Valentine’s Day is about sharing and showing love to those around you, and after a difficult year, it’s more important than ever to spread love to one another. The Hawk curated a list of local Black-owned bakeries and businesses to support, where you can buy delicious treats for your friends, family, significant other or yourself in celebration of this holiday.
Milk + Sugar offers cupcakes, cakes, cookies and other sweet treats made by Marcel and Brittany Maldonado, a mother-daughter duo of self-taught bakers. The bakery is offering a wide selection of cookies, cupcakes, family kits and variety boxes for Valentine’s Day. Visit @milksugarcakes on Instagram to order your desserts for pick up at their shop in their South Philadelphia location.
The Sweet Life Bakeshop, 740 South St.
The Sweet Life Bakeshop opened in 2010 and focuses on perfecting their sweet flavors of desserts, including their Salted Caramel Banana, Strawberries ‘n Cream and Sweet Potato creations. They are bestknown for their delicious pudding, cupcake and chocolate chip cookie recipes. Visit their shop on South Street to try one of their classic desserts.
Clara’s Groovy Deliciousness, 261 20th St.
Owner Samirah Williams discovered her love of baking from her grandmother, Clara, who inspired every aspect of the business. Clara’s Groovy Deliciousness offers exquisite cakes, cookies, pastries and more. This Valentine’s Day, Clara’s is offering a “Love Day” menu with doughnuts, personalized conversation heart cookies, chocolate brittle and individual heart-shaped chocolate cakes. Check out their website to order your treats for pickup at their Rittenhouse Square location.
Denise’s Delicacies, 2916 N. 22nd St.
Denise’s Delicacies specializes in incredible custom cakes and has served the Philadelphia area for over 30 years. Denise’s also offers fresh-baked cookies, pies, doughnuts, breads and pastries. Select menu items are available for delivery on the Black and Mobile app, or you can order online for pickup at their North Philadelphia location.
Lily of the Valley Cupcakery & Cafe, 322 W. Chelten Ave.
Lily of the Valley Cupcakery & Cafe is a family owned and operated business, offering a large variety of cupcakes, cookies, cakes, pies and puddings. They are offering specially made Valentine’s Day truffles, mugs, heart-shaped cookies and more. Visit their website or call their shop to place your order for pickup at their Germantown location.
Darnel’s Cakes, 444 N. 3rd St.
Darnel’s Cakes is dedicated to supporting local and national organizations to raise awareness about the HIV/AIDS epidemic. They allow customers to order a free HIV test, provided by Bebashi, a nonprofit agency dedicated to improving the health and wellness of LGBTQIA+ people of color in the greater Philadelphia area, online and pick it up at the store. Darnel’s offers a full menu, including pizza on Fridays, brunch on the weekends and an assortment of cookies, lemon and cheesecake bars, cakes and brownies every day. Check out their website to order for pickup in the main lobby of the building, located just north of Old City.
Banana Mousse, 5602 Spruce St.
Banana Mousse was founded in 2015 by a mother-daughter duo. They serve delicious and over-the-top milkshakes, mousse desserts and ice cream with enjoyable flavors like Birthday, Sweet Potato, Fruity Pebbles and more. Banana Mousse is offering a special Red Velvet Valentine flavor for the month of February. Check out their website to order online for pickup at their West Philadelphia location or for delivery in select Philadelphia zip codes, including 19131, 19151, 19139, 19104 and 19143.
