Erica Caputo, a Bloomington waitress and pastry chef by day, is bringing back what she calls the quintessential American slice of cake: a handcrafted traditional dessert worthy of the most ornate stand. As proprietor of The New Old-Standard Baking Co.—a roving patisserie of sorts—Caputo not only takes custom orders for weddings and birthday parties, but also bakes vegan and organic layer cakes in flavors such as OrangeOcado (with avocado frosting), lemon-lavender, and a chocolate-raspberry that incorporates farmers-market berries. And she is convinced that these concoctions can be just as luscious as the full-butter variety. But don’t take her word for it: She sells the cakes to local restaurants that then offer them by the slice. Plum’s Upper Room in Zionsville and three locations of Bazbeaux Pizza carry her desserts. “It’s a way to get more cake to more people,” she says.
Caputo started baking at a Bloomington-based vegan/vegetarian restaurant (the now-defunct Roots) and learned that catering to that ingredient-conscious niche allowed for passionate followers and gluten-free sweets-lovers to be able to truly enjoy a cake. Between her two part-time jobs, Caputo finds two nights a week to bake for eight hours using her own equipment in storefront kitchens of smaller independent restaurants around Indy. Occasionally, she exchanges baked goods for kitchen time, leaving a cake or two when she shuffles out at 2 a.m. Want her to create something just for you? Tell Caputo your favorite flavor combination, and she’ll whip up a healthy version. How sweet. 812-929-2945, newoldstandard.com
Photo by Tony Valainis
This article appeared in the June 2014 issue.
