Aug 10, 2017

Photos and text by Barbara Haddock Taylor

: Claudette Wilson, co-owner, uses a knife and a measuring stick to cut peach cakes into precise sizes at Fenwick Bakery. Mrs. Wilson has been working at the bakery since 1956. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: A tray of sliced peaches from Susquehanna Orchards of Delta, PA, are ready to be placed on peach cakes at Fenwick Bakery, which has been making Baltimore peach cakes for many decades. The bakery uses over a thousand pounds of peaches each week to make the cakes. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: Ole Olson, right, and his granddaughter Laney Schollaert, 8, left, (both of Baltimore) walk out carrying peach cakes at Fenwick Bakery. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: Ole Olson, left, and his granddaughter Laney Schollaert, 8, right (both of Baltimore) pay for their peach cake at Fenwick Bakery. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: Claudette Wilson, co-owner, places a tray of peach cakes into a rack at Fenwick Bakery. Mrs. Wilson has been working at the bakery since 1956. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: Claudette Wilson, co-owner, uses a knife and a measuring stick to cut peach cakes into precise sizes at Fenwick Bakery. Mrs. Wilson has been working at the bakery since 1956. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: Nick Schauman of Ocean City carries bags of peach buns and cakes, which he will share with his customers of DS Pipe and Steel. He said he buys peach cakes every year at Fenwick Bakery, because they are the “best in Baltimore.” Fenwick has been making Baltimore peach cakes for many decades. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: A peach cake shares display case space with donuts and other baked goodies at Fenwick Bakery. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: Michael “Al” Meckel, co-owner, places sheets of dough on trays at Fenwick Bakery. The dough will be covered with peaches and made into the bakery’s traditional Baltimore summer treat, the Baltimore peach cake. Mr. Meckel has been working at the bakery for 38 years. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: Michael “Al” Meckel, co-owner, arranges peaches on a sheet of dough on a tray at Fenwick Bakery. The dough will be covered with peaches and made into the bakery’s traditional Baltimore summer treat, the Baltimore peach cake. Mr. Meckel has been working at the bakery for 38 years. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: Pat Ozborn of Baltimore contemplates other baked goods as her peach cakes sit on the counter at Fenwick Bakery. Ms. Ozborn is taking the cakes to a party in New Jersey. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: Claudette Wilson, co-owner, pauses for a moment between racks of peach cakes at Fenwick Bakery. Mrs. Wilson has been working at the bakery since 1956. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: Michael “Al” Meckel, co-owner, arranges peaches on a sheet of dough on a tray at Fenwick Bakery. The dough will be covered with peaches and made into the bakery’s traditional Baltimore summer treat, the Baltimore peach cake. Mr. Meckel has been working at the bakery for 38 years. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: Julia Stottlemyer, left, a clerk at Fenwick Bakery for two years, waits as customers Joan Bonnett and her daughter Emily Bonnett, 13, look at their options in the display case. (They bought peach cakes for a family birthday party. ) The bakery has been making Baltimore peach cakes for many decades. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: Julia Stottlemyer, a clerk at Fenwick Bakery for two years, places peach buns in a box for a customer. The bakery has been making Baltimore peach cakes for many decades. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: Michael “Al” Meckel, left, co-owner, and baker apprentice Jeremy Collins, right, confer during peach cake making at Fenwick Bakery, which has been making Baltimore peach cakes for many decades. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: Peaches from Susquehanna Orchards of Delta, PA, await their fate at Fenwick Bakery, which has been making Baltimore peach cakes for many decades. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: Boxes containing peach buns await pickup by customer Nick Schauman of Ocean City, who buys them every year at Fenwick Bakery. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: Claudette Wilson, co-owner, sneaks a bite of peach as she makes peach cakes at Fenwick Bakery. Mrs. Wilson has been working at the bakery since 1956. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

When summer peaches are at their peak, Fenwick Bakery in Parkville is, too.
During July, August and early September, the bakery slices up to 1500 pounds of ripe peaches per week from Susquehanna Orchards in Delta, PA, for their famous Baltimore Peach Cakes. The cakes (and peach buns as well) have been a local favorite for much of the bakery’s 104 year history.
Bakery employees, many of whom have worked there for decades, mix a yeast batter, raise the dough, roll it into sheets and cover it with fresh-sliced, skin-on peaches. After some time in a hot oven, the cakes are set out to cool. When a customer arrives to pick them up, handfuls of brown sugar are sprinkled on top at the last minute, so that the cake won’t get soggy.
On a busy summer Saturday, the bakery sells anywhere from 24 to 30 sheet pans of the peach cake, for which customers often wait in long lines. JoAnn Airey of Parkville, who bought 3 cakes one morning, summed up the feelings of many of her fellow customers when she said “I’ve had peach cake for many years from many bakeries. Nobody does it like Fenwick.”

One Comment

Donna
Aug 10, 2017 @ 21:26:55

My brother paul lived across the street and was there first thing every morning. Sadly last week he passed but he loved fenwick and all his lady friends and his cheese danish

Baltimore Peach Cake at the Fenwick Bakery

One Comment

Leave a Reply Cancel