The new year always makes time for resolutions and health kicks, but incorporating more plant-based opinions to the menu doesn’t have to change your diet as much as you may think. With Veganuary in full swing, the trend of going plant-based is grazing athletes’ and celebrities’ plates everywhere. Yet, carrots and celery are not even close to what’s being served up at the local vegan Make Believe bakery in the Capital District of Denver. Here, they are all about the environment and sustainability, but they won’t deny customers a warm ooey-gooey cinnamon roll on an early winter morning in Denver.
Often, people cannot refrain from ordering a piece of cake or pie à la mode, because that creamy, cold topping melts in the mouth and heart. It’s creamy even without an extra scoop of ice cream, but most people prefer buttercream frosting, so… vegans better beware of the tempting dessert menu. Luckily, the new year marks a time for eating better and rejecting the words of our ever-so-convincing sweet tooth. However, as vegan food is becoming more trendy and enticing, what once started in 2004 as a revolutionary idea, to eat allergy- and animal-free food, has now gotten a large following.
The dynamic duo, Kelly McBride and Randa Duffy ensure that all of the frosting remains decadent while they also keep the soft-serve smooth and creamy. The two have been at this for years now and have expanded to full-service restaurants like City O’ City, located right next door, and still collaborate with Watercourse Foods. They have a passion to make all types of delicious food that’s in reach of anyone with a dietary restriction because everyone wants to have a birthday cake dedicated to them or fresh-baked bread for their lunchtime pick-me-up sandwich.
All bakeries should flaunt their cupcakes, but Make Believe couldn’t hide them if they tried. Big enough to feed two, their “miniature” cakes, gluten-free or full flour, are piled high with frosting. The funfetti has the classic box mix aesthetic but instead of being overpowered by sweetness, delighted by the authentic vanilla flavor. It is then injected with vanilla pastry cream to make the cake more luscious, and decorated with sprinkles to peak your interest even more. The peanut butter chocolate cupcake is similar to a piece of Halloween candy, specifically Reese’s, but this one isn’t sealed in an orange casing. After tearing off the lining, the cupcake is tender so it stays intact. Though there is a little crumble here and there, the moistness makes for a wonderfully dense, rich chocolate cake. The chocolate flavor is straightforward, but it is complemented by the peanut butter in the frosting, making it extra smooth. A drizzle of chocolate sauce and crushed peanuts add even more excitement and texture to the top – which is what every good cupcake deserves.
As all bakeries do, Make Believe has cupcakes and cakes but no other bakery reinvent your favorite childhood desserts as they do. Theirs are sustainable. When looking into the case, your eyes may recognize a past lunch treat of yours, a Hostess cake, but with tender attention and careful construction, these taste nothing like the factory-made dessert. Again, they are able to amaze with a chocolate base, but the whipped cream is what’s truly iconic. The overall airiness is almost unbelievable when there is less cream but after years in the business, McBride and Duffy know exactly how to fool a dairy lover.
If that isn’t enough, they have whoopie pies mounted on a beaming pedestal to ensure that they cannot be missed. Two massive cinnamon oatmeal cookies–definitely surpassing the size of your hand–pop with a healthy (or unhealthy, you choose) smear of creamy frosting. The cookies have a caramelized color, which comes through in the flavor, and are soft enough so they don’t crumble when they’re torn. It plays on the flavors of fall which typically means that there will be cream cheese yet Make Believe’s choice to remove it has no effect on the person’s level of enjoyment or the quality of dessert.
Any pastry chef will tell you that the key to flakey, laminated doughs of croissants and danishes is fat (most likely, butter). Regardless, Make Believe incorporates vegan alternatives while maintaining all of those luxurious layers. After taking one bite, during summer, winter, spring or fall, pastry shards fly around like the first snowfall, so make sure to stick out your tongue to capture those delicious snowflakes.
The year may have just started, but summertime cannot come soon enough. Make Believe’s “Wizard” combines smooth, rich and frozen soft serve with a texture spotlighting famous flavors or your own creative needs. They are assembled similar to a parfait with soy-based ice cream on the bottom and drizzles and/or fruits to layer and fill. Nostalgic memories of swiping cookie dough right off the plate can be had with their cookie dough Wizard. Peppermint mocha Wizards make for a season mash-up of iconic winter flavors. They can’t deny the attraction of PSL (Pumpkin Spice Latte) season so they match their vanilla soft serve with their pumpkin custard and renowned oat cookie for the perfect fall delight.
Make Believe bakery’s glass case has young children drooling as they debate which indulgence to eat first. If a kid likes it, then you know they are doing something right. They defy what the world of sweets currently is, but anything can happen if you just believe.
