28 years of Rosie's good taste

When a small business lasts over 28 years, it's a testament to the quality of what it sells.

When you walk into Rosie's Cakes at 440 E St., the first thing you notice is the party-like atmosphere with all the Mylar balloons displayed, racks of stuffed animals at the front of the shop and the smell of freshly baked and frosted cookies and cakes everywhere.

Rosie Gonzalez is a self-taught baker and has a passion for it. "I took a class with Veda Millar here in town," Gonzalez said. "I already loved baking before I took the class."

The inside of the bakery has a warm glow, and the smells wafting out of the kitchen are inviting.

Gonzalez loves baking cakes for her grandchildren. "I'm planning on making a very special cake for my granddaughter's birthday this weekend," she said.

According to Gonzalez, the most-popular cakes are her chocolate, pink champagne and banana nut cakes. "My granddaughter loves my pink champagne cake," Gonzalez said. "My 10-year-old grandson loves the banana nut cake."

Rosie specializes in wedding cakes, and she has a large display of different styles of cakes inside a glass case. She also has a lot of wedding cake toppers.

A quarter-sheet cake with no filling is priced at $18, while the same cake with filling is $23.

"One particular customer from Shafter comes in at least once a month to pick up her standing order of cupcakes," Gonzalez said. "We always have cupcakes ready to go for her."

Gonzalez generally stays in the kitchen to keep an eye on everything as she decorates cookies and cakes.

In addition to Rosie, there are six additional employees who work in the bakery. Employee Sylvia Hinojusa has worked for Rosie for 25 years.

After the school day, Angel Palomares of Thomas Jefferson bought a vanilla cupcake. "Vanilla is my favorite," he said.

Annie Benavidez brought her two children into the bakery to buy cookies. Ten-year-old Natalie Lopez and 8-year-old Sofia Lopez came in to buy what they wanted.

Rosie's is open on Saturday from 8 to 11:30 a.m,. mainly for order pickups. The shop is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays, from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.