Signature Series: Campus Bakeshops

Be it a classic chocolate chip cookie, a mascot-shaped treat or a decadent cupcake, a treat baked on campus can satisfy students' yearning for something sweet. But what are those signature bakery items that would cause a riot if they were taken off the menu? The first in what will be a series of Snapshots looking at signature items, FSD spoke to four university bakeshops to find out more about what makes these items a staple of the campus community.

Buffeos

The University of Colorado, Boulder, bakeshop shows its school spirit by making these Oreo-style cookies in the shape of its mascot, the buffalo.

"We offer these at our retail bakeshop," says Jim Okerson, executive pastry chef. "Basically we make a chocolate shortbread and we cut it into a buffalo shape. We bake it and then fill it with a cream cheese, whipped cream, vanilla and marshmallow. It’s small treat, but it’s quite popular. We sell probably a dozen a day." 

See Buffeos Recipe

C4C Cheesecake

Cheesecake is another well-known item at UC-Boulder, says Okerson.

"We've been making cheesecakes forever, but now that we have the retail bakeshop at the [Center for Community], their popularity has grown even more," Okerson says. "The cheesecake is made from scratch using classic ingredients. All the good stuff. We make our own graham cracker crust. We also make a really nice black-bottom cheesecake for retail."  

See C4C Cheesecake Recipe

Vegan Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Treats

A big trend at UC-Boulder is the demand for vegan items. These Vegan Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Treats are Okerson's answer to that demand. The treats feature brown Brown Rice Krispies, peanut butter and chocolate. 

See Vegan Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Treats Recipe

Banana Peanut Butter Elvis Cake

A new item for the UC-Boulder bakeshop is this Banana Peanut Butter Elvis Cake, which became popular when it was introduced last school year. The cake features banana purée, chocolate and peanut butter.

See Banana Peanut Butter Elvis Cake Recipe 

Carmelitas Bar

Though they may be best known as the place where Rice Krispies were invented, Iowa State University has other items that keep customers coming back for more such as these Carmelitas Bars.

"We’ve tweaked that recipe over time,"  says Mark Weber, bakery manager. "It used to be a pretty involved recipe with six or seven steps. You make the base material out of oatmeal, brown sugar, margarine and flour and then press that into the bottom of the pan. Then, originally, we’d have layers of butterscotch, chocolate chips and walnuts on top, another layer of the base and then caramel drizzle on top. We’ve kind of combined and eliminated some of those steps. The end result is the same. We just tightened up the process."

See Carmelitas Bar Recipe

Buttermilk Brownies

When asked what item Iowa State could NEVER take off the menu, these Buttermilk Brownies are at the top of the list, according to Weber.

"I’ve been with the department for almost 35 years and it’s the same recipe," Weber says. "It’s kind of like a West Texas brownie, real light and made with buttermilk in the batter and the icing."

Weber says the bakeshop makes a lot of these brownies for football games, as well as for the residential dining halls and cafés.

"We probably make them, when we are really busy, three times a week," Weber says. "They are available every day somewhere on campus."

See Buttermilk Brownies Recipe

S'Mores Cupcake

At Brown University, in Providence, R.I., the bakeshop's newest trend is one that is quickly becomeing a signature item: cupcakes.

"We’ve got some cupcakes that we’re really proud of that the students really love," says Christina Smith, bakeshop production manager. "Our S’Mores cupcakes are especially popular. They have a graham cracker crust and are sprinkled with marshmallows and chocolate chips. We pour cake batter over that and then bake them. Then we frost them with a meringue and we torch it and top it with a piece of a Hershey candy bar."

Other popular cupcake flavors at Brown include triple chocolate and piña colada, which is frosted with a swiss mereingue buttercream. 

Also new for this school year is a whoopie pie bar, says Smith. Students will be able to choose from several flavors of cake and fillings.

"We’re going to do chocolate, vanilla and pumpkin cakes," Smith says. "Then the fillings are going to be traditional, chocolate cherry, mint, coconut and a cream cheese. We’re hoping to offer that the third or fourth week of school." 

See S'Mores Cupcake RecipeMagic Bar

Despite cupcakes' popularity at Brown, the No. 1 dessert is one that has been around forever, according to Smith: the magic bar. 

"Whenever those are on the menu, everybody’s happy," Smith says. "It’s a layered bar with a graham cracker crust, coconut, chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk, which is what makes it so gooey. I think that's what [the students] like about it. When people come back after graduation, the magic bar is something they remember." Focaccia

Another signature item for Brown is the bakeshop's focaccia.

"Everyone loves it!" Smith says. "It is served every Friday so we call it "Focaccia Friday."S'Mores on a Stick

Since dining services took over the concessions at the football stadium at University of California, Berkeley, Executive Pastry Chef Bob Reich has been working on desserts that could be portable at the stadium. These s'mores on a stick are his newest creation, which he hopes catches on as a signature item for the stadium.Cinnamon Rolls

The true signature item from the Cal bakeshop are these cinnamon rolls, says Reich. The recipe is a classic one, but Reich says what makes the difference is the fact that he makes his own brioche dough from scratch.

"We also make the brown butter icing on top from scratch," Reich says. "I do the rolls in two sizes. We serve them at brunch on the weekends and then we do a jumbo size that we distribute to to campus restaurants. The rolls sell out all the time."

See Cinnamon Rolls Recipe