In case you didnât realize it, I have something of a major sweet tooth. Iâm more of a chocolate and peanut butter guy than I am into any type of fruit-flavored treats, but no matter what type of baked goods you prefer, Iâm sure youâll find something youâll love at 7 Layers Bakery, located in the Grand Oaks Plaza on Wesley Chapel Blvd. (S.R. 54) in Lutz, in the same plaza as Amici Pizza.
It was easy for me to become friends with 7 Layers owners Evelyn Barreno and her husband William Morello. After all, not only are they fellow transplanted âNew Yawkas,â they serve Evelynâs amazing baked goods, most of which remind me a lot of the great bakery items I loved when I was growing up on Long Island.
Evelyn, whose background is in marketing, says she has been baking since she was a kid. âMy mom, my grandmother…all of us…love to bake,â she says. âPeople have always told me I should open my own bakery, so here we are.â
I remember meeting this fun young couple at last yearâs Wesley Chapel Fall Festival and being instantly hooked not only on Evelynâs cake and cookie samples, but also on Willâs high-spirited, friendly approach to getting people to try everything.
Since their store opened a little less than a year ago, William and Evelyn have become involved with the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce, and held a Chamber ribbon-cutting ceremony almost a year ago.
âWeâve made a lot of friends through the Chamber,â Evelyn says. âThe response since we opened the store has been amazing.â The bakery is also a favorite of Joey Richmanâs, the young Wesley Chapel resident we wrote about in a couple of recent issues, who has had some continuing health issues following a recent kidney transplant.
Thereâs no doubt that the baked goods are top-notch. Although the store is named for the famous Italian seven-layer rainbow cookies that Evelyn and Will grew up with in New York City, I initially fell in love with 7 Layers Bakeryâs awesome specialty cupcakes, especially the Reeseâs peanut butter cup cupcakes, which have not only decadent peanut butter-flavored icing, but also…surprise!…a mini Reeseâs cup hidden in the center.
Other great cupcake flavors include double chocolate, double vanilla, creme brulée, toasted marshmallow, red velvet, cookies and cream and so many more.
But, even this man can not live by cupcakes alone. Iâm also partial to Evelynâs hand-piped cannolis with homemade cannoli cream, her amazingly flaky Napoleons, the real NY-style black-and-white cookies (Evelyn says some of her customers call them âhalf moonsâ) and the storeâs assortment of loose Italian-style cookies available by the pound, especially the soft-baked chocolate chip cookies and the traditional NY-style lace cookies (which, according to Evelyn, some people call âFlorentines,â even though I never heard that term before).Â
Other items also available at 7 Layers Bakery include homemade tiramisu, flan and tres leches, as well as Italian sfogliatelle pastries (like crispy croissants with custard-style cream inside), as well as an ever-changing assortment of Leannâs cheesecakes, which are uniquely served in jars and great coffee.
Holiday Traditions!
Evelyn also says that she is already gearing up for the holiday season. âWeâve already started doing our pumpkin spice and weâll have apple pie cupcakes soon,â she says. âBy the time the holiday season really gets started after Halloween, weâre going to have to bring in an additional oven to handle the holiday orders,â Evelyn says. âWe have a lot of very loyal customers.â
She says that in addition to Christmas tree-shaped, iced cookies, she will be creating some surprises for the holiday season. âBut, get those orders in early, because we run out of our cookies a lot now already, so we expect to really be busy this holiday season.â
Custom Cakes, Too!
Thereâs no doubt that Evelyn also creates some amazing custom-designed cakes in your choice of flavors and designs.
âIf you can dream it up, I can make it for you,â she says.
7 Layers Bakery (26306 Wesley Chapel Blvd.) is open seven days a week. For more info, visit 7LayerCookieCakes.com or the companyâs Facebook page or call 388-2271.




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