Peters' Bakery

This bakery's almond cake is the best dessert ever- it makes me say that my favorite flavor of cake is burnt almond even when I haven't liked any burnt almond cake anywhere else that I've tried it.It's such an institutional gem of east SJ, and even when I don't live around right now, I have someone bring me a cake when they visit. I haven't tried any of their other pastries- can't really think of anything but burnt almond once I see the sign.

A local staple in the upper Eastside neighborhood of San Jose! They've been serving up some of the best baked goods for years and people still draw a line out the door to grab em! Goto must are the date bars, brownies, éclairs, and burnt almond cake! All so good! It's always small shop and parking can be a bit tricky so just be prepared! It's located on alum rock going towards alum rock park!

I started coming here a few years ago after Dick's Bakery closed due to a fire. We had been getting birthday cakes at Dick's since the 1960s so we were sad when the bakery did not re-open. I was happy to have discovered Peters' Bakery, however, due to a recent experience, we will not be coming back. I just celebrated my 70th birthday and when my daughter asked me what I wanted for my birthday I told her all I wanted was the childhood cake I used to get from Dick's Bakery...a white cake with banana filling and whipped cream frosting. I told her to order the cake from Peters' Bakery because they could make the identical cake. I also told her what I wanted written on the cake. My daughter ordered the cake over the phone a week prior to my birthday and spelled out the Croatian nickname I wanted on the cake (as a nod to my now deceased mother). My daughter told them this was for my 70th birthday and that she wanted to pick it up by 4pm on Saturday, February 15th as we were going to dinner afterwards. As parking is difficult at the bakery, I drove and dropped off my daughter in front of the bakery to get the cake. We arrived around 5:15pm and there was a long line out the door. We planned to go to dinner after picking up the cake as we had reservations at 6pm in Campbell. My daughter was in the bakery for a long time. They did not have the cake ready and in fact, she was left waiting while the teenager who had been helping her disappeared into the back. He seemed to be looking all over for the cake. We believe that they had not made the cake at all because my daughter said she could see the teenager who was helping her frantically trying to write the Happy Birthday message on the cake. He misspelled the name on the cake and left out part of the message. He did not show her the cake but sort of flashed it quickly from a distance and she could not see because so many people were in the way. We were in a hurry because of the delay in the bakery but while we were driving to dinner, I had her open the box and we saw the misspelling and the incorrect writing. I was very upset and called the bakery immediately. I spoke to a manager who sounded very busy and distracted and disinterested in what I had to say so I requested that the owner call me. I'm still waiting to hear from him. The delay at the bakery created a ripple effect which led to our being later for our dinner reservation and not getting the booth we had requested but rather a table and the stress of the situation spoiled the evening for me. To make matters worse, when we cut open the cake a couple of hours later, we found the banana looked very dark in spots and the cake did not taste fresh. I really believe they forgot my order and did not make my cake fresh but instead, hurriedly grabbed a day old cake and tried to make it work. The cake did not look or taste good and I will no longer be going to Peters' Bakery which is on the other side of town from where I live so it takes some effort to get there. I'm just very disappointed because all I wanted for my 70th birthday was the cake I remembered as a child and now I feel like those memories are ruined due to the subpar birthday cake from Peters' Bakery.

4.5/5 for the Burnt Almond cake (original). I'd heard a lot about it from folks in the area and on Reddit, and I wanted to order something different than the usual for one of my friend's birthday!The whole party was fond of it and gulped it down pretty fast! It was the first time for many of us. Definitely not too sweet, and just the right richness. We just walked in to pickup a regular sized birthday cake and didn't need to pre order. Likely to be back soon.

Great local bakery! Was looking at cakes to order last minute for a friend's birthday and found Peter's Bakery after doing some research online. I called around 7am to place a same-day order and the staff graciously accommodated. I ordered the 8" burnt almond cake with writing on it and requested for pick up at 5:45pm. There are some parking spots in front of Peter's Bakery. Went to the store around pick up time and the cake was ready. Cake costed $25.50 which was much cheaper compared to many other options I saw online!The cake looked great! My friend really likes nuts and in general simple flavors so this one definitely hit the spot for her! The burnt almond cake is not too sweet and it is on the lighter side. She enjoyed it! I would come back to try one of their chocolate cakes.

Everyone was so nice here! The line was out the door on a Saturday as expected with how popular this place is. I got the burnt almond square (5/5) and it was great! Perfectly sweet, amazing texture, no complaints at all. I also got the cream puff (5/5) which was huge and was also amazing. I might even like the cream puff more!

Yeah I've been coming to Peters' Bakery for years, so I think I can finally give a solid opinion on this legendary bakery.I was first introduced to this bakery as a kid, when my mother's coworker Anthony brought a Strawberry Ring to our house party. Ever since then, my family and I fell in love with Peters'. Their strawberry ring is absolutely amazing. It's one of my favorite cakes of all time. It's hard to describe, but I like to think of it as a jumbo cream puff/donut sandwich, with whipped cream, custard cream, and fresh strawberries in the middle. It's the perfect balance of tart fruit and sweet cream; it's unbelievable. My only gripe is that it's super messy to eat, especially when you're trying to cut the cake into slices. There's not much structure to it because the "cream puff" pieces are so delicate. Another thing to note is that it's seasonal - you can only get it in the summer.Then there's the famous Burnt Almond Cake that everyone raves about. At this point, it's a San Jose classic. The first time I had it, I thought it was really good. There's lots of chopped almonds along the outside, giving it a nice crunchy texture, and overall, the cake is not too sweet.The custard frosting is extremely impressive. It's super tasty and creamy, but also light and not too heavy. It's the same frosting that's on the strawberry ring (the yellowish looking one). Honestly, it's the shining star of all of Peter's desserts. Unfortunately, I must confess that I believe the Burnt Almond Cake is overrated, and here's why.Not to sound pretentious, but the cake at Peter's Bakery is super dry. The actual cake part of their cakes is dry as a desert. This is the reason why I think the Burnt Almond Cake is not that good. Honestly, you can get moister cake at Costco or Safeway, or maybe even from a Pillsbury Box Cake that you make at home. The actual cake layer quality at Peters is truly disappointing. The reason why I think lots of people hype up Peters' and especially their Burnt Almond Cake is because the custard frosting is amazing. They try the cake for the first time, get a mouthful of the amazing frosting and instantly fall in love. But the more times you have the cake, the more you feel like you're eating a dry biscuit that's covered in decadent frosting. It's a weird feeling. The Burnt Almond Cake is accessible, since it's available year-round, so most people will try the it before the Strawberry Ring, which I think is a mistake.Some other gripes with Peters' - it's always super busy, so you're going to have to wait in a long line, whether you pre-ordered a cake or not. If you do decide to walk in, many of the more popular items will be sold out, unless you go right in the morning. To this day, I've never tried one of their famous Portuguese Tarts (they are a Portuguese bakery after all). Another negative is the location. It's located on the busy intersection of White and Alum Rock, and there's not much parking out front. Often times you'll have to park in the sketchy lot in the back, then take the walk of shame around the block to get into the bakery.OK, enough hating, because I think Peters' is still a great bakery. The prices are amazing here; it costs like $24 for a full sized cake, which is a super affordable in these trying times. Another awesome perk is that they do custom cake writing right on the spot. Whenever you pick up or order a full sized cake, they ask you if you want any writing on it. This is great if you're celebrating a birthday or holiday, or any other special occasion. Another cool thing is that they sell the San Jose edition of Monopoly in the store, which they themselves are featured in. Plus they give you plastic cake cutters for free!Looking back, I think Peters' is great. Their Strawberry ring is godlike, no, scratch that, it's LORDLIKE. Unfortunately, since I've been coming here so much over the years, I'm starting to see the flaws in their cakes, like the Burnt Almond Cake. Nevertheless, I will still be a loyal customer to this local San Jose classic.

Delicious cakes. My favorite is the traditional burnt almond but I have ordered the Shirley cake, Mexican wedding cookies and butterfly sugar cookies. All were tasty!

The only place to get the beloved Burnt Almond Cake! LOVE. The bakery is a beautiful time capsule, with pastry cases full of treats and cakes. The service here is quick and the employees are always kind and happy to help you. I love that they tie up the cake boxes with string, it's a nice touch. Parking can be a little difficult here if you're trying to park on the street outside. I would recommend trying that first, and if there is no parking there, just turn right once you past the bakery to pull into a little parking lot. Our favorite thing to get is the traditional burnt almond cake, it is the best!

I had once seen a line down the block for Peter's Bakery with people waiting in the rain, so I was very curious to check it out. We visited on a Friday evening, right before closing time, so thankfully we didn't have to wait outside at all. The interior was on the smaller side, with an old school vibe and some seasonal decor. They were sold out of half the items, which we expected that late in the day. My sister and I got the Pumpkin Burnt Almond Square to share. I don't usually go crazy for cake, but I'd heard the "burnt almond" items were their claim to fame. It really was delicious! The cake square was super moist, and not not too heavy. The pumpkin flavor was barely there, but we didn't care since it was more about the almonds. The portion size was perfect for sharing, as well. Overall, I can understand the hype!