Rob Gonzalez was already a Ravens fan, but now he has even more reason to root for the home team.
Gonzalez, 56, is the owner of Snickerdoodles Bakery & Coffee House in Hampstead, Md., a small town in Carroll County. And Gonzalez is now in charge of supplying the Ravens' victory cake.
What's victory cake?
For years, the Ravens have celebrated wins with a cake on Monday or Tuesday in the cafeteria. With the exception of soft-serve ice cream, the lunch room is mostly devoid of sweets, as cookies and other desserts were removed a couple years ago. So the cake is a very welcomed sight.
"It gives me an extra reason to root for the Ravens really hard," Gonzalez said. "It's almost like I'm gambling without putting up any money. Every time they win, I win. It's a win-win situation."
Gonzalez opened his small bakery 13 years ago after leaving Classic Catering, which is contracted to provide the Ravens' meals at the Under Armour Performance Center and M&T Bank Stadium. Gonzalez was Classic Catering's pastry chef for 14 years.
When he got the call this year from Classic Catering, asking him if he'd be interested in making the cake, he was overjoyed. It wasn't as much about prestige as it was just reliable business. After all, the Ravens win a lot.
"It was just like, 'Hey, on a Tuesday I'm going to deliver two cakes to the Ravens,'" Gonzalez said. "I greatly appreciate any help this gives our business."
After the Ravens' Week 1 win over Buffalo, Gonzalez and his cake-decorating wife, Julia, whipped up a chocolate cake with chocolate mousse filling and chocolate ganache. It came complete with a fancy Ravens birdie head drawn on top.
Chef Tenille Moore, who is the director of food service for the Ravens, told Gonzalez it was the first time the entire cake was devoured.
"More chocolate never hurts anything," Gonzalez said.
Some players requested red velvet cake, so that's what's coming after the team's Week 2 comeback win over the Browns. And Gonzalez's personal favorite, a banana chocolate chip with chocolate ganache isn't far around the corner.
So, if you're a sweet-toothed fan looking to celebrate like a Raven, stop by Snickerdoodles Bakery & Coffee House and ask what they're sending the Ravens' way.
Sidenote: Tight end Dennis Pitta talked about the victory cake in last week's “The Lounge” podcast. He said he didn't have any last week. "I'm a professional athlete in training; I can't just be eating cake all the time," Pitta deadpanned.
