Originator of Wholefood’s Chantilly Cake ‘Bywater Bakery’ New Orleans

freddyo12

July 14, 2018

FreddyO took the show on the road to New Orleans, and you already know we had to eat. Tucked into the Bywater neighborhood sits Bywater Bakery, the beloved local spot known far beyond the neighborhood as the home of the original Chantilly cake — yes, the same berry-and-cream sensation that made the Whole Foods version a nationwide favorite started right here, with the baker who created it.

If you have never had a real Chantilly cake, understand what we are talking about: light, tender layers of cake, clouds of mascarpone Chantilly cream, and fresh berries all through it — strawberries, blueberries, raspberries — finished so pretty you almost hate to cut it. Almost. One bite explains why people drive across New Orleans, and order it from across the country, for birthdays, weddings, and every celebration in between. This is not a copy of a famous cake. This is the original kitchen it came from.

But Bywater Bakery is a full neighborhood bakery, not a one-cake wonder. On any morning you will find locals posted up with coffee, fresh pastries, breakfast plates, and whatever the kitchen is proud of that day, in a colorful, art-filled space that feels like the Bywater itself — creative, welcoming, and proudly New Orleans. It is the kind of place where the counter staff knows the regulars, visitors get treated like neighbors, and everything coming out of the case is made with real love.

Press play above and take the full tour with FreddyO — step inside Bywater Bakery, hear the Chantilly cake story from the source, and see what else is coming out of that kitchen — then keep scrolling for more FreddyO food favorites. Have you had the original? Talk to us in the comments.