Dick’s Bakery

Best burnt almond cake ever! Do not waste your time going anywhere else! Unfortunately, they are closed temporarily due to a fire but I cant wait until they are back at it. The cake is moist, light, and downright the best thing I have ever tasted!

I was just about to order a Burnt Almond Cake for my Parent’s 60^th Wedding Anniversary and had no idea that the Bakery had burned down. OMG, what to do??? I so wanted this fabulous cake for our celebration. So sad… hope they open up again soon!

Just 3 words– BURNT ALMOND CAKE :):):):):)
Ps: come back stronger like a phoenix from the ashes guys! So many ppl are waiting to taste your amazing cakes

Dicks burned down!!! :(
Oh I hope they rebuild quickly. I just love their baked goods… so does the family. We have toasted many a times to Dicks with champagne. «here’s to Dicks!!»
I’m sobbing dreaming about their Rum cake while having some other type of cake from Peter’s Bakery at 3108 Alum Rock (apparently a sister bakery).
This cake from Peter’s bakery is just as light and airy as the good stuff from Dicks but lacks the rum flavor that made Dicks special.
«We want Dicks!!! We want Dicks! We want Dicks!!!»

A great family owned neighborhood bakery.
I guess you could say this gives a whole new meaning to their delicious and ahhhhMaZing «Burnt Almond» cake.
NOW CLOSED due to a fire May 22, 2016
A beloved bakery in the South Bay went up in flames early Sunday morning.
Dick’s Bakery in San Jose caught fire shortly before 3:30 a.m. San Jose firefighters were able to put out the blaze around 5 a.m.
The two-​alarm fire started inside and did not damage the exterior of the building located on Meridian Avenue near Santa Clara Valley Medical Center and Highway 17.
No one was injured in the blaze.

The burnt almond cake is incredible! I hear this same kind of response from so many people. I go there just for that alone.
On a sad note… there was recently a fire at the bakery. I hope no one was injured and that they get everything back up and running soon!

The burnt almond cakes are the best. Get one… or two…

Dick’s or Peter’s?
If you grew up in San Jose, I guess one bakery has earned your allegiance over the other, but I’ve never had Peter’s version of the Burnt Almond Cake so I’ve nothing to compare it to.
If you savor your cake slowly and not scarf it down within 3 seconds, you’d realize it’s a really simple cake made with white sponge cake filled with almond pastry cream and frosted with buttercream before being covered with crushed almonds. SO, SO GOOD!
I LOVED the super fluffy texture of the cake itself and I would rate it with a medium sweetness. I like the crunchy texture of the almonds which provides a nice contrast to the soft cake. I feel that the cake did leave a bit of a heavy film on my tastebuds after eating it without taking water breaks in between. But otherwise, a good cake.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 if you’re looking for a cake that’s not vanilla or chocolate.

There’s something about the burnt almond cake that pulls me in.
The crunchiness of the almonds, softness of the cake and the sweetness of the icing makes their cake the perfect ending or beginning of my sweet tooth craving.
This is ALWAYS a stop for my family and I when visiting San Jose. YUM!

I am a Peter’s Bakery gal. My go to place every holiday and special occasion. I have had Dick’s Bakery Burnt Almond cake at family and friends party. I would say, «oh, is this from Peter’s?» And I would get a «No, from Dick’s.» Today was my first day as a customer. I called a few hours before my requested pick up time to order a small burnt almond cake. The service over the phone was great. I arrived after work, and there was a small line (always a good sign). The line moved quickly. I had a few minutes to look at the donuts, red velvet and carrot cupcakes, pastries and Easter cookies (yum). All looked amazing! I had to remind myself why I was there (purchasing a cake– I don’t need the extra, extra calories of those tempting goodies). When it was my turn, my order was ready to go. Lady who helped me was nice and sweet. She took care of me.
The burnt almond cake was delicious! Few differences when comparing to Peter’s: The top of the cake is fluffy– lots of burnt almond spread, and frosting is «ok». They also drizzle chocolate over the top (had I known this, I would have done without). I LOVE sugar– so prefer Peter’s cake toppings and frosting over Dick’s. However, I will not rule Dick’s out completely. This will be my «go to» place since it is near work. However, I am still a Peter’s fan. If I am in the Alum Rock area, or nearby, you know where to can find me :).
Another Pro: Dick’s accepts debit/​credit card. Compared to Peter’s (cash/​check only).

everything i’ve heard about dick’s famous burnt almond cake is true!!! it really is a little slice of heaven, something unique that is so delicious, you could just keeping eating it, and eating it, and eating it!
i was in south sj for the day, so figured i’d swing by here and the way home to the peninsula, and found this quaint little bakery, nestled in a small shopping center in willow glen. parking was a bit rough, but thank goodness for the 15 min parking spaces!
i came with a friend and the gal behind the counter was nice enough to offer both of us a taste of their burnt almond cake frosting, which was a blend of custard and whipped cream, with a bit of almond taste. it was very light and airy, and oh so delicious! and since i asked about one of their unique looking cookies, she also gave us a sample of that cookie as well! it was a dark cookie with some walnuts mixed in, very crunchy, and not too sweet.
i ended up buying a slice of vanilla burnt almond cake and 2 walnut butter cookies to go. note that they have vanilla, marble, and chocolate base burnt almond cake, so you do have choices depending on what you favour. my selections were wrapped up in a pink box, and tied with a ribbon, the old-​fashioned way… love it! when i asked how much, she told me «$ 5,» to which i replied, shockingly, «that’s it??» i really was expecting to pay much more for a generous slice of cake and 2 home-​baked cookies!
almost as soon as i walked in the door, my husband inquired what was in the box, so we split the burnt almond cake and absolutely loved it. he said that i should have bought 2 slices since we easily finished up the single slice. since the cake was more of a light sponge cake vs a traditional vanilla yellow cake, it was lighter than expected. and the filling was quite light as well, since it was a custard and whipped cream base. the «burnt» toasted and caramelized almonds covering the top of the cake were just the perfect touch for this combination. this cake really exceeded any expectations i had and i was definitely craving for more! we enjoyed the cookies as well since they were soft and chewy, not hard and stale like some bakeries. the powdered walnut butter cookie had just the right amount of powdered sugar added, and the unpowdered one tasted just as good, and i liked that i could see all of the ingredients in this one.
too bad this bakery is a bit far from home, but the next time i’m in south sj or willow glen or any surrounding area, i will be back and i will be sure to get more than one slice of their burnt almond cake!

Nothing but great things
I ordered two cakes and 6 dozen cookies for my company’s birthday celebration and everything turned it wonderfully.
I placed the order yesterday afternoon and they had it ready by 8am this morning.
Yes I had to wait on hold for a bit on the phone but the wait was so worth it! I spoke to a woman named Emilia (or something similar) and she was so helpful and patient.
I didn’t know about their sizes, flavored, etc and she gave her recommendations, opinions and never got frustrated.
The women working this morning were obviously very busy but all were so sweet and helpful as well.
The cakes were absolutely beautiful and not to mention delicious. The cookie varieties are great for a big company
For reference: I got two half sheet cakes (that was supposed to feed about 60 people and we had tons extra) burnt almond cake and chocolate/​raspberry cake
Can’t wait for next month’s birthday celebration-​this is a new tradition the whole office has requested now.

The Burnt Almond cake from Dicks’s bakery has become a staple for my out of town guests.
I always pick one up for them to try and love watching their priceless reaction.
Located in a small mall somewhere off Meridian its like a time warp walking inside. Sssssoooooo leave your pushy, me first, silicon valley attitude at the door and enjoy some of the finer things in life. Things like patience, humbleness, and chit chat with the nice ladies working behind the cake counters, believe me it goes a long way. Who knows they may even tell you a story or two! One time I went I was told a nice little background story on the difference between Dick’s Vs Peter’s BAC. I wont tell it here, I’ll save it for them to tell you.
They also sell other things here like, cupcakes, cookies, bread, some gluten free items all of which I’ve gotten before. Although very good, I usually just get the cake.
You can eat Cake!
Dicks Bakery Burnt Almond Cake — Famouser even than Captain Kangaroo

Alot of goodies that this place provides. Im sure they are good!
But dont sleep on the «Burnt almond cake» Im not a sweets person, but this is one of those things that can make you change you mind.
Its a MUST get. so good. Nice and light and just filled with flavor that makes your mouth salivate and its just so good.
Try it. youll thank me later

California Trip #12
«Burnt Almond Cake! Step aside, folks! Carnita has arrived in California and *needs* her sugah.»
That’s what I said when I walked into Dick’s Bakery (DB) back in October. Okay, okay… so maybe I really didn’t say that. The ladies who staffed DB scared me a teensy bit – kind of like if I didn’t order correctly, the soup Nazi would appear. It wasn’t super busy that day, but I did have to wait for my turn. I ended up getting a piece of Pumpkin Burnt Almond Cake and a Burnt Almond Cupcake (all they had left were cupcakes). I paid for my items and drove back to my hotel room.
Burnt Almond Cupcake: The cupcake itself was a bit disappointing, but cupcakes usually are pretty dry. I wish I could have tried a regular piece of cake. Maybe next time! And their chocolate, too.
Pumpkin Burnt Almond Cake: The cake was moist with a strong pumpkin spice flavor – wonderful. I’m all about everything pumpkin. However, I don’t think people go crazy for DB’s Burnt Almond Cake for its cake. It’s about the frosting, people! OMG with a huge exclamation point! (#OMG! Factor) Their whipped frosting is like crack – I want to put it on everything. I hate super-​sweet frosting, so DB’s is a perfect balance to their pumpkin cake. When you add those beautiful slivers of toasted almonds, it’s dessert nirvana.
It’s probably a good thing I don’t live in California.

I had never been here before and didn’t know how ordering a cake with a message worked here so I gave them a call, I was put on hold. I just told them I wanted whatever was on Unilocal.When I got there I didn’t know the average cake was so small! I felt really rushed while I was there but I couldn’t get a clear answer from the person that was taking my order when I asked questions – felt like no room to clarify before she just went and started my cake.
I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and suggest that maybe it was my fault for trying to make a phone order. But on the other hand, they hadn’t even started on my cake yet (I only called 15 – 20 min beforehand) so I don’t know why I couldn’t get an extra 2 – 3 minutes to decide. It woulda been more money for you people because the next size up still looks small and I wanted a bigger one.
Side note: the other lady seemed a lot nicer and more attentive, perhaps I just had bad luck. Will definitely update my review the next time a birthday rolls around to see if luck just wasn’t with me today.

The cue system is appaling here! People who’ve prepaid n preordered have to also take a number to wait for their turn, so they don’t differentiate between customers just ordering versus those who’ve preordered! Very inefficient system. management really needs to review this procedure because this will definitely prevent me from ordering during holiday season ever again! No matter how good the product, your procedure is inefficient and it’s loosing you customers!
I’m realizing that the owners just don’t care! We all have to «take a number» and wait our thrn just to pick up a prepaid cake!!! There are over 50 people ahead of me who are just now ordering. They should have at least two lines! One for just pick up, the other for ordering!

I came here based on recommendations local friends from the Willow Glen area. I had always wanted to try Peters and when I finally did, I was let down. Their almond crumble combined with their frosting and dense cake was too much sugar for me. When I heard there was a similar place in my neighborhood, I told myself I would get one my next cakertunnity so I did. And there are no words to describe their cake. Only warm, fluffily, light, creamy feelings. Haha so many ways to describe it.
So how does it compare to Peters? They use sliced almond as opposed to the crumble at Peters and in my opinion this is a nice choice since the frosting already has a nice sweetness to it. I found the crumble at Peters too overbearing. The frosting itself is also lighter and I find a good level of sweet. Not too bland but not toothache sweet. The cake itself was much fluffier and less dense than Peters as well. I will say that for both, I feel like they use too much frosting. I really would like more cake to eat with my frosting. They also offer more than one flavor! So far I have tried the original, marble, and I am hoping to try carrot cake next.
Parking lot is small and a little hard to get into coming from Hamilton. Lots of pastries to choose from too. My favorite part about this place is how friendly their workers are! I really enjoy coming in and working with Kasimar (a)? She is super nice and unlike most places, asks me to have seconds of the samples and enjoys if it when I want more than one. They are also accommodating as well. I also like that they have various cake flavors and sizes to choose from without breaking the bank. Definitely a local gem

Burnt almond cake!!! Cupcake? A slice of cake? NO get a whole damn cake!
I’m not much of a sweet tooth, but once in a while when I’m craving — this is the one. And or for special occasions. Great cake base — light, fluffy, and moist. The cream is sweet but there is substance to it, the Burt Almond provides that substance. A roasted nutty and somewhat caramelized touch + the fluffy/​light/​moist batter = heaven.

On My way to my cousins house on a Sunday ! I needed to find a place that makes Burnt Almond Cake ?? Peters Bakers is closed ;(Here I go with the trusty Unilocal app — always bring me right to a correct place.
Dicks Bakery it right on Meridian & Hamilton — This old time parking lot with that once had a good will and liquor store. Parking is really tight.
Dicks seriously came though for me. No waiting just for the line to pay for. My Marbled Burnt Almond Cake came out ! The young ladies are so nice and polite. The deal with alot of customers but always seem to keep a smile.
Later that day we tried the Marble Burnt Almond Cake it was the most moist, tasty cake I have ever had. Walking in with the cake as a present made my our visit so much more sweeter.