New Bakery in Over-the-Rhine Makes Custom Sweet Treats for the Whole Community

Get your sweet tooth ready: A new bakery in Over-the-Rhine will open its doors this weekend.

Cora’s Cakery is helmed by baker Shaucuana Knight and will offer custom cakes and a variety of other confections, from cupcakes and cake pops to cookies and Knight’s signature banana pudding and cinnamon rolls on special days. The bakery will hold its official grand opening Saturday, Dec. 30 from noon to 4 p.m. at its 1426 Race St. location.

Born and raised in Cincinnati, Knight developed her love of baking thanks to her grandmother, whom she named Cora's Cakery after.

“Growing up, we went to my grandmother Cora’s house for Sunday dinner,” Knight said in a press release. “She was a fantastic cook — but she wasn’t a baker. I always wanted a dessert after dinner, so that became my responsibility. She would make dinner and I would make dessert.”

Knight honed her baking skills over the years by making sweet treats for family and friends. She began operating from the Incubator Kitchen Collective and taking online orders in 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The next year, she quit her job at the Department of Job and Family Services to pursue baking full-time.

Knight says with her brick-and-mortar store, she’s excited to make desserts for the whole community — and she means the whole community. Cora’s Cakery has applied to accept EBT benefits, and once approved, it’ll be the only small bakery in OTR to do so.

“After years working at the Department of Job and Family Services, I came to understand the importance of accepting EBT benefits,” Knight said. “I want to make it possible for everyone to order custom baked goods, regardless of their income level.”

Alongside its baked goods, Cora’s Cakery will also offer catering, baking classes and individually packaged, made-from-scratch cake and hot cocoa mixes that are resealable and free from preservatives. After the grand opening, the bakery will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Cora’s Cakery, 1426 Race St., Over-the-Rhine. More info: corascakery.org.

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