BellaCakes

Totally retro, how could this be? Cup cakes in Clinton. This Town is rocking, this is one more reason to visit Clinton, watch this space. Bella Cakes delivers, fresh, home made, all natural ingredients. Cakes, canolis, cup cakes, cookies and guess what — a plain old fashioned soda fountain menu complete with wire chairs and café tables with a view of the Museum of Russian Icons and the beautiful 19^th century brick Nypro factory. This is the place for a traditional ice cream sundae, a fancy birthday cake, and exotic flavored cup cake. Go Bella GO!!!

I met with the owner when I was looking for a place to purchase my wedding cake. First impression of her… rude. So she did not receive my business.

So wonderful to be able to get beautifully presented, delicious, lactose-​intolerant-​friendly cake without having to go to Boston. Kristen was very accommodating and great to work with.

As promised, we came back to BellaCakes to help us celebrate our one year anniversary yesterday. Kristen prepared us an absolutely lovely small cake (two layers of chocolate, two layers of red velvet). The cake was moist and flavorful. We couldn’t have been happier with this repeat experience.

Worst cupcakes I’ve ever had in my life. Bought the groupon for it and am so glad I didn’t pay full price! Would never return back.
We bought a dozen guiness cupcakes. The frosting tasted like pure butter and the cupcake tasted like a box of coco powder. The balance was horriable. None of my guest took more than 1 bite before tossing them out.
Save your money and go to another cupcake place that doesn’t need a 7 day advance order for just a dozen!

Literally the worst red velvet cupcake I’ve ever had in my life. Nearly all the party guests said that the cupcake tasted like a dried out corn muffin with a bland white frosting on top. I did call the owner to discuss with her directly, but she stated in her message (left on my voicemail) that if I had an issue with the cupcakes that I pursue a refund with Groupon. Thankfully, Groupon did refund my money since half the cupcakes were uneaten they were so bad.

This review is based upon a redemption of a groupon to try the cupcakes. Not really sure why Bellacakes signed up to do a groupon promotion because the terms and conditions were not all that accommodating and it doesn’t seem like they are eager to get into the cupcake business. As another review stated, 7 days notice was required to pick up a dozen cupcakes.
I get the feeling that Bellacakes is the place to go for a wedding cake in Metrowest based upon all of the positive reviews on Unilocal,but certainly NOT a bake shop to stop in for cupcakes. The dozen white on white that we tried were a very dry crumb. Both of my kids asked if they were supposed to be corn muffins with frosting on them. The frosting was soft and buttery — not overly sweet. While some may like this texture of cake and frosting, this is not what we prefer. I’ve experienced better.
This is not a local bake shop to stop in to get a few little treats for a the weekend. With the advanced notice required, extremely limited selection on hand, and limited hours, I would not go back. It was certainly not be worth planning a week in advance to eat those cupcakes again.

Kristen was very accommodating. I got a groupon to try her cupcakes (I don’t really eat cupcakes, but I had to host a party), and I was not aware of the 1 week order in advance, but she was able to deliver. Thanks! Cupcakes were good (I guess! again, I don’t eat cupcakes and sweet stuff!) According to my guests, they liked them, but they said the frosting was too sweet… Anyways, my guests were happy too.

Bella Cakes really rocked it out for my daughter’s Sweet 16 party. When I wanted to pick up the cupcakes the night before she insisted that I pick them up the day of because they taste better. Well the only time I could pick them up was at 8 am. There they were lovely, ready, boxed and perfect at 8 am. Oh and they tasted fantastic. Highly recommended!

This review is for their BLONDIES… OMG! Butter, butter, butter, butter, butter MAKES IT BETTER!!! I made a pit stop on my way to a massage to say hi! and wish them luck on their open house and new hours. And I made the mistake of sampling their blondies, with their big chocolate chunks and that chewy toothful texture. I am convinced NOW that these qualify for being outlawed in 50 states and adjoining countries… TO DIE FOR. If this is my last bite on earth, I go with a smile to bovine heaven because these are a serious tribute to butter! at $ 1.50 a pop, share, so that you don’t feel you have to go to confession after sinning this way!

We got recommendations for a few places for our wedding cake. Kristen was accommodating for scheduling a tasting quickly. Her preparation and presentation of the tasting experience blew us away. She provided a lot of insight in terms of what we might select and how we might present it and spent a lot of time with us to figure things out — even though we hadn’t selected her yet. Her cakes and fillings are flavorful and the frostings were good, too (though if you don’t like butter, she is not the baker for you).
A week or so before our wedding, we presented her with an unusual request — an armadillo cake. We wanted to add a whimsical groom’s cake (ala Steel Magnolias). She accommodated this last minute addition with grace (and value!). The cake was AMAZING (as were the three flavors of cupcakes and the regular wedding cake we ordered)! It was very unusual and people are still talking about it.
Three weeks later, we just pulled the last few cupcakes out of the freezer for a snack tonight. They are still great. :)
We would happily go back to BellaCakes and Kristen again — in fact, we will a year from now to get our anniversary cake.

I will start off by saying I wanted to have a great experience with Bellacakes, I heard great things about this bakery and was excited to have Kristen bake 125 cupcakes for my wedding. At the cake tasting, we were impressed by her selection, though the prices were steep for a tiny shop in Marlborough, not really a premier bakery area. The samples were dry, but I passed that off and expected the cake to be better on the day of the event. I paid half of our balance as expected.
As it got closer to my wedding date, I hadn’t heard from Kristen at all on paying the remaining balance. I ended up emailing her myself where she told me she expected it basically immediately, which I found very unprofessional. Why should the customer contact YOU about the balance? I passed it off as her being busy.
When I saw the cupcakes for the first time, I was beyond disappointed. The fondant flower decorations that I’d paid extra for we’re just flat pieces of fondant and were hideous. They were red, not magenta as we’d discussed, so they weren’t actually my wedding color. The cake was dry, tasted as if it had been frozen and thawed. The Guiness chocolate, which I have made myself, tasted like plain chocolate. The champagne buttercream tasted like buttercream. Several guests commented that they were dry and couldn’t believe it when I told them what I’d paid.
There was nothing I could do, so I wasn’t planning on telling Kristen this. That was until she really upset me. Kristen emailedr several times, demanding that I call her, while I was on my HONEYMOON. All over a stand that I’d paid to rent and only two days after the event. As if the stand was the biggest thing
on my plate while away on my honeymoon. She was rude to my father in law and was demanding my mother in law, who was caring for my two young children, return the stand immediately. While I was on my honeymoon, I repeat. Finally, I told her how dissatisfied I was with the cupcakes and instead of offering me a refund of apologizing, she argued with me.
Kristen Livoti is extremely rude and has no business in customer service. I would never order fork her again or recommend her to anyone. She is very overpriced, rude and unprofessional. My time and money were wasted.
–A Very Dissatisfied Newlywed

My fiancé and I are planning our wedding and met with Kristen, from Bellacakes, to do a cake tasting.
Kristen had made 7 – 8 different cupcakes FRESH, that morning for us to try, along with different flavors and fillings.
Despite having a wedding to cater that same day, Kristen took the time out of her already busy schedule to meet with us and go every every flavor and detail and also answer all of our questions. We left knowing exactly how and what we wanted our wedding cake to be.
And the best part is that all her cakes are gluten free and not made with nuts, so any guests who may have allergies, need not worry.
Our wedding isn’t until next year, but I have absolutely no doubt in mind that we will be using Kristen from Bellacakes to create our wedding cake.
Would absolutely recommend!!!

Chicagoans consider ourselves experts in deliciousness, with good reason as cupcake and dessert shops in Chicago are dime a dozen.
While visiting family in the area, I had opportunity to try a few different desserts from this little shop. A brownie, a blondie, and the patriotic blue, white, and red velvet cake.
First, the cupcake. Red velvet perfection. Red Velvet can be very hit or miss, most people tend to make it dry and try to cover it up with extra frosting. Bella Cakes red velvet cupcake was soft, light, and just the right amount of sweet. For $ 2, this cupcake was a steal in yumminess.
The blondie, my first taste of a blondie was akin to a sweet salty explosion of flavor in my mouth. Paired with some hot dark roast coffee and it’s the perfect treat for after dinner, or before lunch, or during breakfast, or at any point in your life.
And finally, the brownie. The exquisite chocolate that melted on your tongue, leaving only behind a choir of edible angels singing the praises of the perfect balance of sweet goodness with soft texture. This brownie is definitely the stand-​out at Bella Cakes, if you don’t like chocolate feel free to pass it along to me.
The prices are super reasonable. The fact that they have gluten and nut free options is a great bonus.
This cake house definitely deserves a visit from the locals. It’s a gem!

So I only tried a Bella Cake cupcake one time. It was the chocolate cupcake with Irish cream frosting a friend has given me as she found them inedible and I guess I was the second opinion. Well the frosting was spectacular but the cake was underdone in the center. I was surprised and disappointed. The disappointment of taking a bite out of something you anticipate as satisfying a deep needed desire for sugary goodness and getting something completely unanticipated. Then you stand there with a box of cupcakes feeling completely let down and in my case thinking who can I give 2 cupcakes to… could not think of a single person who likes chocolate cupcake batter.
The quaint store with well decorated storefront belies the fact that the store has limited hours and limited offerings. I guess one bad cupcake does not a bakery make. But since this isn’t the only local bakery I’ll get my fix elsewhere.

So I’ve been wanting to try Bella Cakes for awhile and I «liked» them on Facebook to find out the cupcake flavor of the week (they only make one type per week) and they are only open very limited hours. Today’s cupcake was maple frosted with bacon topping. I love the combination! So I drove 25 minutes to get a few cupcakes, and was disappointed that they were small, for $ 2 a cupcake I expected a bigger cake. The icing was buttercream but way too watery and hardly tasted of maple. The cake was dry, and there was hardly any bacon on top. All in all, a disappointing, flavorless, trip. I don’t think we will be returning.

Stopped in today for the first time to try the cupcakes and grabbed an impulse buy blondie. Total was $ 5.84 for all 3. Nut free environment. Blondie was amazing. Rich, yummy and perfectly decedant. Prices are on par or better than coffee houses: and made in house. GF and Vegan orders available! They do a once a week cupcake flavor, the one this week was the chocolate/​guiness with irish crème frosting. OMG. Like on facebook to see the flavor of th week.
first, the cupcake was beyond wonderful. i am not a huge guiness drinker (or beer, really) but I had to try it — it was a mild infusion of the flavor. perfect. the frosting was real butter cream: not the junk that other places pass for butter cream frosting. $ 2.00 for unique cupcakes is not an obscene price.
Parking is best on the side — otherwise you wind up trying to pull out directly onto 20. I found the staff to be very pleasant and will be back.

I was truly saddened to deal with this place more than once. I had to by choice because they are nut free. I found the products to be just ok. Cream cheese frosting, stay away unless you want a butter tree growing in your belly… Gluten free stuff was not so hot. dry frosting, crumbly cake and I paid a lot for a dozen cupcakes. I was hoping she would say something like «let me know how they are?» Not even a thank you or take care after I spent a small fortune on just ok baked goods. I won’t be back. I like to deal with people who are friendly and somewhat appreciative of business they get.
Dealing with the owner was surprising. She had no personality. When i called to pay over the phone with a credit card i obviously caught her at a bad time and she was very abrupt. Put on a poker voice for a customer! No thank you either! Unbelievable! I could have said all of this to her but I’d rather just stay Away. Bummer… Cakes for occasions in Danvers Ma is awesome! Farther away but worth it for my nut free lifestyle when i need it. And a bigger variety on hand. fresh too!

This review is just based on one cupcake, I tried. I was requested to make a cupcake run on a rather boring friday afternoon. I am not a big chocolate person and was hoping there would be more options, alas, they do one cupcake flavor a week. And as luck would have it, it was Chocolate with Milk Chocolate. I caved!
To me, the cake was dry and flakey — fail. The frosting was ridiculously sweet, for my liking — fail.
This might not be the first place I’d go to for a cupcake craving, but perhaps call ahead and if I like the flavor, I will give it another shot to impress me. For now — fail!

So while I resisted the urge to post the entire transcript here, I will say that I had a PM war with the proprietor of Bellacakes not long after my original post. The back and forth was very disappointing and exceptionally unprofessional (especially when it wasn’t even a very bad review) and left me lacking the desire to give her another chance.
Suggestion: If you don’t like the opinions of your clients, say something like «I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy you’re visit/​product. It may have been an off day. Please come back and try us again.» I’d have been back and updating in a week had it gone that way. Instead it was more of «my baked goods are the best and you ate them wrong» type of conversation. (Note: There is no wrong way to eat a cupcake. Ever.)
That said, today I was hankering a cupcake and it’s during Bellacakes regular business hours so I sent in a spy to get me a cupcake. I figure, it’s been almost a year, so it’s time to give Bellacakes a new fair and honest evaluation.
So this update is a review of a single cupcake as delivered to me by a friend and fellow Unilocaler:
So my phone rings for my cupcake decision… and there is only one kind of cupcake. Chocolate with Milk Chocolate. I say Okay, well than that what we’re getting.
Okay so the cupcake arrived.
Size/​Appearance: It was regular cupcake sized. With soft looking light chocolate frosting on top and some sprinkled cocoa powder. It was cute. It was $ 2.
Cake: The cake was flakey and light and dry, but not ridiculously dry. Although I like my chocolate cakes moist and dense, I thought this had a nice subtle chocolate flavor.
Frosting: The frosting was looser than frosting usually is but not watery. The flavor was definitely milk chocolate and was light and nice.
Overall: Overall this cupcake was A-​Ok. Not best ever, but it certainly hit the spot.
They apparently only do one flavor of the week now so call ahead to find out what that flavor is if you’re looking to satisfy a local cupcake craving.