The bestest cake in all the land? Slice shop back in much-anticipated action in Puyallup
Waiting in the rain, driving all the way from another county, favorite flavors, how’d-you-hear-about-’em origin stories. The conversations of customers queued on the sidewalk in downtown Puyallup on Thursday morning circled around one thing, mostly: their affinity for cake.
Slices of cake in a box, to be precise, baked entirely from-scratch by the magical duo that created the breakout-hit bakery known as The Cat and Rabbitt Cake Shop.
Just a few minutes before the 11 a.m. grand opening at 111 Stewart Ave., a delivery driver rolled over with a steel cart covered in bags upon bags of Washington’s own Shepherd’s Grain flour.
“Perfect timing!” said Terryn Abbitt as she held open the door for him.
They’re going to need all that flour: More than 60 people showed up before the doors opened, and the line held steady until about 2 p.m. They had baked a whole lot of cake in anticipation, though, and sold out around 5 p.m. (They anticipate standard daily hours of 6 a.m.-6 p.m., but sell-out is always possible!)
Nearly four years since Abbitt and business partner Julia Brown took Tacoma by cake-storm through a humble walk-up window on Sixth Avenue, The Cat & Rabbitt unveiled its new bakery in Puyallup — starring a much bigger kitchen, coffee service and a few cafe tables, both inside and out, to enjoy a slice on site.
On Thursday, the patiently-waiting chose a few slices from that day’s menu: seasonal blueberry with lemon curd, marionberry with goat cheese, strawberry birthday cake.
Christina Nemier somehow can never say no to the chocolate cream cheese, one of just a couple of mainstays that includes vanilla custard and a nut-less, raisin-free carrot. She was waiting with her husband Skyler and their two toddlers. When they finally reached the shop windows, 2-year-old Alton cupped his hands around his eyes and pressed his face to the glass, an attempt to catch a glimpse of his sweet future.
The family had traveled from their home in Orting, but they were frequent visitors to the original location, which closed in May so the owners could focus on the new shop. (Abbitt and Brown still hope to find a Tacoma retail space that will be fed by the Puyallup kitchen.) They admitted they sometimes went out of their way for cake because they could, but also for birthdays or other celebrations, and they often made a point of stopping for a slice when they were in the area for other errands.
“Now we can get here more often,” said Christina, who appreciates Skyler’s penchant for the specialty flavors, which have reached into the hundreds. “I’ll take a bite and then go back to my chocolate!”
Bill Bridges traveled from Federal Way. He was a frequent customer in Tacoma, too, grabbing a slice once or twice a month. That the shop has moved to Puyallup bothers him not at all.
“It really doesn’t matter. It’s so good,” he said. “It’s just exciting to see this all come to fruition.”
He especially adores the carrot — “nothing compares” — but had even higher praise for one of the many flavors that will, at some point, grace the case: “Their brown-butter banana cake actually gave me chills. You’ve gotta treat yourself, and this is a good way to do it.”
THE SUCCESS OF THE CAT & RABBITT
Abbitt and Brown, both veterans of the local hospitality industry, opened their walk-up window in 2020 to unexpected success. At first, they sold eight flavors a day of 12 to 15 cakes. Soon that number ballooned to two dozen at their busiest times.
Each cake is crafted from three round cakes, cooled then sliced in half, layered between — and this is key — cream cheese-buttercream frosting, various fruits, curds, caramels and other scrumptious spreads. Wherever possible, instead of extra sugar, they use juice or other inherently sweet, natural ingredients.
A single cake takes up to four hours to produce “start to finish,” as they kindly reminded their followers in their opening announcement on Instagram, and yields about a dozen slices, each cut to-order.
As the temperature outside inched into the high 80s, the interior of the shop remained cool, thanks to a new HVAC system in the fully gutted space, built into a bakery from the ground up over the course of two challenging years. Staff kept busy making coffees and taking orders — not just of cake but also cookies, cupcakes, savory scones and the usually-weekend-only cinnamon rolls. Brown cut each slice, while Abbitt and their fellow bakers continued preparing cakes in the back.
For fellow longtime followers, note that prices have increased, a necessity, they explain on their updated FAQ page, due to rising ingredient costs, especially for their core ingredients. “The cost of butter has tripled and the price of sugar has doubled, just to name a couple of things,” they wrote. “We do not want to sacrifice quality or portion size.”
The slices are truly generously sized and likely the best you’ve ever had. If you have the chance for a weekend visit, bring patience but trust the process: You need this cinnamon roll in your life.
THE CAT & RABBITT CAKE SHOP
▪ 111 Stewart Ave., Puyallup, thecatandrabbitt.com
▪ Monday-Saturday 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m.-3 p.m. (or sell-out)
▪ Details: cake by-the-slice and Caffe d’Arte coffee in downtown Puyallup, plus cookies, cupcakes, scones and weekend-only cinnamon rolls; no pre-orders at this time, arrive early for best selection
This story was originally published August 9, 2024 at 12:04 PM.