One of the most interesting suppliers at Purdue Dining & Catering is the Union Bake Shop. Located on the lower level of the Union, the Bake Shop makes an incredible array of treats, from cookies to french pastries to cakes. The shop fills order placed online, and also works with Dining & Catering for various events. This year the Bake Shop provided cake for the Pappy’s Birthday Celebration and cookies for Christmas decorating at the Gathering Place.
The Bake Shop also provides desserts for special events like the President’s Dinner and Weddings, like their signature item, the tuxedo chocolate-covered strawberry.
The bake shop has a huge convention oven called a Revend that can bake 40 dozen cookies at a time. The big mixer, affectionately referred to as Big Bertha or Big Beluga, has 40, 60 and 80 quart mixing bowls; when the 80 quart bowls are used, they must be wheeled around on a dolly because they’re too heavy to move. The shop also has a big chest of drawers full of spices, racks full of cake decorating supplies, sprinkles, and boxes and boxes of chocolate.
They do the baking for all kinds of events, like the President’s Dinner, the Purdue Women’s Club Luncheon, cakes for graduations and department parties. These cakes can have writing, printed images, frosting flowers and other designs. One upcoming cake will be shaped like a book, with names of graduating students written in it. They bake shop also supplies all the desserts for various restaurants in the Union, like Oasis, and other satellites around campus.
Have you tried an treat from the Union Bake Shop? It’s one of our favorites! Let us know below!
Hope everyone had a sweet week and until next time,
Sarah & Amanda
Purdue Dining & Culinary 