Dessert haul from AbbyCakes in Virginia Beach

Last December, Alberta “Abby” Keen had her PR rep tell her that she had opened AbbyCakes in Virginia Beach. I added it to my list and then forgot about it.

Later, as I drove along Indian River Road near Regent University, it dawned on me that I had not visited.

I walked into the diner on a Thursday afternoon with only one thing on my mind: dessert. The bakery offers cakes, cookies, pies and other treats. (The most popular items, according to Keen's husband, are the cinnamon rolls, German chocolate chip cookies and the strawberry millionaire cake.) I ordered whatever came to mind and headed home.

That evening, I treated myself to a slice of the two-layer almond cake ($5.25). It had the texture of a pound cake and the deliciousness of a wedding cake. The thin layer of frosting gave it just the right amount of sweetness that made it even more remarkable.

The next morning, I warmed up my cinnamon roll ($4.50) in the microwave for 20 seconds. It had dollops of cream cheese frosting on top and cinnamon-sugar strips caramelized inside. Two words: gooey and super delicious.

For an afternoon snack, I had the oatmeal raisin cookie ($2.25). It was perfectly round, but had a little height to it that gave it edges. I liked the crunchiness and the slight sweetness. I thought about it and smiled all day long.

My evening treats were equally comforting. The chocolate chip cookie ($2.25) was shaped like an oatmeal cookie. Countless pieces appeared on the surface, exciting my taste buds. I savored every chocolatey bite. I saw a dozen of them in my future.

The Key Lime Pie ($6.25) had a classic taste of creamy, lemony deliciousness. I liked the golden graham cracker crust as opposed to a traditional pie crust. The flavor brought back childhood memories of kindergarten when I would eat graham crackers and drink milk before taking a nap.

Don’t miss AbbyCakes.

Rekaya Gibson, 757-295-8809, [email protected]; on X, @gibsonrekaya

___

When you go

Where: 5660 Indian River Road, Virginia Beach

Hours: 10am to 5pm Wednesday to Friday, 10am to 4pm Saturday

Details: 757-962-0990; abbycakes757.com