Press
Winnipeg Free Press - Sunday, April 16, 2006
Icons: We dream of... Jeanne
Local bakery's unique cakes are the sweet stuff of Winnipeg legend
HOWZABOUT this for "taking the cake"?
"It was my husband's 45th birthday," says Marianne Savard, "and I did what I always do. I called Jeanne's Bakery on Notre Dame and ordered a Jeanne's Cake to be delivered to the IGA on Provencher.
"When I went to pick it up on the day of the party, however, it wasn't there."
Befuddled, Savard asked the clerk to double-check. "She couldn't find it anywhere, then she looked in the log book and said, 'Oh, here's why. You've already picked it up.' I said, 'What? I didn't pick it up.' So then she showed me a receipt with the signature of the person who had paid for it.
"I couldn't believe it -- who would buy a cake with 'Happy Birthday, Bert' written on it? I mean, I love Jeanne's Cakes, but what kind of person could possibly want one that bad?"
Apparently, some people have no shame when it comes to craving the legendary Winnipeg delicacy. Jerry Penner, the current owner of Jeanne's Bakery, is actually compiling testimonials like Savard's.
"We hear so many stories about Jeanne's cakes, often from people just standing in line, that we thought we'd try to put together a little history and print it on the boxes," he says.
Rest assured that Penner has no plans to change the name of the local institution's signature sensation to the Jerry's Cake.
"I'd be crazy to," says Penner, who bought the business three years ago from the grandson of cake matriarch Jeanne Van Landeghem. Indeed, the log-style confection, renowned for its shortbread crust, real butter icing and Belgian chocolate swirls, is as much a part of Winnipeg's ethos as the Salisbury House Nip.
Van Landeghem made a name for herself almost 60 years ago during a royal visit.
"In the 1940s, the Queen was being entertained at Government House," says Penner. "Jeanne was asked to bake danties for the occasion and from what I understand, the Queen liked them so much she asked Jeanne in for a private visit."
More recently, actress Jennifer Lopez was invited to give a piece a chance while in town on a shoot. "Her birthday fell during the filming of Shall We Dance? and a cake was sent over. Before she left town, she ordered two more," boasts Penner.
"I've been in the baking business for over 30 years -- I've actually travelled a fair bit all over the world as well -- and I've never run across a similar product," he adds.
While birthday festivities do make up the bulk of the hundreds of daily pre-orders, Penner says there are some customers who will mark any occasion that comes along with a Jeannes Cake.
"Dog's birthdays, funny anniversaries, you name it. People will even invent a celebration in order to get a cake."
A word of warning: If you didn't pick up an Easter cake before reading this article, you may already be out of luck. "Easter is definitely our busiest time of the year," says Penner.
How about those loyal ex-'Peggers who, whenever they visit, make Jeanne's Bakery their final stop on their way out of town?
"Just recently there was a businessman in from Toronto who picked one up on his way to the airport," says Penner. "It turned out that his flight had a long wait on the tarmac and people were getting so unhappy that he broke out the cake and shared it with everyone. I hear it had a very calming effect."
Jeannes Bakery, 931 Notre Dame Ave., is open Tuesday through Friday, 9 AM to 5:30 PM; Saturday from 9 AM to 5PM.Winnipeg - June 2, 2004
Jeanne's Bakery Serves Up Famous Cakes to Martin
For generations, those celebrating birthdays in the Boswick family have made a trip to Jeanne's bakery for her famous cakes. But this was the first time they'd ever bumped into a Canadian Prime Minister while picking up the sweet treat.
The Prime Minister stopped the campaign bus so he could get a quick tour of the institution on a swing through the city. Just as he arrived at the bakeshop, June and Walter Boswick were at the cash about to purchase a birthday cake for a party this Saturday. It's something June has done since she was a child, and now does for her grandchildren.
"I was very surprised to see him," said June of the PM. "I recognized (local candidate) David Northcott, and I think he's done great work for the city."
The staff let Martin in the kitchen of the west-end bakery to show him the tools of the trade. Legend has it that the quaint bakery rose in popularity because it used to make a type of cookie called "dainties" for the Queen Mother, said Francine Cianslone, a Martin supporter who helped arrange the Liberal leader's visit to the bakery.
"Every time a government-related function happened they would provide the dainties, and the business has been passed down through the generations," she said. "It's known as one of Winnipeg's greatest," enthused the forth-year criminology and psychology student at the University of Manitoba.
Before leaving, Martin purchased four of the famous log cakes - two banana and two marble, complete with chocolate shavings - and handed them over to hungry journalists.
"They are delicious, I've had them myself," said Cianslone.
"I think it was very important that he visited such a significant Winnipeg institution. It's certainly a well-known place in this city, and we try and tell tourists about it," she said.
Winnipeg - Winter 2005
The Icing on the Cake
It can't be described. In can't be imitated. There's simply nothing like a Jeanne's cake.
If you spot someone on the street carrying a rectangular box with a telltale string wound twice around, you know exactly what's inside. What you see someone at the airport with a cakebox in hand, you know an ex-Winnipegger is going to get a treat from back home. It's common knowledge that Winnipeggers are divided into two distinct categories - those who love the shortbread crust and those who despise it.
For over half a century, youngsters have been pleading for a banana Jeanne's birthday cake while couples celebrating a silver anniversary opt for a marble log large enough to feed a burgeoning family. One look at those pastel flowers and chocolate shavings and everyone is asking for a piece that's just a little bit larger.
Look closely on the box and you'll find an interesting line.
"Purveyors to our royal visitors at Government House."
This lofty designation dates to the late 1940's when the royal family came to visit. It was Jeanne's Bakery that supplied the danties at government house. Apparently the treats were a big hit and Jeanne's was granted the privilege of becoming the official supplier. The story goes that Jeanne Van Landeghem, the bakery's namesake, would go to government house to have danties and tea with any visiting royalty.
Jeanne's cakes have always had a celebrity appear. Jennifer Lopez celebrated her birthday in Winnipeg while she was here shooting "Shall We Dance?" Her cake came from Jeanne's. Reportedly, her handlers ordered a couple more cakes several weeks later. Like us, they were hooked.
The bakers at Jeanne's tell us it takes only 15 seconds to decorate a cake. For some of us, it takes about that long to devour a piece.