Gourmet Bake Shop, New Hyde Park

Each morning, the bakers at Gourmet Bake Shop fill pan after pan with large batches of dough, kicking off the process of baking fresh, piping-hot breads, pastries, and cakes. After cooling, cake rounds are stacked with layers of fruit fillings, topped with buttercream frosting, and sometimes carved into a custom shape such as a champagne bottle, heart, or even Dora the Explorer. The shop also whips up Italian and French pastries and seven-layer cakes, which dazzle palates and geologists with a variety of cakes and fillings in each bite.