Marita’s Sweet Potato Pie

Marita’s Sweet Potato Pie is found off of 880 in San Lorenzo. Marita’s is located in an outdoor small shopping center. The shared lot is pretty large but the lot is usually packed with narrow parking spots. There is also street parking available. Marita’s accepts Credit Cards.
Marita’s is more than just Sweet Potato Pies which also offer various desserts, cupcakes and cakes such as Butter Pound, Lemon Pound, 7-​Up, Sock It To Me, Butter Cream, Yellow Chocolate, Red Velvet, Strawberry, Blue Velvet, Chocolate White, Chocolate Chocolate, Coconut, German Chocolate, Pineapple Coconut, Lemon, Carrot, Sweet Potato, Carmel, Cobblers, Banana Pudding, and Pecan. Their Red Velvet is pretty popular but unique flavor here not seen to often at other shops was the Blue Velvet Cake. I only seen this flavor while at Milk LA but definitely a first in the Bay Area.
The display cases have all the desserts, cake slices, and full size cakes. If you need a cake and do not see it out then just talk to the worker. The worker was pretty flexible with the customer before me and was able to complete his order. Marita’s bakes everything on site.
Marita’s cake slices are simple and straight to the point. No fancy designs or wasted money spent on presentation. Each slice is about $ 3.75 and a very generous slice. I cannot finish this slice in one sitting, which I saved for later and or shared easily with others. Each slice has a top and middle layer of icing.
I tried Marita’s Carrot Cake. The cream cheese icing was very good, just sweet enough and had good consistency. The cake was very moist and flavorful. FYI for anyone with Nut allergies but wants Carrot Cake then you came to the right place because Marita’s does not use Almonds or any other nuts in their Carrot Cake. I am allergic to a lot of nuts so this was perfect.
I am definitely a fan and look forward to trying their other cakes. No matter your desired flavor Marita’s has you covered with their wide range of cakes and desserts. If you are in need of cake or desserts then I come by and check out Marita’s Sweet Potato Pie.

Awesome Red Velvet cake & cupcakes. Hands down one of the best I’ve tried. They have lots of other desserts. I had the Sweet potato cupcake & that was really good also.

when we tasted the moist, scrumptious red velvet cake my neighbor brought over, i immediately asked where she got it. it tasted so much like the marita’s that was right around the corner. to our delight, she said «marita’s back in hayward!» we couldn’t be happier and will not hesitate to make the drive across town for some yummy dessert. :)

Great location! Yummy cake! Slices at $ 3.75 and whole cakes $ 20s and up. My first time there ever. I had a red velvet (amazing!!) and the strawberry and cream (lightly flavored not moist as the red velvet). I shall definitely return back!

My boss brought in a red velvet cake for the office and wow, I mean people at work have been raving about this place, but this was hands down the best red velvet cake I have ever had. Perfect amount of delicious cream cheese frosting too! I can’t wait to try more of their treats!

My sister came home with a bunch of desserts like a huge red velvet cupcake, blue velvet cake, pound cake and banana cream pudding. I had to know where she got them and of course, the label said Marita’s. All three cakes are super moist & flavorful. The banana cream pudding would satisfy any craving for something banana-​flavored. It’s super creamy, too.
This is the only place in the Bay Area that I know has blue velvet even close to MILK LA. The only thing it is missing is the blueberries. Aside from that, it’s perfect. The cream cheese frosting is the right amount of sweet.
When I saw the pricing, I honestly couldn’t believe it because of the quality of it. $ 3.50 for a cupcake the size of my hand? Y e s.
If you have a sweet tooth or craving for sweets, come here!

I cannot even describe the joy that went through my mind when I found out that the Sweet Potato Pie Company was back in my hood! I was a huge fan of the San Leandro location years back and it was a staple on the menu for Christmas dessert and was always my go-​to spot for any reason (I only need the slightest excuse for red velvet cake!) So finding them back in San Lo was the bees knees. I have already been there multiple times– buying cakes for friend’s birthdays, cupcakes for babysitting bribes, and the list goes on.
Last weekend, we had a huge party (approx. 100 people). I don’t know why I didn’t think in advance to order a full-​sheet cake but leave it to me! I show up about 3hrs before the party and order a full sheet-​cake. Turns out they do not just have these things «on hand». But Jamal (I think that was his name) was incredibly kind and helpful! He told me he would have the cake ready for me in an hour. How amazing is that? And he even helped me carry it to the car. Everyone LOVED the cake, it was a hit and seriously, just the presentation of the simple creamy, stark white frosting on the rich, luscious crimson red cake is breathtaking! (Did I mention how much I love cake?) Seriously, if there was a way for me to shout from the rooftops that this place is the
— I would!!! I guess a 5-​star Unilocal review is as close as I will get.
These cakes should come with a warning sign on them. Eat Red Velvet cake from here… you will be hooked for life! :)

Saturday was coming to an end and I was having a serious sweets craving. Checked out Unilocal and this was the only bakery open, til 7pm. I had 30 minutes to get there before it closed. Luckily I found parking right in front, like it was meant to be. I was happy to see a almost fully stocked selection of a variety of cakes. Slices are $ 3.75 each so I splurged. Tried red velvet, strawberry and cream, chocolate on chocolate and yellow with chocolate. The man who helped me out was friendly. Easy checkout with a credit card.
The cake review:
Satisfied my sweet tooth for sure! My family took turns sampling the flavors. You can tell by the photo what the favorite was. Strawberry and cream won! Very moist and flavorful. Right amount of frosting. Red velvet was a close second. I was disappointed with the chocolate and yellow cake flavors. They didn’t really have much of a flavor compared to the tasty velvet and strawberry.
But we will be back! Very convenient hours and packaging.

Came in on a whim with a craving for dessert, picked up a couple slices of cake to dine on later and surprised to see the assortment of cakes and numerous desserts to choose from. Very friendly and willing to help and serve you as you come in. The prices are generous and the price per slice and whole cakes come at a flat price regardless of flavor. Opted for a pineapple coconut flavor and blue velvet cake. Very delicious and moist. Looks like the cakes are baked fresh daily for all to enjoy. Nice to see they offered a good assortment of cakes to go along with their sweet potato concept. Big plus is they’re close to my home so I can pop in whenever I crave a slice.

I loved Marita’s when they were in San Leandro and was so sad when they closed that location. That being said, I was stoked when I saw them setting up shop in San Lorenzo! I was hoping that they would have the same quality as before in this new location and I wasn’t disappointed!
Prices are good here– less than $ 4 for a super huge cupcake! I loved their red velvet before and I got it again and it’s wonderful– cake is moist and soft and the cream cheese frosting is awesome too. It’s the same price as most of those fancy schmancy cupcake places for a quality cupcake that’s about double the size! They’ve got a good selection of other cakes/​pies and sell by the slice or whole, etc… lot of options!
This place is definitely no frills though– not much for atmosphere, the guy behind the counter wasn’t engaging and didn’t seem excited to be there, and these cupcakes aren’t all fancy frosted/​decorated. But if you’re looking for a sugar fix, don’t want to break the bank, and want a solid cake, this is your place!

This place is known for their red velvet cake but since i’m not a fan, decided to try the following bundt cake flavors:
* coconut/​pineapple cake
* sock-​it-​to-​me cake (white cake with a cinnamon swirled in it)
* 7 up cake — yellow cake with… um 7 up!
Ordered the sock it to me cake and it was delicious… actually, picked up 2 which the nice gentleman made one quickly since there was only 1 available in the fridge case… it was moist, fluffy, with a hint of cinnamon. Definitely worth getting!
Also purchased slices of the coconut/​pineapple cake it was a slice of Hawaii! Moist, not overly sweet with coconut flakes and crushed pineapple in between… the 7up cake was simple and okay… its like going to an ice cream store with lots of flavors but just getting vanilla… not that its a bad thing but try the other flavors first!
All cakes are ready made or sliced and stored in the refrigerated case… initially (yes, i’ll be honest), i though «hmm…how long have these been sitting here» but was pleasantly surprised how fresh they were… and i’ve been here twice in the last month! Nothing fancy with the decorating and ‘rustically’ iced so it looks homemade… if you want to cheat, you can almost tell your friends you made it and get the «oohs and ahhs» for it.
They accept credit cards and have party items for your convenience (tablecloths, décor, napkins… etc)
Will definitely return… located on Hesperian in «not-​so-​fancy» strip mall

Sweet baby Jesus!
These treats are definitely sweet, tasty and super moist.
I stopped by a few weeks ago because I read a review from my girl Tiffany D who wrote so highly about this place.
Boy I’m so glad I got to taste the creations of these flavorful, soulful and satisfying goodies and I will be back for more.
My goal is to sample everything here… probably shouldn’t have admitted that…
Cliff notes:
— Sock it to me, blue velvet and German chocolate are incredible.
— Plenty of parking.
— Accepts cc and cash.
— Friendly service.

Kara’s Cupcakes, this is not. However, for $ 3.50 or $ 3.75, you get a Costco sized cupcake that is like a throwback to what cupcakes use to be like before all these «gourmet» ones entered the scene. It isn’t anything fancy so do not expect something that is too pretty to eat, which is probably a good thing. But if you want a moist red velvet or sweet potato cupcake with good olé cream cheese frosting that is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth without breaking the bank, Marita’s is the place to be. We finally stopped by and picked up a few to try, the red velvet cupcake with pecan frosting, sweet potato cupcake, and slice of German Chocolate Cake.
The cream cheese frosting is a bit sweet for me so I did have to take some off but the cake was moist and delicious especially the red velvet. It isn’t as dense as Nothing Bundt Cake but if you liked those, you should like Marita’s.

First a disclaimer:
I am not a big fan of sweet potato pies as I don’t like things too sweet so I am not the best judge. I did opt for the sweet potato pie since that is their signature dessert. I will try red velvet next time. As to the pie yes it has a a good sweet potato taste and it was sweet. The crust tastes pretty good, I think it was that buttery taste.
It would really help if they had some samples. Serioisly, if you want people to try and buy your cakes have some samples. The guy working there wasn’t the most engaging person so really didn’t want to spend too much time there.

Oh My Goodness, I was such a sad man when Marita’s moved out of San Leandro and moved to Richmond! I had a silly tradition of always going to Marita’s after visiting my dentist on Bancroft Ave. I would reward myself for having no cavities by buying me some Red Velvet Cake and/​or Sweet Potato Pie from Marita’s! I am so ecstatic to know that they are in San Lorenzo because I can see them often now!
When I walked into their store, I noticed that their display cases looked like they did in Richmond. All their baked goods were packaged and ready to go. Nothing pretty or fancy about the shop itself. Seemed that they still made all the same desserts that they had back when they were located in San Leandro. Did not notice anything new in the display cases (except for a Blue Velvet Cake). I’ve tried just about everything with the exception of their German Chocolate cake. I mean, who goes to Marita’s Sweet Potato Pie Co. to purchase only German Chocolate Cake? You need to try their Sweet Potato Pie and/​or Red Velvet Cake in order to make an informative review because that is what they are known for! Just sayin!
From previous visits in their former locations, I have found my favorite baked goods from them. Was really hoping that I would not be disappointed with this new location. Happy to say that neither myself nor the rest of the family need not fear. Everything tasted as good as we remembered them to be!
Personally, the following our my Top 3 favorites:
Sweet Potato Cupcake
Red Velvet Cupcake
Red Velvet Cupcake with Pecans
Each of these cupcakes are about the size of a Costco Muffin! They do NOT make the regular size cupcakes that one purchases at fancy gourmet bakeries! The $ 3.75 price makes these goodies even better! These cupcakes are so moist and pair perfectly with the frosting which I believe is cream cheese! Some people may think that it is too sweet or too much icing, but I think it is all so perfect!
Thank you very much Marita’s for moving to San Lorenzo! I look forward to renewing my tradition of stopping by to reward myself after a visit to the dentist! ;)

I’m a Fluffy type of guy. I love Cakes all kinds and any kinds LOL. I was bummed out when Maritas Sweet Potato Pie moved out of San Leandro and moved to Richmond. But they have since closed their Richmond Operation down and moved to San Lorenzo. Welcome back !!!
I had just gotten my Fried Chicken fix at Popeye’s so I rolled to Maritas new San Lorenzo location. There’s plenty of parking as they are located in an older Strip mall. I parked right in front and rolled in. The store has a lot of space. They also Bake all their products there. They start baking at 4am .
They are Open Monday– Saturday 8am — 7pm and Sunday 10am — 5 pm.
Maritas is known for their Red Velvet Cakes and they are Tasty !!! Yum, Yum.
They also make — Butter Pound Bundt
Lemon Pound Bundt
7-​Up Bundt
Sock It To Me Bundt
Butter Cream
Yellow Chocolate
Chocolate White
Chocolate Chocolate
Coconut
German Chocolate
Pineapple Coconut
Carrot
German Chocolate with Chocolate Icing.
Sweet Potato Cake
Carmel Cake
Cobblers
Banana Pudding
Sweet Potato Pie
Pecan Pie
They also make Red Velvet and Sweet Potato Cupcakes.
I purchased a Red Velvet and German Chocolate Cake Slices for $ 3.75 a slice.
I ate the German Chocolate Slice right away and it was Yummy !!
I left when my Ankle Bracelet went off lol.
Ill be back !!!

Marita’s Sweet Potato Pie started over 21 years ago by William Brown but it originally started as Bishop Pies until he met and fell in love with his now wife Marita and named the bakery after her. They are two of the sweetest people I’ve ever met and you could tell that they loved what they do which was baking all these delectable cakes and pies that people travel miles for.
I have been coming to Marita’s for roughly 8 – 9 years from their location in San Leandro, when they moved to Hilltop Mall in Richmond and now their current location in San Lorenzo. I have always supported this bakery and had no probably driving 30 – 40 minutes out of my way because it’s always been worth it. While their name is Marita’s Sweet Potato Pie you would think that they are most famous and known for sweet potato pie (which I’ve never tried by the way) but they really are «Home of the best Red Velvet Cake ever» and I tell everyone this.
They offer many different varieties of cakes which can be purchased/​ordered as whole cakes or by the slice and they have just about every flavor such as: Butter Cream, German Chocolate, Coconut, Sock-​It-​To-​Me, 7-​up Pound Cake, Sweet Potato Pound Cake, Red Velvet, Blue Velvet and I can literally go on. They also offer other desserts such as Banana Pudding, Peach Cobbler, Bread Pudding, Sweet Potato Pie and Pecan Pie. They also make HUGE cupcakes in various flavors as well.
The Red Velvet Cake, Cupcakes and loaf cake is just out of this world, so moist and flavorful and frosted with the best and thickest cream cheese frosting I have ever had. I also compare other Red Velvet Cupcakes to Marita’s but there honestly is no comparison whatsoever. They are just that good! I’ve tried many of their other cakes and I will say their Butter Cream cake is also very good, it’s really moist and sweet. Everything I’ve tried here I have liked as far as their cakes and cupcakes go, I’ve never really steered away from that. The pricing here is not bad, it’s actually cheaper than a lot of other bakeries in the Bay Area. The cupcakes will run you $ 3-​$ 3.50 but are twice the size of normal cupcakes, slices are $ 3-​$ 3.75 and whole cakes/​pies range from $ 17-​$ 50 depending on the type and how many layers and things like that. I definitely recommend this place to anybody looking for some yummy cakes and desserts for anytime and during the holidays.

Marita’s Sweet Potato Pie just has whole cakes (27.75) and cake slices (3.75) in the display case.
store is small, just 2 tables for sit down, some cabinets still empty.
single associate on premises, working in the kitchen.
buys: german chocolate slice (3.75)
–main ingredient sugar, then flour. chocolate is last as an afterthought.
–moist cake, sugared up topping, doubt it had much chocolate.
crumbs:
–located in same commercial strip as quickly, sisi’s hong kong café,
numbering jumps here. marita’s near the end of strip near laundromat
*lots of parking in lot…

Time: 3:52pm/62°F sunny
Purpose: Try Marita’s when they were in Richmond. Word got out another b&m location. Wondering if I can fit them in my schedule.
Ambiance: New location seems like everything was transfer over from the former. Place has burgundy trimming with off white paint. Total capacity is eight with two tables. Rest of place a gunball machine, beverage fridge, ice cream freezer, two cold display case, and counter. Inner back all kitchen production area with cut out window. Panel menu board overhead with picture strips of Americas favorite and traditional desserts. No radio, TV, Wi-​Fi or some kind of entertainment. You sit there quietly and eat while you watch workers. Kinda boring.
Staff: A man about mid 50s speaking Arabic. Got me confused now. The ad board showing the founders a Filipino and black couple. Unless business had been sold to him, I’ll never know. Didn’t ask and it wasn’t my business to know. He was pretty funny cracking jokes to other customers. He knows his stuff and will answer anyway he possibly can. I ask for samples, but he said they don’t sample any of their goods. So, I decided on pudding than cake. Have been eating too much sugar so pass on cake slice.
Cleanliness: Grade A, clean place everything looks good. Most items are box in see through containers, tubs, or wrapped in plastic. Table and counter spotless.
Eats/​Drinks: Small banana pudding $ 3.99 tasted like Jell-​O DIY pudding mix. I mean you’ll get the quantity near a pound worth. The vanilla wafers weren’t crispy as it was soggy from moisture of pudding. Wish they hand over wafers when you order. No fun eating moisture absorbed cookies as I happen to like my cookie somewhat crispy. Especially paying top bucks for it, could’ve done it myself at home. That’s all not putting anymore effort in to this review. Nothing wow me or knock my socks off.
Main Features: 9′-5’inch sweet potato pie, red velvet cake.
Products/​Services: Menu on posted picture, assorted cold drinks/​juices, gumball machine, ice cream (soon), 24hr notice for cake deco $ 7 charge, 50% deposit for all orders, 100% deposit for all shipped orders, find them on FB, accept all major CC’s.
Punch Lines: Seats are minimal, strip mall, kitschy décor, grab n’ go, no samples, warm service, drool-​worthy, nothing special, huge portions, kept its standards, that special occasion, calm vibe, can’t go wrong, modest cost, easy parking.
Tradeoffs: Charges that homemade price, but everything is just so standard basic run of the mill look.
Final Thoughts: Just a American bakery that kept its standards the traditional way, but will go a little over with extra cost. Anything is possible here. This would be the ideal bakery if you have last minute decision to make like having guest over. It looks like no recipe has been alter as it just kept it the basic old fashion way. By comparison to other bakeries this one is more geared towards to the 50s or older crowd. Basically their childhood sweets is replicated here. Like I said, its alright nothing special to the point that’ll make me return over and over. Silver lining at least their doors are open during listed hours that the Richmond location.

OMG this is like the baker version of ‘Where’s Waldo” instead it is «Where’s Jamal?» After sifting through reviews and pictures from old locations (Richmond, CA) a wise Unilocaler left a picture trail and pointed me to the right direction. I can’t even tell you folks how relived I am to find out that they opened a new location closer to home. I thought something really bad happened to Jamal and the recipe disappeared with him forever– yes! Marita is still the face of the company– truth be told Jamal is the wonder baker from the get– seeing Jamal again is like seeing an old friend– we gave each other a proper hug– and he iced an amazing red velvet cake just for me. Folks– I kid you not. i mourned then I found him again! Super excited to have Jamal’s baked goods again, super excited to know the recipe lives on! Jamal don’t you ever take your cakes away from me again!