The Butterwood Bake Consortium

Do you deserve some decadent elegance? Maybe some Victorian décor and huge slices of delicious cake? You are surely in the right place!
I love the concept of a late night dessert place, and I think the décor works perfectly. It’s similar to an elegant tea room, and a good place for conversation and fun.
I got the cinnamon rosemary cake with vanilla buttercream. It’s a little savory and just enough sweet. My friend got a blonde, which is like a vanilla brownie. I like that it’s served warm.
I’ve never experienced them running out of desserts, so perhaps they are planning better.
I like everything about this place, and I think you will, too.

Great atmosphere, friendly staff, and DELICIOUS treats! I took my daughter here and we had a great experience. We will be back!

When I lived in Queens, there was an adorable bakery called Martha’s that was open 6 am — 2 am, and it was perfect for the nights where you wanted to go out but not drink. Somehow I missed that Butterwood opened a few months ago, and I am sad it opened as I get ready to move out of Pittsburgh! Everyone needs a late night bakery in their life.
The atmosphere is amazing. There are Victorian couches and chairs, and the whole place has a cozy but intimate vibe. They only have 6 – 8 desserts to choose from so don’t expect to see walls of cakes here, but all of the options were unique. We decided to split a slice of the Lavender blackberry cake with vanilla buttercream, and while light in flavor, it was delicious. The cake was really moist, and the icing was not sickly sweet. At $ 6.49/slice, I thought it was super reasonable, considering the late hours and cute vibe. The other cakes looked awesome as well, and I would love to come back before I move.
Coming in on a Wednesday night at 8:30, my roommate and I were the only people here. By the time we left, three more parties had come in. Parking was super easy in this part of Lawrenceville, which was also nice. They accept credit as well, so there is no reason not to test it out.

My Dear Butterwood,
I’m still in love with you and think you have the most delicious cakes on this planet and the most adorable space in which to enjoy them. And one of your charms is the fact that you are open late, making you a great post-​date-​night spot to grab dessert and coffee. But Butterwood… don’t be open late if you keep running out of desserts before closing! The last four (count ‘em, FOUR) times I have been here after 9, your dessert case has been nearly wiped out (the last two times, in fact, it was literally *empty* save for one sad-​looking piece of honey bread). What’s the point of being open late if you consistently run out of desserts to offer your cake-​loving customers?! I would think by now you should be able to have a better idea of your customer flow (I’m no business whiz, but it’s painfully obvious to me as a frequent customer that you do not regularly keep sufficient quantities of desserts on hand to fulfill demand for an entire weekend day).
Now Butterwood, I’ll give you one more chance, both because I love you and because I think I might have a diagnosable cake addiction disorder. But if you expect me to continue to spend approximately 95% of my bi-​weekly paycheck on your cakes, I’m going to need you to start keeping your case stocked during ALL of the times that you are open. Otherwise, you might as well just close early and save us the trouble of making the trek only to be continually disappointed.
Still your biggest fan (for now),
Tricia

Can a bakery be sexy? You bet your sweet buttercream it can!
I ventured in here one night after a dinner date with my husband, and I fell in love. The Victorian style furniture, the soft candlelight, the decadent desserts… It’s all quite romantic.
We split a lovely pear tart and a huuuuge slice of chocolate cake with curry chocolate frosting. My husband also had an espresso that he quite enjoyed.
I love that they are open late so I can appease both my sweet tooth and my inner night owl. Everything was great and I absolutely don’t mind paying $ 6 for a large slice of delicious gourmet cake. We’ll be back for sure!

To say I’m so happy that Butterwood is in the neighborhood is an understatement. This cute little bakery is such a gem– the décor is adorable and the cakes are exactly how cake should taste! I’ve probably been here more than ten times in the last month! The cake selection rotates with interesting and thoughtful flavors, and they are not only beautiful but oh, so delicious. I cannot say enough wonderful things about this place!!!

I don’t know if I am just not used to Vegan desserts but I definitely have better chocolate cakes than this one. I am really disappointed on their chocolate cake, However, the almond muffin that’s served warm was pretty delicious.

As I’m sure you’ve read from other reviews that this place is pricey, the ever changing selection of sweet, decadent baked goods make up for it. The toddler got a vegan noir chocolate cake, which he devoured, and the MIL and I got a buttercream blood orange cake, which we ate in an unladylike fashion by scarfing down. No shame because the cake was gooood!

Love Love Love this place! The vintage décor is so charming. It invites you right in. They had a nice selection of desserts. I ate the Chocolate Cake with Strawberries and Buttercream. The cake was dense and chocolaty. The strawberries were fresh and the buttercream was light. It was very delicious. I wanted to try a little of all their creations. The young lady that helped us was delightful. I’ll be back with my friends.

I stopped by with two friends a couple of weeks ago on a Sat. evening. Given that we were looking to get together later in the evening for hot beverages or dessert, Butterwood fit the bill, so we headed over to L-​ville to check it out.
Because their specialty is clearly cake and there weren’t many other desserts in the case, we each ordered a slice of cake ($ 6 + tax each). Going against my usual adventurous streak when it comes to edibles, I decided to play it safe and stick with the chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream icing. The cake was velvety in texture, but not quite as most as I was hoping, and it was rather stiff on the iced side. As for the icing, it was definitely the best part of the cake – it was decadently creamy and rich, as buttercream should be.
My friends ordered the chocolate pistachio cake and the vanilla poppy seed cake, and I tried bites of both. The cake component of the chocolate pistachio seemed identical to my chocolate cake, but the icing was saltier than mine with a rather muted pistachio taste. The vanilla poppy seed was the most interesting of the bunch, consisting of yellow cake and tangy vanilla icing sprinkled generously with poppy seeds. As others have mentioned, the slices were rather large, such that neither of my friends entirely finished theirs (as usual, I unabashedly housed my entire slice, however).
If you visit and don’t see a cake that you’d enjoy, I’d recommend waiting a bit and checking back, given that the cakes seem to rotate. By the time that we left, all of the cakes that’d been available when we ordered had been replaced by different types of cakes (hello, Meyer lemon cake!). The atmosphere is quaint, making it an ideal setting in which to relax and catch up over dessert and/​or hot beverages. If you’re a night owl and/​or a fan of dessert, I definitely recommend checking it out – your inner Martha Stewart will definitely be pleased!

Is this place decadent? Yes. Is this place pricey? Yes. Is it worth it? Heck yeah it is!
I’m not a penny pincher by any means. I’m an impulse buyer, therefor I look at prices as I’m being rung up. The place is expensive, but I’m totally fine with paying the price for delicious, well made pastries. The slices of cake are MASSIVE. They don’t skimp on that. Plus, the ambiance alone is adorable. You feel like you’ve fallen down the rabbit hole and woken up in Wonderland at the Mad Hatter’s tea party. Only less crazy people (probably… depends on the company).
I tried the matcha cake, and it was fab… and I don’t even like matcha! But the green tea was very faint, and the buttercream was very rich, so it all blended together in an excellent fashion. Plus, I LOVE that they’re open late night. PERFECT spot for after dinner treats! This will definitely be a spot I will stop at regularly.

Came here late on a Saturday night after dinner at another place on Butler. It’s one of the only options for late night sweet treats. The décor is cute and I’m sure could be better appreciated during the day. There is ample space to sit, chat and enjoy the baked goods. The selection is pretty small, but understandable for a small establishment. I got the carrot spice mini cakes that had sugary icing. The cake itself is pretty mild. I thought it was a bit expensive, especially compared to other bakeries ($ 4.28). The cashier is a bit reserved… my friend commented that she is «not too friendly.»

In the wise words of Rhianna — cake cake cake cake cake cake! (And delicious coffee too!)
This place is my dream. Their décor is fabulous, very Parisian Victorian with some modern etsy kitsch. Super comfortable.
The staff is wonderfully friendly and welcoming… but really it’s the CAKE! I can’t believe I’m lucky enough to live in a neighborhood with this bakery!
The desserts I’ve tried so far have been luxurious and decadent. Olive oil fig cake with pistachio buttercream icing… butterscotch pudding… chocolate peanut butter cake… like nothing I’ve ever tasted.
I will happily continue to indulge in my new favorite Larryville spot.

I visited butterwood yesterday for the first time and really enjoyed my experience. The ambience is of a quant Victorian/​European style café and the décor is lovely. I particularly liked the seating arrangements in that there were several Parisian style metal café tables and chairs and then couches with tables in other areas.
My fiancé and I ordered the Parisian style hot chocolate, pot de crème, and a piece of olive oil cake with raspberry filing and salted vanilla buttercream. Everything we had was delicious but insanely decadent and we definitely over ordered. We would have been fine sharing 1 item but good to know for the future.
The items themselves were really very good but again it was a lot all at once. The hot chocolate was literally just like chocolate syrup and they give you steamed milk to add in. The pot de crème was so so dense and same with the cake. My fiancé joked that we might leave with diabetes after eating everything.
We paid ~$ 15 total which I think is a fair price considering the size of the items, how filling they were, and also because I believe they tend to use natural ingredients where they can. My only comment would be on the gal that took our order and brought us our items. She seemed to be a bit pretentious but I’ll chalk that up as her individual personality and not a ding against the business.

Just picked up a cake I ordered for my girlfriends birthday. It was supposed to be a white cake with a toasted buttercream icing, but it was the most odd cake I’ve ever had. Let’s start with the high points; the icing was AMAZING and it was decorated beautifully.
Now the low… As soon as we took our first bite we both said it tastes like shrimp. Yes, shrimp. I have no idea what in the world would make a cake taste like that, but it does… it’s inedible. It smells odd too and completely crumbles apart. I had such high hopes but was completely disappointed. I might try again in the future, but not anytime soon.

My friend and I have been passing Butterwood for weeks, each time tempted to try it out. Yesterday evening we were both craving something sweet, and finally met up here for dessert. It’s super cozy inside, furnished mostly in a Victorian style with plenty of seating options. It’s a nice alternative to a lot of bakeries that have no option to dine in. There was a decent selection of desserts available, as well as drinks from the espresso bar.
I chose the honey blackberry cake with vanilla buttercream. I don’t like super sweet icing, so I was happy to find that the filling was just right. The blackberry sauce on top and in the filling was tart and flavorful, and there were some fresh berries on top as well. The cake itself wasn’t bad, but seemed somewhat dried out. It was also nearly $ 7 which is a little steep – granted it was a large slice, and apparently they’re careful to only use all-​natural ingredients.
Overall a nice spot to grab dessert and a coffee, and a good alternative to cocktails at the bar. Always nice to see new spots opening up in the neighborhood!

The Butterwood Bake Consortium is a gem of a place and exactly the sort of spot Upper Lawrenceville was lacking. Only a year ago there weren’t any good places to grab coffee or tea and pastries past 52^nd street. With this covering desserts, coffee, and tea and the nearby B52 café, the area is lacking no longer.
I came here with a friend who had been wanting to try it with me. I arrived a bit earlier than she did and was greeted by the lovely woman behind the counter. I ordered a vegan blackberry vanilla cake and inquired about the tea options. She let me smell the different types of tea, and I chose the peppermint which I thought would be light enough to pair with the cake. The chestnut tea smelled excellent, and I will be back to try some with a dark chocolate dessert.
I sat at one of the Victorian garden style tables, and my order was brought out to me in under five minutes. The cake had been warmed up and the tea came with a little timer for steeping. Everything tasted delicious! By this time my friend had arrived and selected chocolate mouse and an espresso. She felt much the same about the quality of her dessert. I was offered more water for a second cup of tea, and we sat and chatted for over an hour as the place became progressively more full and lively. (There was even a book club!) I loved seeing how much people were enjoying themselves. Dessert here is going to be a regular occurrence!

Great quality and great concept! The Butterwood Bake Consortium has decorated the space nicely and would be the perfect venue for coffee, team, and sweets while catching up with a friend, holding a business meeting, or celebrating a success. It’s a great (and cute) alternative to your typical coffee shop or happy hour. My friends and I tried the pumpkin bread mini loaf, chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting, and pour over coffee. We enjoyed everything, and I’m looking forward to my next visit!
My one criticism (and the reason for four instead of five stars) is the lack of posted coffee menu paired with an employee’s pretentious attitude. The baked goods are all labeled, but there is no posted menu of their coffee/​tea/​drink options that I saw. This led my friend to ask for a regular coffee, to which the employee responded that they only offer a «regular espresso menu». I wouldn’t consider the definition of that to be common knowledge to the average customer. When my friend replied «drip coffee», the employee repeated that they only offer a regular espresso menu. My friend and I had to ask what the options were that would be similar to a drip coffee in order to be given some options. She never ran through the options and could have definitely handled our interaction in a less condescending manner. I’m sure employees get tired of running through the menu over and over, and think that a clear posting of the entire menu could easily avoid a repeat scenario!

Yum! I have only tried a handful of goodies from here and they were all very good! However, I think it’s the ambiance of the bakery that really does it for me. It is so pretty and romantic in there. The perfect spot to take a date to for a sweet treat after 10pm (they are open till 11pm). They even have vegan offerings!
I can’t say much for service because both times I was there it was empty and everyone working seem pleasant.

On today’s Lawrenceville cookie tour I made it a point to hike nearly 10 blocks from my car to find this place. It is very small and quaint. They have a relaxed seating area in the front with a few comfortable chairs and tables. In the back were all your dessert offerings.
I asked the person who waited on me what her recommendation was and she said everything. Well that leaves me with one option. Look and see what little is left and chances are I would get a winner. They are all priced at $ 6.00 but the slices are enormous!
I saw the cinnamon cake was gone so I opted for what they call the vanilla black sesame cake with chocolate buttercream. Never tried anything like that before but it’s different so I went with it.
The lady brought the slice to my table and it was to die for! Every bite you can taste the sesame seeds and it was very rich! I learned that take out is available as well and of course you can purchase whole cakes if you are inclined to do so. I really felt like I was eating a gigantic piece from one of the more popular chain restaurants. I was so stuffed from eating it that I was glad I had the 10 blocks to head back to my car to «burn» some of it off.
The cake shop is located near Allegheny Cemetery and it is easy to miss if you don’t check the house numbers. Next time I’ll get a box to take half of it home!