Business Details
23 Years
experience
Artisan Bakery & Custom Cakes in Iowa City | Deluxe Iowa
Deluxe Iowa has been a cornerstone of Iowa City's culinary scene since our founding in 2003. As a neighborhood-focused bakery and caf, we combine traditional French pastry techniques with locally sourced ingredients to create artisanal products that reflect our community's spirit. Our executive pastry chef Jamie Powers, with over 16 years of ownership experience, leads a team dedicated to quality and innovation, from handcrafted croissants to custom-designed wedding cakes. We operate in a historic building that once served as a neighborhood grocery store, maintaining that community-centric legacy while offering modern baked goods. Our open kitchen environment allows customers to witness the baking process firsthand, fostering transparency and connection.We've expanded our offerings over the years to include a full bread program while maintaining our original commitment to excellence in pastries. Our seasonal specialties, like the iconic gingerbread houses and heart-shaped sugar cookies, have become local traditions. With a team trained in pastry arts and hospitality, we serve both daily commuters needing quick breakfast items and those celebrating special occasions with custom cakes. Our location in Iowa City's UNESCO-designated literary hub inspires creativity in both our products and customer interactions. Through initiatives like our annual Pie Bonanza benefiting local charities, we continue to strengthen our role as a community partner while delivering exceptional baked goods.
Services
Custom Wedding Cakes
Artisan Baguettes
Seasonal Pastries
Bread Program
Holiday Baking
Catering Services
Breakfast Items
Cookie Collections
French Macarons
Specialty Tarts
Details
- Year established: 2003
Highlights and features
- We have over 16 years of experience in artisanal bakery operations
- Our team uses only locally sourced ingredients like Jardine pumpkins and Wilson's apples
- We offer custom-designed wedding cakes and specialty pastries
- Our open kitchen environment demonstrates our baking process transparency
- We maintain community partnerships through annual charity initiatives
Services
Custom Wedding Cakes
We create one-of-a-kind wedding cakes with four layers of cake and three layers of filling. Available in flavors like chocolate mocha raspberry, red velvet, and flourless chocolate. Our team offers customization options for special fillings and designs that reflect your unique style and wedding theme.
Artisan Baguettes
Our handcrafted baguettes are made in-house daily using traditional techniques. Each baguette goes through a meticulous process of mixing, folding, shaping, proofing, and baking to achieve perfect texture and flavor. Available plain or with specialty fillings like ham and gruyere.
Seasonal Pastries
We offer a rotating selection of seasonal pastries including our famous gingerbread houses and heart-shaped sugar cookies. These specialty items feature creative designs and locally sourced ingredients, with holiday collections available during Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons.
Bread Program
Our comprehensive bread program includes daily baked goods like baguettes, croissants, and specialty breads. We use time-honored techniques to create products such as chocolate almond croissants and cinnamon buns that showcase both traditional and modern baking methods.
Holiday Baking
Our holiday headquarters offers curated cookie collections and special occasion baked goods. This includes our popular Take and Bake Cinnis for holiday mornings and decorative boxes filled with seasonal cookies perfect for gifting to neighbors and loved ones.
People
Jamie Powers
Executive Pastry Chef/Owner
Professionally trained in traditional French pastry arts, Jamie has owned and operated Deluxe Iowa for over 16 years. She focuses on quality ingredient sourcing and building an organic community around the bakery's offerings.
Heather Frost Hughes
Head Pastry Chef General Manager
Trained in pastry arts, Heather manages bakery operations and leads the team in creating exceptional baked goods. She brings both technical expertise and creative vision to Deluxe Iowa's daily offerings.
Questions
What are your holiday hours?
We operate our regular schedule during holidays with special holiday menus available seasonally. Check our website for specific holiday hours.
Do you use local ingredients?
Yes, we use locally sourced ingredients like Jardine pumpkins from Kroul Farms and Wilson's Gold Rush apples in our baked goods.
What bread options do you offer?
We offer a full bread program including daily baguettes, croissants, and specialty breads like lemon blueberry coffee cake.
Can I get same-day pastries?
Our pastries are baked fresh daily. We recommend arriving early for best selection, especially on weekends.
Do you offer catering services?
Yes, we provide catering for events with advance notice. Contact us for custom orders and specialty cake arrangements.
Reviews (4)
Timothy Stammeyer
Nov 19, 2021
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Phenomenal little bakery. Its a sweet spot for a brunch date of coffee and croissants. Try their Nutella or chocolate almond. Seriously delicious, and their coffee is good, too! Would recommend.
Kimberly Tolander
Sep 23, 2021
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They created the most beautiful 2 tier cake for my daughters first birthday and all I did was send them pictures of the decorations. They nailed it! Thank you!
Joseph Causey
Sep 12, 2021
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Super staff. Great food. Good coffee. Outside seating. Nice place to sit n hv a nice lunch. Baggett. Kiesh. Fresh pastries.
Spoorthi Jagadish
Aug 18, 2021
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We ordered our daughters birthday cake from Deluxe and it was amazing! They got it absolutely right. They even helped us put the cake in our car. Cake was super delicious :)
