In a quaint strip mall on the West Side is a cupcakery, the Pacetré Bake and Brew. Owned and operated by Evansville natives Judy Pace and her two daughters Kelly and Tracy, the Pacetré offers a whimsical selection of cupcakes in a cozy space that fills with the sweet aroma of cake batter and brewed coffee.
Baking always has been a passion of the Pace trio, though professionally, they have varied backgrounds: customer service, interior design, and legal assistance. They’re rookies to the cupcake business, but their following of the Reese peanut butter cup and butter maple bacon cupcakes suggests otherwise. “They’ve taken off like crazy,” Tracy says. “We can’t keep them in stock.”
The shop itself is a treat. The interior is a marriage of nostalgic and trendy chic. Vintage cupcake pans, chandeliers, a chalkboard menu, and carefree signs with slogans such as “Life’s One Cupcake at a Time” adorn the walls. The red and robin egg blue decor pop against the shop’s cream walls, and the colorful assortment of swirled-top confections dot the inside of the display cabinet.
The bakery offers seven to 10 varieties of cupcakes daily such as lemon-lemon, strawberry-strawberry, snickerdoodle, red velvet, peanut butter cup, and the four chocolate-vanilla combinations. I tried the lemon-lemon, raspberry-infused cupcake. The lemon tang punched me in the mouth, and the super moist treat crumbled on the first bite. The ultra-smooth mound of lemon buttercream atop the fluffy lemon cake pairs nicely with the tartness of its gooey raspberry center.
On the brew menu is a variety of hot tea, hot chocolate, and coffee that pair well with cupcakes, cake balls, hi hats (cupcakes with a tall frosting for dipping in chocolate), and tipsy treats.
