At first glance, Michael Angelo’s corner bakery in a Broadview Heights plaza seems unassuming. But once you open the doors and step inside the brick shop, you’re greeted by a large sanctuary of cakes, pastries, macarons, cupcakes, cannoli and other decadent sweets. From famously decorated custom cakes to the kolacky, Michael Angelo’s takes pride in having the best of everything. “We wanted to hang our hat on being the best cake bakery in Cleveland,” says Michael Ciocca, Michael Angelo’s co-owner and founder. “It started with the cake and we took it to all the other levels.” Even the chocolate chip cookies, delicately wrapped in clear packaging and tied with a golden bow, has undergone at least five variations to find that perfect texture. “We do have some sacred things, like kolacky, that we’ve been doing the same for 18 years,” says Ciocca. “Everything else, it’s almost an obsession to make it better.” 8035 Broadview Road, Broadview Heights, 440-526-0499, michaelangelosbakery.com
Our Pick: The apple walnut pie ($11) is filled with thickly sliced apples, covered in a flaky golden brown crust and topped with caramel and candied walnuts.
