Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — Coconut cream, pie, cake, cinnamon rolls and other decadent desserts find their home under one roof even though they're created by different businesses: The Dessert Collective.
Situated on the end of a strip mall in American Fork, the storefront boasts a clean, modern aesthetic with black-and-white floors, marbled table tops and subway tile.
Misty Shawcroft, one of the owners of The Dessert Collective, took the Deseret News on a tour of the storefront and commercial kitchen, explaining how Utah businesses like Eleanor's Coconut Cream and Grapefruit & Thyme Pies came together under the same roof.
The Dessert Collective is what it sounds like: a collective of dessert places. If you're a frequenter of downtown Provo, you might recognize the chocolate molten cake from Taste 117. Or if you've visited events with food trucks across Utah County, you may remember Eleanor's Coconut Cream: the velvety, creamy coconut-based icy treat.
In Shawcroft's telling, the collective originated when dessert businesses that were primarily food trucks wanted to find a way to share a storefront and commercial kitchen.
It's primarily a woman-owned business, she explained. Since its grand opening in 2022 and its relocation in late December 2023, vendors who started their businesses out of their homes have partnered with The Dessert Collective to have their treats sold in a storefront.
One of the other benefits of a partnership is using a commercial kitchen.
Part of the revenue for The Dessert Collective comes from the system where vendors can use the commercial kitchen on site. Shawcroft said having access to a commercial kitchen can help businesses scale up and develop products. She added that employees who are working in the storefront can sometimes go help in the kitchen as dessert businesses are making delicious concoctions.
The Dessert Collective sources many of its ingredients locally, but also will order special ingredients from places across the world that specialize in that specific ingredient. Shawcroft explained that the vendors do this because it ensures a high-quality product and some of the products depend on unique ingredients that are not commonly found.
Shawcroft said she loves being an owner of The Dessert Collective because "it allows me a challenge and allows me the chance to contribute."
She said she has worked in corporate America and been a stay-at-home mom, so she has had different experiences that have helped shape the way the business is run. By its nature, the business is flexible — if a family emergency or event comes, the business model allows for flexibility to keep products ready to purchase and the storefront up and running.
While The Dessert Collective does not only do allergy-friendly desserts, Shawcroft said the storefront has become known for providing allergy-friendly options.
Scanning the menu, you can find gluten-free, dairy-free, no added sugar and vegan options. For example, the cinnamon date coconut cream is sweetened with dates, and it's gluten-free, dairy-free and does not have any added sugar.
Sweet Hazel, a bakery specializing in vegan desserts, puts up cakes like the funfetti cake. It's topped with a fluffy, rich buttercream frosting and has colorful sprinkles throughout.
If you would prefer a richer dessert that is not necessarily vegan, or no added sugar, you can try one of the storefront's offerings like the peppermint pie. Created by Grapefruit & Thyme Pies, the peppermint pie is composed of a chocolate ganache, white chocolate mousse and a peppermint whipped cream on top.
'Something for everyone'
When asked what her favorite dessert was, Shawcroft said it was difficult to narrow it down, but she loved the raspberry coconut cream. She said she enjoyed that the dessert, created with fresh raspberries, was made with "pure ingredients" and a "fresh taste."
The desserts are served on white plateware with heavy gold utensils. While at The Dessert Collective, I tasted the raspberry coconut cream. An employee took out the coconut cream from the blast freezer and served it in a white dish.
The raspberry coconut cream looked like dozens of pale pink petals. The texture was creamy — icier than ice cream, but creamier than shaved ice. The coconut cream was raspberry-forward with a tart, yet sweet, taste. I could feel the seeds from the raspberries intermingled with the fluffy cream. It tasted like a sorbet, but the coconut cream added a mousse-like texture and a tanginess.
Previously, I have tasted the chocolate molten cake. The cake highlights the depth of flavor from the cocoa. It's not too sweet and has a rich texture. The warm center of the cake exploded when poked with a spoon and when swirled together with the cake, it results in rich taste and texture.
Shawcroft said that yummy desserts were one of the reasons she got involved in The Dessert Collective. A self-described foodie, she said she's "all over the map food wise." She's happy to appreciate good food whether it comes from a quick serve restaurant or a fancy kitchen.
For her, The Dessert Collective is about having "something for everyone" and dishing up good desserts.
The Dessert Collective is located at 101 NW State Street #116 in American Fork.
