- Attraction: Natale’s Summit Bakery
- Location: 185 Broad St, Summit NJ 07901
- Industry: Bakery
- Website: https://natalesbakery.bakesmart.com
A wave of intoxicating aromas greets you before your hand even reaches the door handle at this family-owned institution.
Since opening its doors in 1938, this Summit bakery has mastered the art of creating treats that transform skeptics into devoted regulars with just one bite.
What started as a humble neighborhood shop has blossomed into a destination worthy of long drives and special trips, with loyal fans traveling hours to secure their favorite confections.
The secret?
Everything from the breads to the Italian pastries to that famous Philly Fluff Cake gets crafted using traditional recipes and the freshest ingredients available.
Related
More in New Jersey
Find Authentic Italian Flavor With Handcrafted Pasta Rolled Fresh Daily At This Hidden Somerset Gem
Keep Exploring →The Legendary Philly Fluff Cake
The Star Attraction: The Philly Fluff Cake reigns supreme here and attracts devotees from across New Jersey and beyond. People genuinely drive hours specifically for this cake, making it the bakery’s undisputed bestseller.
What makes it so special?
Think of it as a delicious hybrid that falls somewhere between angel food cake and pound cake, but with its own distinct personality.
Made with generous amounts of Philadelphia cream cheese and real butter, the cake achieves a texture that’s simultaneously dense and light, moist and airy. The exterior develops a crispy golden-brown crust during baking, creating a textural contrast that makes each bite interesting.
Dusted with powdered sugar and available in vanilla, chocolate marble, apple, and blueberry varieties, this cake has earned its legendary status through nearly a century of perfecting the recipe.
More in New Jersey
Inside The Tiny Rockaway Café Where Breakfast Gets A Quirky Gothic Twist
Discover MoreItalian Pastries Worth the Trip: The Italian cookie selection rivals anything you’d find in Little Italy. You’ll discover traditional treats including cannoli with creamy, perfectly sweet fillings and crisp shells, sfogliatelle with their signature flaky layers, pignoli cookies studded with pine nuts, and almond paste cookies that melt on your tongue.
Many items come in both mini and regular sizes, which makes sampling multiple varieties much easier without committing to full portions. This flexibility lets you build a mixed box that covers all your favorites without waste.
Donuts Done Right: The donuts here stand out as breakfast favorites, particularly the sugar jelly donuts rolled in generous sugar crystals with plenty of fruit filling inside. The glazed crullers strike the perfect balance of crispy exterior and tender interior, while maintaining that distinctive twisted shape.
At just $1.50 each, these represent exceptional value compared to trendy donut shops. The Boston cream donuts feature real pastry cream filling topped with chocolate icing that doesn’t skimp on coverage.
Bread Selection: The bread selection here deserves special mention. You’ll find everything from crusty Italian loaves that pair beautifully with any meal, to kaiser rolls that elevate sandwiches to new heights, to sub rolls perfect for building impressive heroes at home.
Related
More in New Jersey
Find Your Sweet Escape With Melt-In-Your-Mouth Beignets And Artisanal Coffee In Denville
Keep Exploring →The bakery even prepares fresh pizza dough daily for customers who want to create restaurant-quality pies in their own ovens. These breads use high-quality flour and traditional baking methods that create superior texture and flavor.
Special Occasion Cakes: Birthday cakes and wedding cakes get customized with various flavors and fillings to match your celebration perfectly. The seven-layer cake features impressive engineering with distinct layers of cake and frosting stacked throughout.
The mocha cake delivers intense coffee flavor for serious caffeine lovers who want dessert with a kick. The chocolate-vanilla checkerboard cake creates visual drama when sliced, revealing alternating squares of dark and light cake.
The pineapple and black forest cakes both make popular choices for tropical and chocolate lovers respectively. The bakery refuses to use fondant, instead focusing on buttercream that actually tastes delicious rather than looking pretty but eating like sweet cardboard.
More Bakery Favorites
Crumb Buns and Coffee Cakes: The crumb buns here achieve that perfect ratio of buttery crumb topping to moist cake base that makes them irresistible.
More in New Jersey
Stop Throwing Away Plastic: See The Maplewood Shop That Has Kept Over 16,000 Bottles Out Of Landfills
Discover MoreThese make excellent breakfast treats or afternoon snacks with coffee, and the crumb topping provides satisfying texture without being overly sweet. The Danish pastries feature real fruit fillings and flaky layers that shatter pleasantly when you bite down, releasing steam and flavor.
Apple Delights: The apple cake stands out for being incredibly dense and moist, so substantial that you truly feel like you’re getting your money’s worth in every slice. The apples throughout provide bursts of fruit flavor and keep the texture interesting.
The apple poorman pies offer just the right level of sweetness without overwhelming your palate, making them perfect for those who want apple pie flavor in a handheld format.
Key Lime Squares: These little gems pack impressive flavor into compact squares. Each element from the graham cracker crust to the tangy lime filling to the finishing touches gets executed at a top-notch level.
The filling achieves that difficult balance between tart and sweet, creating a refreshing treat that cleanses your palate rather than coating it with sugar.
Related
More in New Jersey
Locals Swear By The Jerk Dry Rub Wings At This Neighborhood Dive Bar Vibe Pub In Asbury Park
Keep Exploring →Cupcakes and Brownies: The cupcakes feature generous amounts of buttercream frosting piled high in swirls that look as good as they taste. You can get them decorated for special themes, from birthdays to holidays to baby showers.
The brownies deliver that perfect fudgy texture with intense chocolate flavor and a slightly crispy top layer that adds textural interest. The funny bone cupcakes combine chocolate and peanut butter in ways that create addictive flavor combinations.
Additional Sweet Treats: You’ll also find strawberry shortcake with layers of fresh berries and cream that tastes like summer, pecan bars with shortbread crusts and chocolate drizzle adding richness, and quiche options for those seeking something savory to balance the sweets.
The tiramisu cake brings coffee-soaked ladyfingers and mascarpone together in beautiful harmony. Petit fours provide elegant little bites perfect for fancy occasions.
Atmosphere & Experience
The Display Cases: Stepping inside, you’re immediately greeted by stunning display cases filled with beautifully arranged pastries, cakes, and treats. The presentation tempts you to try far more than you initially planned, with everything artfully arranged to catch your eye.
Everything looks fresh, colorful, and carefully positioned to showcase each item at its best. The glass stays spotless, allowing you to see every detail of the treats inside.
The Vibe: The atmosphere strikes a balance between exotic and homey, somehow feeling both professional and welcoming simultaneously.
Despite being spotlessly clean and efficiently run, this bakery maintains a family-run feel that puts you at ease the moment you walk through the door. The space moves efficiently even when packed with customers, thanks to a well-designed flow that keeps the line moving.
The Lines: Prepare for lines, especially during peak times like weekend mornings and holidays. Thanksgiving requires ordering ahead to ensure you get your favorites, as the bakery becomes an absolute madhouse in the days leading up to the holiday.
However, the turnover stays remarkably quick thanks to an efficient operation, so even substantial crowds move through faster than you’d expect. The wait gives you time to study the display cases and finalize your selections.
Planning Your Visit
Pricing: The pricing sits firmly in the reasonable-to-bargain territory, especially considering the quality you receive. Individual pastries range from $1.50-$3.00 depending on size and complexity, while specialty cakes typically cost $1-10 per person.
You can definitely buy cheaper at chain grocery stores, but the superior quality, generous portions, and superior flavor justify every penny spent here. Wedding cakes come at very reasonable prices compared to boutique cake shops that charge premium rates.
The Parking Challenge: Parking represents the one genuine drawback to visiting this bakery. The small lot fills quickly during busy periods, and street parking becomes fiercely competitive as customers circle the block hoping for an opening.
Some people resort to briefly parking illegally just to run in for quick pickups, though this comes with ticket risk. Arriving early helps secure a spot, or be prepared to circle the block a few times while scoping out potential openings. The inconvenience proves worthwhile once you taste the goods, though it remains frustrating on busy Saturdays.
Hours to Know: The bakery stays closed on Mondays for a well-deserved break. Tuesday through Saturday hours run 6:00 AM to 5:30 PM, giving you plenty of opportunities to visit throughout the week.
Sundays offer shorter hours from 6:00 AM to 3:00 PM, so plan accordingly if you want weekend treats. Getting there early ensures the fullest selection, especially for popular items like the Philly Fluff or donuts that tend to sell out.
Ordering Ahead: For special occasion cakes and large orders, calling ahead at 908-277-2074 saves time and guarantees availability. The bakery offers limited online ordering through their website for certain items, though calling the store directly works for most orders and allows you to ask questions.
Last-minute custom cake orders might not be possible during busy periods, so give yourself a few days’ notice for decorated cakes.
Family-Friendly: This bakery welcomes everyone including families with kids and even allows well-behaved dogs inside. The casual atmosphere means no dress code or reservations needed—just walk in and prepare to be amazed.
Children will love watching the display cases and picking out colorful treats, making this an easy stop during errands or a destination for special Saturday morning outings.
Natale’s Summit Bakery
📍 185 Broad St, Summit, NJ 07901
