New, Black-Owned Shop Fully Belly Bakery Will Bring Both Affordable and Extravagant Cakes to Oakland | Eater SF

"I'm excited that Eva Allen is opening her first permanent space in Oakland’s Montclair neighborhood on October 20, with a grand opening from 2 to 8 p.m. — a Black-owned, classic neighborhood bakery where Allen says, “Selfishly, my goal is to take over the dessert space.” The year-round cake lineup includes a five-flavor Gratification Collection and a three-flavor seasonal Indulgence Collection, plus an Extravagant Collection that showcases her passion projects; on opening that features a pistachio sponge layered with Moro blood orange curd, whipped Ambanja, and Madagascar-sourced chocolate ganache topped with edible 24K gold leaf (an eight-inch cake is $575). Pastries and breads complement the cakes—quick breads (banana, zucchini), savory and sweet tarts, cookies, chocolate truffles, gluten-free cheesecakes, scones, and a few weekend-only breads like a garlic pesto brioche roll (the buttery garlic rolls are expected to fly off the racks). Cakes are largely meant for pre-order, though slices and cake cups will be available, and Allen is pursuing a liquor license (if that doesn’t work out she may open another spot for Champagne and dessert). After the grand opening, hours will be Thursday–Saturday 11 a.m.–6 p.m. and Sundays 9 a.m.–2 p.m., and Allen has already been building neighborhood support by bringing sheet cakes, hosting giveaways, and coordinating weekend bread offerings with the farmers market." - Paolo Bicchieri