Global experiences fuel State College’s newest pastry shop. Take a look inside
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- The new Caramel Afternoon pastry shop serves globally inspired treats and drinks.
- Owner Seyhan Baskaya opened the shop after working across the U.S. and Europe.
- The shop could soon expand with catering services, longer hours and more menu items.
A new bakery in State College is serving a wide range of pastries influenced by flavors from across the globe.
Caramel Afternoon Pastry and Catering, now open at 214 E. Calder Way, offers European-inspired treats and coffees. The shop opened in late June inside the space formerly occupied by Dulce Luca Cafe.
Owner Seyhan Baskaya has worked in several kitchens and pastry shops across the globe, but she chose to open her own business in State College after working as a culinary intern with Toftrees Golf Resort. Years later, she’s back with big plans of her own.
“I decided to come back to State College because it’s safe and there’s a lot of potential. There’s no pastry shop here like my kind of pastry shop,” Baskaya told the Centre Daily Times. “I saw a lot of potential for working with students, younger people and anyone who’s coming and going. There’s a lot of room to grow here.”
Caramel Afternoon’s pastry case features a wide range of puddings, cakes, tarts, pies, cookies and more. The shop also sells several coffee-based beverages, including hazelnut and blue cotton candy-flavored lattes.
Several items in Baskaya’s repertoire were directly influenced by her time working in kitchens across the country and in Spain and her native Turkey. A few items on Caramel Afternoon’s menu — including a sponge candy cheesecake (from Buffalo, New York) and banana pudding (from Atlanta, Georgia) — were first introduced to her in other kitchens a young baker and chef.
“It’s been a very interesting journey,” Baskaya said. “Sometimes, I’m learning something from another place, and I put it together in recipes from my experiences as a student and an intern. I learn something different in every place, but it’s great to combine them and create something new. That’s the fun part.”
Baskaya says practically everything sold in the shop is made from scratch, including pastry shells, fillings and decorations. She might freeze batches of dough to keep on-hand, but each batch of pastries is shaped and baked daily.
A good chunk of Caramel Afternoon’s pastry offerings are gluten-free. Most of them use alternatives like almond or pistachio flours to cater to dietary needs without resorting to ordinary gluten-free flour that might be more highly processed and less satisfying, Baskaya said.
“I try to make healthier and tastier pastries using different fruits, nuts and flours,” she said.
Years ago, Baskaya would likely have never dreamed of opening her own bakery or pastry shop. But the idea of finding a more creative livelihood often crept into her mind while she worked as a banker fresh out of college in Istanbul and helped small business owners balance their books. Soon enough, she switched paths and set out for culinary school.
The size of her new space for Caramel Afternoon is larger than she would have once thought. The shop, located within the underground alcove along Calder Way, is complete with a few sofas and couches, a shelf of board games and plenty of study spaces (and complimentary Wi-Fi) that might attract students soon enough.
“I never dreamt of anything with a space this big, but there’s lots of space to do lots of things here,” Baskaya said.
As Caramel Afternoon finds its footing, Baskaya is already thinking of ways to expand the shop’s offerings, including launching catering services. She also hopes to soon offer breakfast sandwiches, paninis, ice cream and other dishes that could broaden the shop’s appeal and expand its hours.
For now, Caramel Afternoon is open daily from about noon to 8 p.m. Those hours could start earlier in the day if it starts serving breakfast, Baskaya said.
This story was originally published July 14, 2025 at 6:35 AM.
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