Friday I’m In Love: Martino’s Bakery Teacakes
It’s Friday I’m in Love: things that I adore on a particular week. Not an ad, just a place for me to talk about what I love at this very moment. What I’m eating, buying, loving.
When you think of Burbank you probably think of movie studios but for me, it’s all about the teacakes. Years ago when I worked at a very large studio I looked forward to walking into the commissary every morning because I knew there would be an ample supply of teacakes.
What is a teacake? As large as a cupcake, teacakes are basically a buttermilk spice cake and stand out because of their square shape. There was something different about these though, I always thought they were made in house at the studio, come to find out they were brought in every morning from Martino’s Bakery.
A well known Burbank institution since 1926, Martino’s has moved locations and even shut down throughout the years. Their new(er) location on Victory Boulevard has a small parking lot and a few lovely tables but inside it’s like a Tardis, definitely bigger on the inside as far as the amount of pastries they carry.
Martino’s menu is astounding: muffins, cookies, cakes, pies, strudels, they even have gelato, all of it available on a daily basis. And those teacakes I loved so much? Turns out they are legendary. They look unassuming almost boring, in fact. A pale yellow cake with an old school glaze on top. However once you bite into them it’s magical, something about the perfect ratio of cake to glaze and the absolute tender crumb of the cake. The teacakes also come in blueberry and cranberry, but it’s the plain and simple Buttermilk Teacake that keeps me coming back. At just $1 a pop, these ample teacakes are a steal.
People make the drive to Martino’s from all over the Southland and you should too, one bite and you’ll be wishing you’d bought just one more…
Martino’s Bakery
335 N Victory Blvd
Burbank, CA 91502
I’ve looked for the source of these magical cakes forever! My grandmother used to bring these home from work sometimes (Sears in Torrance), and they must have been from Martino’s. They looked exactly like these — square shape with cupcake paper, and that glaze . . . I just looked up the bakery online, and intend to make a road-trip out there!
Thank you for solving the mystery!
Oh My God!!!Ever since I was a little girl I have flown Hollywood-Burbank airport. I was born in ’57 so I remember the tiny , cute , and very cool airport like it was in the old days! Anyways ,I digress! One of the best things about flying from there was that one could always visit the little coffee shop on the left after passing through the front doors. And there were those divine, moist, enticing Tea cakes!! When the coffee shop closed I was devastated. I moved to Lake Tahoe in ’80 and still reside here. I have always longed for those juicy cakes but had resigned to my fate of never having another one again. Tonight i thought why not google “teacakes” so when i did and saw all the different baked goods that people had thenerve to also call ” teacakes” i was sad…. But then after scrolling a bit longer I saw what I knew to be an authentic Teacake, the kind from Hollywood _Burbank airport. I breathed deeply… I had found them, I thought… then i read the first and only comment about a girl who once worked in Burbank!!! She told the story!! they were from Martino’s Bakery! I just got back from a trip to Los Angeles but you can bet the first place i will vivit upon return is none other than the teacake makers!!!