If you’ve ever been out to Lake County on scenic County Road 48, you probably have heard of this authentic little German bakery called Yalaha Bakery, housed in a rather quaint country village building off the road – like out of a scene from the Sound of Music. Known for their hearty multigrain and rye breads and mouthwatering pastries, Yalaha Bakery has been a culinary staple in Lake County for over 17 years now with many a foodie venturing out to the shop there to sample their freshly baked goods.

In August of 2011, co-owners Juergen and Anna Marie Klumb opened a charming little neighborhood outpost near downtown Orlando off of Orange Avenue just across from Lake Ivanhoe (in the Ivanhoe Village District, just a few shops south of Ethos Vegan).

Anne Marie Klumb manages this location, staffed by friendly and helpful workers who are eager to help out with suggestions. The local Yalaha Bakery in Orlando has their breads and pastries shipped in from their home-base bakery in Lake County fresh each morning.

An impressive wall of freshly baked German style bread loaves and rolls line up one side of the bakery, ranging from pretzel breads to rye to pumpernickel and more. The bread here is of high quality and made with fresh, natural ingredients – free of preservatives and chemical additives. A case of traditional German deli meats, bratwursts, and sandwiches sits on one side of the shop, and an espresso machine stands nearby ready to serve up some great cappuccino and coffee for the early risers.

But to me, the main attraction is the beautiful display of colorful, sweet pastries and cakes at the center.

German apple pies, peach and apple strudels, black forest cake, apple Normandy, lemon ginger cookies, frangipan butter cookies filled with raspberries, and more, line the display, beckoning your sweet tooth to bite in through the glass case. So many choices – it can be a bit overwhelming when you want to try them all.

I would recommend the bee sting cake, a unique, moist cake filled with Bavarian cream and topped with almonds and orange blossom honey, a truly delightful treat. It comes as a huge square, big enough to share, but you won’t because you’ll want to savor it for later, thinking of those rolling hills and country village houses, the place where Yalaha bakes magic into their pastries and breads.

Artistic interpretation of the Yalaha Country Bakery in Lake County

Pretzel cheese loaf – try it

Display of pastries

List of daily bread

Black forest slice cake

The bee sting, filled with bavarian creme, topped with almonds and orange blossom honey