Lisa Petty
Audio By Carbonatix
Dazzle your friends and delight your neighbors. Level up Aunt Sally’s soggy pie and finally leave your mother speechless. We’ve discovered the source for some really special bring-alongs for upcoming fall and holiday — and, just like the treats themselves, it’s hidden in plain sight.
RT Bakery & Cafe (3964 State Hwy 121, Suite 250, in Lewisville) is less than a year old and is independently owned by the husband-and-wife team of Tatyana Romanova and Rajesh Awasthi. Hardly what you’d expect from the surrounding suburban shopping center vibes, the spot is appointed in plush, Art Deco-inspired green and gold, and it serves up desserts just as stylish as the decor.
“I took many courses and some masterclasses, learning about different types of cakes, pastries and baked goods,” says Romanova, who came to the U.S. from her native Russia two decades ago. While raising kids and adulting and such, she followed her passion for pastry through self-guided training. Finally, spurred on by her husband, she took the plunge into business ownership.
“He told me that when I was baking, my eyes were glowing, but I didn’t want to just bake at home anymore. I was thinking, like, I want to be bigger. Basically, he believed in me, and we opened the bakery,” she says.
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The selection is European-style and made with high-end ingredients. Flavors are less one-note sweet and more gourmet, layered and complex. For example, Noisette cakes are studded with whole hazelnuts and draped in dark chocolate ganache; key lime tarts are topped with snow-white meringue spheres and a “strawberry veil.” The coolest of Romanova’s creations, however, and what caught our eye from the start, are the fruit illusion cakes.
“Right now, it’s kind of a viral dessert,” says Romanova. Starting with a request, she tried her hand at her first illusion mousse cake, and now the selection has expanded to include lemons, mangos, blueberries, pears and raspberries. They’re picture-perfect, just like something out of that Netflix show (but way more appetizing than biting into a snake or a rubber duck). Each features flavors reflecting its shape, with some — like pear and blue cheese — adding a bit of the baker’s Euro-gourmet flair. Just imagine the “oohs” and “aahs” around the table when you present these pretty babies on a platter at your next family dinner or friend group potluck.
RT Bakery & Cafe’s fruit mousse illusion cakes and fancy tarts can be purchased individually ($7.50 and up) or pre-ordered in multiples. Whole cakes are also available, both traditional birthday-type and artistic centerpieces ($65 and up). Call ahead to discuss size, shape, and flavor options. Seeking something savory? The bakery also offers handmade croissants ($4.50) and sourdough loaves ($9.25), both decorated with small cutout leaves for the fall season. There are also usually a few other surprises in store.
“There’s endless opportunity to learn new things. I always have something new for my customers,” she says. You’ll never know what you might find.
RT Bakery and Cafe, 3964 State Hwy 121, Suite 250, Lewisville; Monday Closed; Tuesday – Saturday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
