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Bredenbeck's Bakery
Categories: Food Bakeries Food Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Bakeries, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt [Edit]
8126 Germantown AvePhiladelphia, PA 19118
Neighborhood: Chestnut Hill
(215) 247-7374
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 6:30 am - 7 pm
Fri-Sat 6 am - 9 pm
Sun 7 am - 6 pm
- Price Range:
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$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
43 reviews for Bredenbeck's Bakery
Review Highlights
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"We got our wedding cake from Bredenbeck's and couldn't be..." In 6 reviews -
"They have about a dozen different cupcakes and each one is..." In 7 reviews -
"Cakes, cookies and other sweet treats at medium (not cheap..." In 2 reviews
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43 reviews in English
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Review from Kemi A.
3/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
I've had the cake here before I can't recall the taste.
But my second visit I came for Iced cream. And I was happy to learn that they can add a cupcake to my ice cream.
So I had a chocolate cupcake (cut into half). One half created the base, then I added ice cream of my choice..then top with the other half of the cupcake. top it all with whipped cream. YUMMMY.
The had ample interesting flavors. I didn't really try any because Iwasn't in the "trying" mood so I just picked one and went with it. I can't recall the name but it was delicious. -
Review from Bridget M.
Conshohocken, PA
3/5/2012
Forget those fancy South Philly bakeries! Bredenbecks products are just as good!
Got a cake from Bredenbecks for my nieces 1st birthday party. We expected something nice, but what we got was extraordinary. They were more than happy to coordinate the cake colors with the color scheme of her party.
Everyone at the party commented on how beautiful it was. And then, when we finally cut and served it, people couldn't stop talking about how delicious it was. The cake was soft and buttery. The icing wasn't overly sweet and fake, like some supermarket cakes.
We'll be using Bredenbecks for all our pastry needs! -
Review from Pamela S.
Philadelphia, PA
12/19/2011
I absolutely, positively loveeee this bakery. Everything is fresh, sweet and delicious! I am particularly in love with their cupcakes. Every holiday and birthday, I get at least three of their sunflower cupcakes made with oreos and cookies and creme icing (YUM) and three of their sprinkled cupcakes. My brother loves their cannolis.
If anyone lives around Germantown Ave. or happens to be passing by sometime soon, definitely make an effort to visit. It'll be worth the trip! -
Review from Lori S.
Richboro, PA
5/15/2012
I would have given 6 out of 5 stars!
Bredenbecks sat down with us for a tasting and designed our daughter's Bat Mitzvah cake with her. She was so excited to have so much input, but the designer, Jessica, was fantastic! When we saw the cake for the first time the night of the event we were blown away! It was more amazing that we could have imagined. Our guests were blown away by the appearance, but by the taste too! I'm still getting calls as to where it was from! From the inside out...Bredenbecks...it was incredible! -
Review from Christina D.
Roslyn, PA
5/16/2012
LEMON POUND CAKE! Get it, simple as that. I prefer the kind without the icing and then I just throw on some fresh berries and fresh whipped cream, DELISH!
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Review from Christine K.
Alexandria, VA
5/20/2012
Thank you Bredenbecks for the wonderful cake you made for our crew team's banquet. We were visiting Philadelphia from out of town and had our cake delivered to our hotel by Bredenbecks Bakery. The delivery was prompt and the custom design on the cake was almost too beautiful to eat! The chocolate chip cake was rich, scrumptious and delicious. A great ending to our season at the Stotesbury Regatta in Philadelphia. Thanks again Bredenbecks! Can't wait for next year.
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Review from E M.
Upper Darby, PA
5/15/2012
The best cake we have ever eaten. Yes, I said it, and it was. I just got married a few weeks ago, and we chose Bredenbeck's to bake our wedding cake because they were 1) very friendly and responsive, 2) able to ensure that the cake was 100% soy free and 3) priced fairly for our needs. The four tier buttercream cake they made was not only lovely, for people who go nuts for that, they do a phenomenal job with presentation; more importantly, the cake tasted better than any cake or dessert I've ever had. I have noticed in general, wedding guests have a "take it or leave it" mentality for wedding cake. Our guests went up for seconds and thirds of the cake. That's how good it was! I have never seen that happen EVER. The cake was moist and delicious and had such a good flavor. I highly recommend them to anyone.
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Review from Cara T.
Glenside, PA
Bredenbeck's designed and baked the cake for my father-in-law's 500 thousand party. Yes, that's right...the party we threw him when his '96 Chevy Impala hit 500 thousand miles. Bredenbeck's baked us a cake that was an exact replica of the car. It was gorgeous...almost too beautiful to eat! But we did eat it...for a whole week. And that chocolate pound cake hasn't left my thoughts since.
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Review from Danan R.
1/2/2012
Very good pound cake. It's rich and buttery and just delicious. They also have some cute and tasty cupcakes. I happen to like the vanilla but there plenty of other options.
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Review from andrea f.
Philadelphia, PA
1/27/2012
I am not sure what all the good buzz is about with Bredenbeck's. On the upside, I like the place itself--wooden floors and sort of a small town, comfy/cozy feel--and it's always humming on warm summer evenings, with people lined up to get ice cream.
But it's a bakery, and that's where it falls short for me. I've had both their cakes and their cookies and wasn't impressed with either. The cookies and cakes were just ok; honestly, they didn't seem better than anything you could get at your local supermarket bakers. -
Review from Sarah M.
Philadelphia, PA
9/18/2011
Bredenbeck's is a really cute little gem of Chestnut Hill. It's the type of place where if I'd grown up in or around Chestnut Hill, I'd beg my parents to take me every summer night for some awesome ice cream! They have a great selection of flavors and prices are fair.
The shop is small (single file line, flat against the counter), but full of character. There are benches outside for those who like to sit and enjoy, or you can walk the shops on Germantown & eat at the same time, but be careful not to drip!
I haven't been on the bakery side yet though, but I know wedding cakes can certainly be a touchy subject no matter which bakery you go to. -A profession I don't think I could handle :) -
Review from Thao N.
I came here to pick up a birthday cake for a girlfriend who rants and raves about this place all the time, so my expectations were set high.
While waiting for the cake to be packaged, I ordered two red velvet cupcakes to-go. As I was paying, I noticed an unsatisfied customer whose cake design didn't turn out the way she wanted (hmmm?).
So I took the cake home and presented it to my girlfriend. She was very disappointed in the quality of her cake. She ordered from this bakery before, and noticed the quality of her cake did not match the previous ones that were ordered from here.
The lowdown: It didn't look or taste any different from a cake that can be purchased from a local grocery store. It was supposed to be adorned with designs of elaborate lilies... the end result? I don't even know. I don't mean to be harsh, but I could've created a design that would be more impressive than what was given to us... and I am by no means a baker.
And the red velvet cupcakes were a disappointment. Quite honestly, the cake mix from the box tastes better :( -
Review from Kay A.
Philadelphia, PA
3/26/2012
This is a wonderful, amazing bakery. I come here all the time. The bakery storefront is just one side of Bredenbeck's, with cases of pastries, both unique and day-to-day. They have pink lemonade cupcakes and chocolate peanut butter cake truffles, as well as chocolate covered pretzels and croissants. There is also a catering side, which makes delicious miniature confections for parties, and the wedding cake side, which provides gorgeous, inventive, delicious cakes for weddings. The staff is friendly, personable and professional, and over all Bredenbeck's is the quintessential bakery. Love!
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Review from Ryan H.
Philadelphia, PA
1/22/2012
Had a delicious sugar cookie and a pumpkin nutella cupcake. Wasn't a fan of the nutella frosting, didn't pack enough of a nutella flavor for me, but the pumpkin cake was over the top flavorful, I loved it. I could taste all the pumpkin and the spice and it was moist with great texture.
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Review from Lori V.
Wilmington, DE
1/21/2012
Charming, but I found the icing on my cake to be a little stale. The prices were definately too high. I'm willing to give it another try, though I'm not willing to spend precious gas money to drive there.
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Review from Maria L.
Winthrop, MA
2/4/2011
One star, in this case, is certainly a gift....I really need a "ZERO CHANCE of ever getting a star from me" option!
WEDDING CAKE, FAIL.
Their "My way or the highway" attitude is EXTREMELY TIRING!
My caterer for my wedding works exclusively with Bredenbeck's Bakery. Naturally I thought the "Famous Philadelphia Bakery, Oldest in the City" would be able to make me a lactose free wedding cake. I mean, after all their SPECIALTY is BAKING CAKES.
I started out with a conversation with an associate that answered the phone to book my appointment. It seems that when I started explaining my dietary restrictions (no milk, no butter), it was too much for her to handle. She passed me off to the owner. While the owner was pleasant I don't feel that she could totally grasp the concept about a cake with no milk or butter. She told me she would make me an egg less cake with butter cream icing!!!!
She asked me to give her some time to research a recipe. Fine, OK. I explained to her that I would like a chocolate cake. and gave her a few different reccommedations for subsitutuins. She then had me wait two months for my appointment so she could "research options" and have something for me to taste when I got there.
When it came time for my appointment, she brought me a plate of the regular cakes (all with milk and butter) and on the table was an (egg less) cake that looked like toast, plain, with white icing on the side. To my dismay, she had not comprehended a word I had spoken to her and I was scared (due to my allergy) to even try the cake.
After explaining to her - yet again - that my allergy was NOT to eggs, she then told me she had spent a lot of time googling a recipe and this is all she could come up with. (Really, that's the research I waited MONTHS for??? A Bakery, googling... my mom did that and came up with THREE recipes in 20 minutes!) THEN, she asked ME to give HER a recipe. I was tempted to hand her 42 boxes of Dunkin Hines, because apparently they can handle the recipe just fine! She actually made me feel bad for even asking, imagine that.
Needless to say I will not be using this bakery for my wedding cake, as it is absolutely necessary that I not have an allergic reaction on my wedding day. I really feel like this bakery did not WANT to accommodate me, even if I paid additional fees. They were constantly making us feel like we were "in the wrong" for even approaching them with the idea. They made it abundantly clear to me that food allergies are not welcomed here.
The only ritual in my wedding- TO CUT THE CAKE has been removed from my wedding because of this company.
They STILL insist that this is not their fault, yet they led me to believe for 3 months that they could potentially create a cake for me, yet, they never had a plan to do so...or rather they just "don't get it" since they are still offering me an egg-less cake! hahaha!
Try to ask them to customize anything out of their norm, forget it.Comment from Steven M. of Bredenbeck's Bakery 2/14/2011
We are so sorry to have disappointed a customer! I… More » -
Review from James S.
Oh Bredenbeck's, how I love you. From the cookies, to the brownies, to the cupcakes, to the ice cream, I love this place. So glad spring is here so I can get some of there delicious sundaes and ice cream sandwiches again! Such a great spot to take a walk to in the summer and pick up some sweet treats as my fiance likes to say.
My favorite thing here is by far the cupcake selection. They have about a dozen different cupcakes and each one is absolutely scrumptious. My usual is the red velvet, but the turtle cupcake is pretty great as well.
So much here I have left to try, but of all the things I have tried here, I've never been let down. If you're on the Ave this spring or summer, stop in and check it out. I'll probably see ya there!Listed in: Chestnut Hill
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Review from Christina E.
Lansdale, PA
10/10/2011
Bad signage, over priced (considering they don't make their own), and tasteless ice cream. The chocolate chip cookie dough was absolutely awful.
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Review from Ted E.
Montgomery, PA
2/12/2011
Took the Living Social coupon --- and boy was this worth it. Our first time going into the shop - so the coupon worked for them.
So many yummy things to buy. We got some Valentine's Day cupcakes, some bagels (yes, bagels), some sort of iced bun, and an amazing flat pastry. It seemed to be butter and cream. Really good.
They had a good assortment cakes, cookies, and all sorts of pastries all made in the shop.
We will visit again once we work off these calories. -
Review from Amber M.
Chestnut Hill, PA
8/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
My heart belongs to the poundcake here. Yummy but expensive .. treat yourself!
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Review from Karen F.
10/5/2009
A cutesy & kid-friendly (family mecca) bakery in Chestnut Hill right on "The" Avenue. Cakes, cookies and other sweet treats at medium (not cheap, but not ridiculous) prices.
They also have ice cream. My little one is sold - and I am not too far behind. (Although I prefer cakes from the Night Kitchen bakery a bit farther down the hill. - see my other reviews.)Listed in: Flam's take on the Hill -…
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Review from Sonia S.
Philadelphia, PA
3/13/2011
It has been a year since I last took a bite of my wedding cake from Bredenbeck's. I had been to multiple bakeries before selecting this cake. I chose Bredenbeck's because they were the only bakery that could put gold icing on my cake and I requested the entire cake to be in red and gold. It looked spectacular at our reception. After the reception, my MIL wrapped it 20 times with plastic wrap, re-wrapped it with foil 8 times, then shoved it in her freezer for our one year anniversary (today).
I had been forewarned that year old wedding cake is dry and disgusting and you eat it for tradition. Not Bredenbeck's. Today it tastes as good as it did at the reception. We have already had half of the cake and I shoved it in the fridge to eat more tomorrow. It's amazing! How can it still taste this good?
I think the Seinfeld episode where Elaine eats the Windsor wedding cake had to be inspired by this cake.
By the way, it was chocolate chip pound cake with buttercream icing. It will last forever! -
Review from Bridgid R.
New York, NY
9/2/2008
A few days ago, visiting the area for Labor Day, I borrowed my brothers car to go on a drive to this little Victorian building. I ordered a Rum Raisin in a sugar cone and walked out in instant elation. You did, it Bredenbeck's! You were open, laboring on labor day, and the love was not lost.
OH man, the thrill of this Victorian ice cream gallery. There are stenciled walls, fresh strawberry topping, various spectacular cone choices. I have been going to this ice cream store as long as I have been an American Ice Cream Championess: that makes twenty four years, now. Their branding of ice cream changes (Hershey's, H.D., Breyers, and now Bassett's, I believe). They really do ice cream temperature well. The prices are always enough for people to comment about Chestnut Hill, and they didn't have pretzel cones, which is really... substantial.
I recommend a trip out to this place if you are looking for an afternoon of window shopping, antique-ing, or just an ice cream guarantee. -
Review from Emma D.
Chicago, IL
4/8/2008
Bredenbeck's has a wide range of baked goods available - cakes, cookies, cupcakes, and of course ice cream! The cakes in the window are absolutely gorgeous, and the ones on display inside really demonstrate some serious cake decorating skill.
I haven't had a chance to try everything - we just dropped by this weekend and the cupcakes caught our eye. Somehow 2 cupcakes cost us only $1.80.... We repeated the price about 5 times as we were in shock, but it was real. At any rate the key lime cupcake was absolutely amazing while the chocolate rocky road cupcake was just good. A rough life indeed....Listed in: Chestnut Hill and Germantown
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Review from Amy G.
Hampden, PA
2/4/2008
We stopped in here yesterday. The warm weather made ice cream possible. This is a tiny little place with barely enought room to two people to stand side by side. However, they offer a nice assortment of baked treats, ice cream, and coffee. (I understand that they have a second shop area that is open in the warmer months to accommodate the larger crouds).
We stopped there mid afternoon and there were a few people in front of us and a constant stream of additional clients entering behind us. I ordered a slice of yellow cake with white icing - you buy it by the pound and it isn't cheap - about $9.00 per pound. The cake was good - dense like you expect for scratch made but still moist and flavourful. The icing wasn't very thick, but it was soft and suggary - so you didn't need much. Everyone in our party had a bite and everyone liked it.
The husband opted for the chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream and the kids wanted strawberry, our friend ordered vanilla. They said the ice cream was made by Bassett's, which is a very nice change from the ever present Hershey ice cream you seem to find everywhere (at least in the Central PA area). Bassett's is a Philly ice cream company that has been around for over 100 years. When you taste their ice cream it's obvious why they've lasted so long. It's creamy, not icy. It has good, natural flavor - it doesn't taste artificial. Best of all, it's dense so you actually are paying for ice cream and not for air like you do with some brands.
Overall, it was a nice experience. Again, not cheap but good. -
Review from Jen L.
Philadelphia, PA
5/24/2008
I love the wide variety of cakes, cookies and pastries at Bredenbeck's. If you ever want great, rich, tasty sweets in the Northwest area of the city, this is a good place to stop. I have had sheet cakes from here that are fantastic too.
My friend Laura says that the quality, though, isn't as good as it used to be, but for my taste, they're pretty good. -
Review from Shanna M.
Seattle, WA
8/27/2009
Ok first of all I would like to premise this review by saying that me and Bredenbeck's go back a long way and we have had a very tumultuous relationship, but one thing remains the same is their amazing cake!!
As a self proclaimed cake fanatic I would have to say that this place has the best cake (vanilla of course, not a fan of chocolate) I have ever had the indulgence of tasting. I mean I dont think you get it when I say that I love cake and eat it as much as I can My house is always stocked with cake or cupcakes, I'm 26 yrs old and I still insist on a birthday cake every year and for pretty much any other occasion I can finagle a cake out of. And out of every cake and bakery I have tried, none even come close to the cake at Bredenbecks
This cake is truly amazing. The cake (sponge or pound) is moist the icing is sweet and full of flavor that just makes your taste buds dance with excitement. They have different flavored pound cake like lemon chocolate chip and raspberry. I was just finishing my last bite of some raspberry when I decided to write this review. Everything in this bakery is truly incredible their ice cream parlor is amazing too. Bassets ice ream is some of the best in the city.
This place definitely deserves 5 stars but I used to work there (10 yrs ago) and me and the owner didn't get along that well, and I'm pretty sure I was fired, but even after all that I still remain a loyal customer and spread the gospel that is Bredenbeck's -
Review from Aisha K.
Philadelphia, PA
10/4/2009
I've been visiting this neat little shop for nearly my entire life. I'm in love with the Victorian atmosphere, (the bakery has been around since the late 19th century!) and the visitors I bring to the area always get a kick out of the rows of novelty cakes lining the windows. Whenever I come home from college, I always have to stop in and get a box of petit fours. (just the right size, with a raspberry jelly filling, and "melts in your mouth" frosting) I've had 2 birthday cakes from here, and they're great at accommodating special requests.
During the summer, the ice cream parlor really come in handy when you don't want to travel too far for an "okay" cone. The ice cream is pretty much your standard grocery brand stuff, but with the great staff and service I *almost* don't mind! -
Review from Ben D.
Philadelphia, PA
6/2/2009
Bredenbeck's is one of those 'ole-timey' ice cream parlors and bakeries that fits in with the rest of Chestnut Hill. The ice cream parlor has been an institution for me since I was a kid. The ice cream, while the brands have rotated over the past two decades, has stayed fairly high quality. They have Bassett's a step above Edy's/Breyers, and there is another one in there now that I cannot remember the name of, but try the Sticky bun flavor! The wide variety of ice cream flavors and toppings are unmatched in Chestnut Hill.
Now the bakery, on the other hand, is a completely different story. The place is a bake-off shortening house, at least as recent as a couple years ago (Their dumpster was full of boxes for mixes and frozen pastries). The icing is that 'sweet crisco' that you get on supermarket cakes. If you are looking for a place to get a cake/cookies/pastries, I would highly recommend Night Kitchen, followed by Cake. Bredenbeck's should be a last resort. They may be a bit cheaper than Night Kitchen or Cake, but if you are going for cost-savings, just buy your pastries at PathMark. -
Review from Len L.
Philadelphia, PA
1/21/2009
Bredenbecks is the best in Chestnut Hill in two categories, bakery and ice cream!
Their pastries are the best in town, and there is a lot of good competition. They have provided sweet items for my kids birthdays going on a couple of years now. Their pastries are out-of-this-world, and they have consistently been very accommodating of unusual and special requests, even last minute changes to orders.
The ice cream side of the shop is equally wonderful . I love Ben & Jerry's, Cold Stone, etc., but there is something really great about a local shop that has premium and sometimes exotic ice cream with the freshest of toppings. I love the bench out front to sit and savor afterwards! -
Review from Colin B.
Philadelphia, PA
3/4/2012
really good
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Review from Arie M.
Philadelphia, PA
5/18/2011
Bakery nirvana. Without Courtney Love around to mess things up. Seriosuly, everything is awesome here, from the cake boss-style custom cakes (they made one I've seen that looked just like a cheesesteak) to the ice cream and coffee. Take a trip out of your way and stop in here.
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Review from Rachel B.
Ambler, PA
12/2/2011
I have only one experience here. I bought several dozen cupcakes of several different flavors for my husband's 30th birthday. The combination of flavors were AHH-mazing! (Guinness cupcakes? yes, please!) They were a huge hit and very beautiful, too. My only complaint is that the cake part of the cupcakes was a little dry for my tastes, but I am not a huge cake lover. The supposed pound cake cupcakes did not taste like pound cake at all. They were very yummy, but not the pound cake density that I expected.
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Review from Sparky B.
Philadelphia, PA
3/12/2011
Very happy with the birthday cake I ordered from Bredenbeck's! Staff was helpful and easily handled my specific decoration request. The cake was delicious: chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream icing. It was very rich to say the least. I usually don't care for the 'whipped' frosting you find on store-bought cakes, so the buttercream was a nice change. Best of all, the birthday boy loved the cake.
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Review from Rachel U.
Updated - 5/21/2009
Hubby and I ordered a just-like-our-wedding-cake cake for our one year anniversary party and it was just as delicious as we remembered, and completely devoured by the end of the party. The top freezer-stored tier held up pretty well too and was also very delicious, tho very cold ;)
Listed in: Nuptial Bliss
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/23/2008
We got our wedding cake here: chocolate cake with fresh raspberries sliced between the layers and… Read more »
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Review from Susanne J.
Philadelphia, PA
12/1/2008
I've loved this place since I was old enough to spill an ice cream cone on myself. This seems to happen every time! My mother always got our birthday cakes from this family-owned bakery and nothing seems to compare. The baked goods are always fresh and made with premium ingredients. The ice cream is equally delectable, especially considering their wide assortment of sundaes and other concoctions. It's the cake the brings me back again and again for all occasions. The final product is always artfully presented and, of course, delicious. I also enjoy the friendly staff. The place is a little cramped, but I find it charming and fitting with the rest of Chestnut Hill.
Listed in: My Neighborhood
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Review from Lori H.
Philadelphia, PA
2/15/2010
I had the pleasure of meeting the baker at the Bridal Expo show last month at the Loews Hotel here in Philadelphia. She does amazing things with buttercream icing that give fondant a run for the money in the design aspect with superior flavor. I am looking forward to setting up a private tasting for this and a few other bakeries in the region for my wedding cake.
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Review from Lark L.
Lafayette Hill, PA
3/22/2009
This place smells so good! Anything with the icing is great! The icing is like cheap,grocery store frosting--but beyond that! This is not an insult! It is sweet and just has that great taste that is addictive! Poundcake with icing-all flavors is so good--and asst cookies by the pound is great. Space is small and many customers don't understand about personal space but the FROSTING ROCKS. Oh yeah- they have ice cream. I would rather have a cone of frosting!!!!
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Review from Pamela M.
Philadelphia, PA
1/2/2010
My wedding was on New Year's Eve and Bredenbeck's did a fabulous job. Tier flavors were raspberry (my favorite), chocolate chip, lemon, and devil's food. They delivered the caked in great time as well. Their service was excellent and i will go their again for my baking needs.
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Review from Rachel B.
Ambler, PA
11/15/2010
We got our wedding cake from Bredenbeck's and couldn't be happier. It was beautful and delicious. We chose lemon cake with a raspberry filling and carrot cake, both with the traditional buttercream. Customer service is top notch.
