sweet-maria's Bakery Whips Up Sweet Treats in Waterbury

Waterbury, CT - Since 1990, Maria Bruscino Sanchez has been baking up Connecticut’s best cakes and cookies. Everything is baked with real ingredients like butter, sugar, flour, eggs, and heavy cream and all of the sweet~maria’s cakes and cookies are baked with her personal passion for delicious sweets.

“I’ve always loved to bake,” Maria writes. “Living with my mother and grandmother, baking has always been a part of my life. My extended family of great aunts, cousins and godmothers always had something yummy cooking and were always eager to share their secrets. I learned a lot about baking with only the finest and freshest ingredients.”

Maria’s first part time job in both high school and college was at a local neighborhood bakery. Here she learned a lot about production and cake decorating. After earning a Bachelors in Marketing, Maria continued to bake cakes at home for her lucky family and friends while holding down a day job in advertising.

“I baked and decorated cakes at home and delivered them before work for a growing number of corporate accounts,” she writes. Many of these corporate accounts remain customers of the bakery today. Maria’s passionate hobby had now become a thriving home business.

In 1990, the talented baker opened Sweet Maria’s in an 1800 square foot space in her old neighborhood. At the same time, her mother retired from her career as a bookkeeper and her father retired after being a barber for 50 years. Her parents, as well as her husband, her aunts, and assorted cousins and more have all become an integral part of the Sweet Maria’s team.

“Baked with real ingredients: butter, sugar, flour, eggs, and heavy cream”
— Maria of sweet~maria’s

After nine years in Ms. Sanchez’s old neighborhood, the business moved to a larger location, occupying 4,000 square feet and employing 12 year-round employees, with more added as seasonal staffing.

“Most days, it’s a great job to have, baking up delicious sweets and being a part of people’s happiest moments,” Maria writes on the sweet~maria’s website. “That’s what matters most.”

Maria also loves to share recipes and traditions, and that led to having her first cookbook Sweet Maria’s Italian Cookie Tray (St. Martin’s Press) published in 1995. It includes 65 recipes for traditional cookies.

Three more baking books followed that can now be found in Sweet Maria’s Big Baking Bible. This book compiles all four of her baking cookbooks into one must-have volume. Included in this volume are Sweet Maria’s Italian Cookie Tray, Sweet Maria’s Cake Kitchen, Sweet Maria’s Italian Desserts and Sweet Maria’s Cookie Jar.

The New Lasagna Cookbook (also published by St. Martin’s Press) offers easy homestyle recipes for everyone’s (especially mine!) favorite comfort food. Full disclosure: More often than not, lasagna is what I order when I am at an Italian restaurant and it is also my favorite thing to bring to family gatherings because my family loves my mother’s recipe.

Maria’s love of writing, developing, and sharing recipes has also led her to be a frequent contributor to Intermezzo Magazine, and a frequent guest on Better Connecticut.

I met with the most genuine bakery owner in the small dining room in her lovely (and busy) shop in Waterbury because I wanted to ask her about her long association with Seven Angels Theatre. She told me that she has been working with 7A since the very beginning, some twenty years ago and is pleased to be able to support the local Equity theatre located in Hamilton Park. The bakery is listed on the Seven Angels website as a big supporter of the theatre; Artistic Director Semina De Laurentis has been expressing her thanks to sweet~maria’s during her curtain speeches for as long as this reviewer can remember.

Seven Angels offers a sweet~maria’s Night on a Friday evening during the run of all of the Equity productions that make up the regular season. Maria usually chooses the treats offered at the sweet~maria’s Night to go along with the theme of the show. She always offers a variety of treats, but if she does not include some flavor of biscotti, patrons miss the classic Italian biscuits, which in Italian means “twice-cooked.”

"We are always in awe of the sweets that Sweet Marias Bakery Waterbury CT offers at the theatre! Visiting patrons, actors, and production teams rave about them year round. " - actor Jimmy Donohue, frequently seen on the stage and behind the scenes at Seven Angels

Maria tries to attend as many Seven Angels productions as she can, but the Friday evening shows do not fit in with her busy Saturday schedule. During our meeting, we agreed that the recent production of THE WHO’S TOMMY was stellar and managed to outshine the movie version. Thank you to Ms. Sanchez for her long-time support of local theatre and for making the time to meet with me to discuss her relationship with Seven Angels, the theatre that remains one of my easiest commutes and that I have been reviewing for almost nine years.

“Most times, I can be found at the bakery, with a chocolate covered apron digging into the daily orders, meeting with customers, teaching a class or signing a cookbook or two,” writes the busy baker. “Everyday provides inspiration to create the best and most beautiful cakes and cookies possible.”

At sweet~maria’s, their motto has always been “more than just another pretty cake.” It’s always important for it to taste as good as it looks.

There is a Cake of the Month with new flavors for you to try each month. Featured in June is the Lemon Blackberry Cake that is perfect for summer. The lemon cake, filled with lemon mousse and blackberries is frosted with whipped cream.

I am amazed by this extensive list of cakes, all of which sound heavenly. Check out the amazing creations in their online portfolio, especially the wedding cakes.

CLASSIC CAKES

Black Forest - devils food, cherry filling, whipped cream
Boston Cream - yellow cake, vanilla pudding, ganache
Cherry Nut - classic cherry nut with buttercream
Carrot Cake - with raisins, walnuts, chocolate chips and cream cheese frosting
Red Velvet - a classic cake with cream cheese filling & frosting
Confetti - white cake with sprinkles, white chocolate mousse, buttercream
Very Vanilla - yellow cake, vanilla pudding, vanilla buttercream
Banana Nut - with cream cheese frosting
Chunky Monkey - banana nut cake, chocolate chips, cream cheese frosting
White Forest - white cake, cherry filling, whipped cream
Lemon Coconut - white cake, lemon filling, buttercream and coconut
Lemon Poppyseed - lemon poppy cake, lemon filling and buttercream
Pink Champagne - pink champagne cake, white chocolate mousse, raspberry buttercream
Hummingbird - banana cake with walnuts & pineapple, cream cheese frosting
German Chocolate - devils food cake, traditional coconut and nut filling, chocolate buttercream

I know that no one asked, but I think I would have to go with the Pink Champagne or the Boston Cream as my favorites on his list.

CHOCOLATE AND MORE

Chocolate Overdose - devil’s food cake, chocolate whipped cream filling & frosting
Cookies and Cream - devil’s food cake, crushed oreos, choice of vanilla or chocolate whipped cream
Peanut Butter Cup - devils food cake, peanut butter, choice of vanilla or chocolate whipped cream
Milk and Cookies - yellow cake, white chocolate mousse, crushed chocolate chip cookies, whipped cream
Chocolate Kahlua - kahlua drizzled devils food cake, chocolate whipped cream frosting and filling
Chocolate Heath Bar Crunch - devil’s food cake, crunchy candy chunks and chocolate buttercream
Mounds - devils food cake, coconut and vanilla buttercream
Almond Joy - devils food, gooey coconut filling, ganache, toasted almonds
Chip & Ernie’s - yellow cake, chocolate chips, chocolate buttercream
Mississippi Mud - devil’s food cake, brownie chunks, ganache drizzle, choice of vanilla or chocolate whipped cream
Chocolate Cookie Frappuccino - devils food cake, coffee mousse, crushed oreos, chocolate whipped cream
Mocha Almond Fudge - devil’s food, mocha mousse, almond buttercream, ganache drizzle
Rocky Road - devil’s food with chocolate chips, walnuts, marshmallows and chocolate buttercream
Chocolate Toasted Almond - devils food cake, almond mousse and crumble, chocolate whipped cream
White Chocolate Chip - white cake, white chocolate chips and buttercream
Black Raspberry - devils food cake, raspberries, chocolate whipped cream
Midnight Mousse - devils food cake, fresh strawberries, chocolate whipped cream

“If dessert is not chocolate, what is the point?” This is the motto I live by when ordering dessert, so the choices above are slightly overwhelming. I have narrowed it down to Chocolate Heath Bar Crunch, Mocha Almond Fudge, and Peanut Butter Cup as my favorite offerings.

FRUIT AND WHIPPED CREAM

Very Berry - white cake, blueberries, strawberries and raspberries
Pink Cloud - white cake and fresh strawberries
Georgia Peach - yellow cake and peaches ‘n cream
Strawberry Banana - white cake, strawberries, bananas
Lemon Pineapple - lemon cake, crushed pineapple
Lemon Blueberry - lemon cake, fresh blueberries
Lemon Raspberry - lemon cake, raspberries
Chocolate Banana Cream - devil's food cake, vanilla pudding, sliced bananas
Coconut Banana Cream - yellow cake, vanilla pudding, sliced bananas, coconut
Spring Fling - yellow cake, pineapple, strawberries, blueberries
Peach Melba - yellow cake, peaches, raspberries
Booze Cruise - yellow cake, rum, pineapple, coconut

Very Berry, hands down. Maria recently appeared on WTNH to share her recipe for a version of this cake.

MOUSSE

Apricot Mousse - white cake, apricot cream filling, whipped cream
Lemon Mousse - white cake, lemon cream filling, whipped cream
Mocha Mousse - devil’s food cake, mocha cream filling, whipped cream
Raspberry Mousse - white cake, raspberry cream filling, whipped cream
Strawberry Mousse - white cake, strawberry cream filling, whipped cream
Pineapple Mousse - white cake, pineapple cream filling, whipped cream
White Chocolate Pistachio Mousse - white cake, white chocolate pistachio mousse, whipped cream
Chocolate Raspberry Mousse - devils food cake, raspberry cream, chocolate whipped cream
Chocolate Strawberry Mousse - devils food cake, strawberry cream, chocolate whipped
White Chocolate Mousse - devil’s food cake, white chocolate mousse, chocolate whipped cream
Italian Cannoli Cake - yellow cake, sweetened ricotta cheese with chocolate chips, whipped cream
Tiramisu - espresso soaked yellow cake, sweetened mascarpone filling, cocoa and whipped cream
Cappuccino - coffee soaked yellow cake, whipped cream and cinnamon
Coffee Hazelnut - hazelnut cake, coffee mousse, whipped cream
Chocolate Nutella - devil's food cake, nutella mousse, nutella buttercream
Toasted Almond - almond cake, almond mousse, crumble and almond buttercream
Italian Rum - rum drizzled yellow cake, vanilla & chocolate pudding, whipped cream

While my late Italian father would never understand why I didn’t put Italian Rum at the top of my list, I think the Lemon Mousse sounds amazing.

SEASONAL

Orange Creamsicle - orange cake, orange mousse, whipped cream
Key Lime Pie - white cake, key lime mousse, graham crumb, whipped cream
Lemon Lavender - lemon lavender cake, lemon mousse, lemon buttercream
Toasted Coconut Mango - yellow cake, mango mousse, buttercream, toasted coconut
Almond Guava - almond cake, guava mousse, almond buttercream
Applesauce Walnut - with cream cheese frosting
Pumpkin Spice - with cream cheese frosting
Pumpkin Mousse - yellow cake, pumpkin mousse, whipped cream
Maple Walnut - maple walnut cake, maple whipped cream filling and frosting

Yes, Key Lime Pie and Applesauce Walnut both sound delicious.

sweet~maria’s also offers “Make your own” creations, but I personally would be fearful of second guessing the owner.

Cakes flavors include White, Yellow, and Devil's Food. Fillings offered include Mocha Mousse, Lemon Mousse, Vanilla Pudding, Chocolate Pudding, Lemon Filling, Peanut Butter Mousse, Chocolate Mousse Raspberry Mousse, Strawberry Mousse, White Chocolate Mousse, Apricot Mousse, Orange Mousse, and Coffee Mousse.

Frostings from which to choose include Vanilla Buttercream, Chocolate Buttercream, Cream Cheese Frosting, Chocolate Ganache, Whipped Cream, and Chocolate Whipped Cream.

Cake Servings
8” round serves 10-12
10” round serves 15-20
12” round serves 25-30
14” round serves 40-45

1/2 sheet serves 30-35
12” x 18” serves 50-60
Full Sheet serves 75-100

Larger sizes available. Please inquire. Prices may vary. Please place orders 2-3 days in advance.
Download the PDF of the Cake Menu

Many of the cake flavors listed above are offered as cupcakes and custom cupcakes can be created from an extensive list of flavors.

All flavors are available as oversized cupcakes with a minimum order of 3 per flavor. Many flavors are available as minis with a minimum order of 12 per flavor requested.

I have tasted sweet~maria’s cookies at Seven Angels Theatre; I am sure that it was during one of Tom Chute’s live WATR 1320 AM broadcast during the annual Christmas Open House. Maria herself confirmed that she continues to provide sweet treat to Mr. Chute and the Waterbury radio station. There is currently a radio promo for sweet~maria’s running on WATR describing a cupcake promotion in celebration of their upcoming anniversary.

The generous cookie menu of over twenty flavors includes Frosted Lemon Italian, Pignoli Nut, Chocolate Almond Macaroons, Oatmeal Raisin, Chocolate Chip, White Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chocolate Chip, Raspberry Walnut Thumbprints, Apricot Walnut Thumbprints, Pineapple Coconut Thumbprints, Peanut Butter Cookie, Coconut Macaroons, Fluffer Nutter Bars, Magic Cookie Bars, Mocha Walnut Balls, Peanut Butter Balls, Almond Triangles, Maple Walnut, Gingersnaps, Mexican Wedding Cookies, Pumpkin Spice Drops, Butter cookies that can be ordered as plain or chocolate dipped with nuts.

Biscotti flavors include Cinnamon Raisin with Walnuts, Coconut, Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chocolate Chip, Anisel Amaretto with Almonds and Dried Cranberry Almond. I must admit that I am not a big fan of biscotti as a rule, but cinnamon raisin with walnuts sounds really good to me.

sweet~maria’s offers special events and classes that are posted on their website. Check out their colorful Facebook page.

There are sweet~maria’s mugs for sale at the bakery, as well as copies of the cookbooks that I am sure Maria would be willing to autograph if asked. Cookies, the cookbooks and adorable onesies may be ordered from the website. The site also features a blog with some recent posts.

sweet~maria’s is located at 159 Manor Ave in Waterbury, Connecticut and there is ample off-street parking available in a parking lot. Check out the glowing press that hangs on the walls and the DIY Cupcake Bar in the room next to the bakery cases. Models of beautiful wedding cakes are also on display. Delivery is available.

sweet~maria’s would love to bake you something special! Just give them a call at (203) 755-3804.

Hours are:
T-F: 10AM-6PM
SAT: 8AM-2PM
SUN: 8AM-12PM

Nancy Sasso Janis, writing theatre reviews since 2012 as a way to support local venues, posts well over 100 reviews each year. In 2016, her membership in the Connecticut Critics Circle began and her contributions of theatrical reviews, previews, and audition notices are posted not only in the Naugatuck Patch but also on the Patch sites closest to the venue. Follow the reviewer on her Facebook pages Nancy Sasso Janis: Theatre Reviewerand Connecticut Theatre Previews and on Twitter @nancysjanis417 Check out the NEW CCC Facebook page.
Click here to read about Naugatuck Patch Mayor Nancy Sasso Janis.