she realized she could make a living by sharing her delectable treats with Yukon’s hungry residents. Now the proprietor of Mimi’s Piece of Cake, she leads a team of bakers as they whip up more than 20 cake flavors, such as lemon blueberry, italian cream, and double chocolate. These delectable flavors take the shape of cakes, cupcakes, mini cupcakes, and cake balls.

Based on the customer's desires, each cake or cupcake can be customized with gourmet fillings before being capped with sweet puffs of cream cheese, caramel swirl, or german chocolate icing. The bakers whip up special-event cakes, including customized, color-coordinated cupcakes and cakes that show off their artistic prowess with carefully sculpted characters, blooming frosting flowers, and realistic family portraits made entirely from sprinkles.

Under the guidance of new ownership, you'll find more than just classic slices of cake inside Mimi's Piece of Cake. That's because the chefs specialize in putting a unique spin on the dessert, both in flavor and in the way it's served. They can wrap up cakes in sculpted fondant for theme parties, mold cakes into bite-size portions with cupcakes and cake balls, and even create mess-free treats with cupcake push pops. The treats come in a range of flavors: alongside classic cupcake options such as red velvet and birthday cake, bakers craft unique varieties such as blueberry soda, chocolate peppermint, and maple bacon. They top these with a choice of 13 icings, including two flavors of fondant, as well as buttercream, whipped frosting, and cookie-infused frosting.

Sugar artist and pastry chef Cherry Duran has been turning whole eggs and pure vanilla extract into edible works of art for 20 years. Simple sheet cakes can be transformed into favorite animals, popular cartoon characters, and beloved bank tellers at the bidding of her capable hands as she carves three-dimensional, icing-covered likenesses and uses photo-scan technology to imprint images onto frosting. She also whips up bunches of delectable cupcakes, cookies, and brownies to suit any type of get-together and helps home bakers to hone their batter-wrangling form in cake-decorating classes for differing skill levels.

The smell of baking cookies wafts out into the street, enticing guests inside to pick out their favorite cookie from 1 Smart Cookie’s row of 13 cookie jars. The clear glass, still steamy from the freshly baked fare, lets guests peruse the selection before choosing and mull over the benefits of classic, chewy chocolate chip over a seasonal flavor such as pumpkin spice or a unique variety such as Coconut Paradise. If clients desire something for a special occasion, baker Cindy Hoehner can craft the cookies into larger cookie cakes, shape cookies into themed treats, or even provide premade dough for at-home baking bonding sessions. She also hosts birthday parties for little ones during the week, allowing girls to dress up, ice their own cookies, and play games while chowing down on homemade cookies.

The founders of Orange Leaf started their business with the goal of finding a middle ground between rich scoops of ice cream and bland yogurt. Mission accomplished: they have created more than 65 tasty flavors, including pumpkin pie, gingerbread, blueberry banana, white chocolate, and Dole pineapple, that are both nutritious and tasty. After customers self-pump their selected flavors—which rotate regularly—they add toppings such as cereal, candy, nuts, and fruit. With finishing touches in place, a staff member weighs creations to price them or to determine their class in the shop’s underground yogurt-fighting ring.