In our wanderings in Disney World earlier this month we spotted some new goodies at Contempo Café at Disney’s Contemporary Resort!
Contempo Cafe has long impressed with the variety of options available in the ol’ bakery case. The main standouts, though, have typically come in the form of cupcakes. After all, Contempo Cafe has been home to a rotating cast of cupcake greats like the Black Forest Cupcake, the Dulce de Leche Cupcake, the always festive Birthday Cake Cupcake and — my personal favorite — the (deeply missed) Chocolate Covered Coconut Cupcake.
Now, for you diehard cupcake aficionados like myself, rest assured that we’ve got one more of those for you today. But we’re also taking a look at FOUR other new items in that case… and a couple of them may tempt you to veer off the cupcake path, at least for a little bit.
So get your sweet tooth ready for a few new gems! But let’s take a super quick look around first, shall we?
Atmosphere
You’ll find Contempo Cafe on the fourth floor of the Contemporary, right next to Chef Mickey’s. It feels like things are always buzzing right around this area, especially since Chef Mickey and the gang are now hosting brunch as well as breakfast and dinner.
This Counter Service spot featuring hot meals (they still serve up a mean Pot Roast for dinner), baked goods, and grab-and-go items is perfect for having a quick bite before or after hitting the Magic Kingdom, which is within walking distance of the Contemporary.
Plus, you know… MONORAILS!
Okay, so that’s actually the view when you’re getting ready to “please stand clear of the doors” and board the Monorail at the Contemporary, but you can catch glimpses from the 4th Floor of the Contemporary of Monorails carrying guests to and from Magic Kingdom and other area Resorts, making any visit to the Contempo Cafe, Chef Mickey’s, or the Outer Rim Lounge even more of a quintessentially Disney experience.
Eats
Again, while Contempo Cafe serves all sorts of hot meals from breakfast to a late night bite, today’s visit is all about Contempo’s bakery case, especially in light of some recent additions. (Of course, bagels, danish pastries, and the like are still available.)
So what new treasures are hanging out in there these days?
Well, we promised you a cupcake, and here it is: the Swirl Cone Cupcake has taken up residence alongside the Contempo’s take on a “Frozen”-themed Cupcake (yep; that one’s still going strong).
At first glance, the Swirl Cone Cupcake lives up to its name perfectly with the vanilla and chocolate swirled buttercream icing replicating the simple but popular ice cream treat… and the bit of cake cone and sprinkles for garnish don’t hurt the theming, either! The whole thing ends up looking so much like soft-serve, I was almost afraid it was going to melt ;).
Longtime fans of the Contempo’s Birthday Cake Cupcake will be pleased with the similar vanilla confetti base, once again filled with creamy buttercream icing.
All in all, the traditional flavors along with the super cute theming of this one is sure to please a wide variety of sweet seekers.
Still, where the Swirl Cone Cupcake plays it safe, I’d say the Strawberry Blondie Banana Split changes things up a bit. In true banana split fashion, just take a look at the everything-we-can-fit-on-this-thing ingredient list.
Yep: it’s a strawberry blondie base covered with pineapple sauce and two “scoops” of banana buttercream (banana buttercream?!??!), all drizzled with a chocolate ganache and topped with — what else? — a maraschino cherry. And more sprinkles!
It’s a cute twist, for sure.
The reason I typically steer clear of an actual banana split sundae is that I’m not a huge fan of pineapple sauce. And while that’s simply a personal preference, that remained the case here. I gotta give props, though, to the surprising strawberry flavor in the soft and chewy blondie, and the banana buttercream had a light texture, but was full of flavor.
There are so many elements in this one that you’ll want to be sure all of them appeal to you before placing your order. But that’s what you need to do with a real banana split sundae anyway.
The Chocolate-Chip Cookie Sandwich is made up of marshmallow buttercream sandwiched between two chocolate-chip cookies.
The unexpected touch of gold on top along with the Mickey face give it a little something extra.
Overall, I was expecting something closer to a Whoopie Pie with a thicker filling. But, really, the marshmallow buttercream (with a whipped texture as opposed to buttercream icing) was not much more than a binder between the cookies.
But there’s a reason for that when you consider these cookies! I think you can tell from the photo below that they are super soft and chewy. The emphasis definitely falls on the cookies here.
Next, Contempo Cafe is taking on an old-school Kringla Bakeri favorite… here comes the Cream Horn!
While this one bears a resemblance to the Troll Horn at Kringla, there are some differences to note. It’s a similar cone pastry shell dusted in coarse sugar, but the Cream Horn is filled with a lemon cream, drizzled with chocolate and dipped into red sprinkles.
The sugar and additional sweetening elements balance the hint of tart from the citrusy cream, and I appreciated the filling-to-pastry ratio, with the flaky pastry playing second fiddle to the generous amount of cream. Score!
This was certainly the lightest of the bunch and — much like the Troll Horn — would go well with a cup of coffee. So, I totally think you could get away with calling this one “breakfast,” no?
Last — but completely not least — is the Peanut Butter Pie.
Feast your eyes on this, my PB People…
What you’re looking at is PEANUT BUTTER CREAM CHEESE filling (Yes, ALL CAPS. And italicized.) scooped on top of a layer of vanilla cream and tucked inside a vanilla shell, drizzled with more of that chocolate ganache, and surrounded by blah, blah, blah…WHO CARES?!??! IT’S PEANUT BUTTER CREAM CHEESE FILLING!!!!!
OK, you say you want the full review? Well, the shell is nice and soft — much more of a cookie than a typical tart crust. The vanilla cream layered on the bottom of the shell provides a nice compliment to the peanut butter, and lightens the texture of the super rich pie just a bit.
But it’s the filling that clearly steals the show, with the cream cheese base making the scoop much more like peanut butter fudge than “just” a scoop of peanut butter. Rich, salty-sweet, and delicious.
Oh, Peanut Butter Pie… where have you been all my life?
Overall
Well, clearly it’s not just cupcakes and bagels anymore at the Contempo! These new treats are more than a few sweet bites — they’re actually some pretty serious indulgences which significantly step up the bakery case game.
So remember that even though items in any of the bakery cases in Disney World can change with some frequency, it’s always worth peeking in to see what’s new… especially if you happen to find yourself on the fourth floor of the Contemporary Resort any time soon!
Which of the new Contempo Cafe treats would you like to try? Please let us know with a comment!
Shadow says
Ooooooh, thanks for the reviews. We’ll be there in September, so I’m hoping they still have the PB pie. We’d definitely swing by the Contemporary for that one.
Jenn @ Fairest Run of All says
EVERYTHING FROSTING AND PEANUT BUTTER!!!! (In other words, I am on board.)
Tricia says
So glad I was already planning on making a stop here in October on my way to Magic Kingdom one day… mainly for the cupcakes but now MUST get this Peanut Butter Pie too!
Mark D. says
I REALLY hope that PB pie is still there in October!!!
Mary R. says
We will be staying at the GF in September and that’s just a quick monorail ride away from the CR so I will have to take a trip over to see what the Contemp Cafe has while we are there. I really want to try the PB pie, the cookie sandwhich and the lemon cream horn! I hope they will still have them in September!
kariss says
Everything looks amazing!
Michele says
OH.MY.GOSH. I had no intention of stopping by the Contemporary on my trip in October, but now I have to add it to the list solely to try that peanut butter pie!!! Looks AMAZING!!
Essie says
Everything, except I think I’ll be good and skip the ‘swirled cone’ cupcake.
Sandy says
Oh sweet mother of all things peanut butter…that pie is literally making me foam at the mouth! Although everything in this review looks great! You’re right…who cares, it’s PB CREAM CHEESE FILLING! I need no more additional info beyond that.
AJ says
Sandy — RIGHT?!?!?
pam balkovec says
I wish they could offer a gluten free cupcake or dessert!
Eean says
The Swirl Cone cupcake and Peanut Butter Pie look like must haves on our trip in October!
Stacy says
You had me at PB Cream Cheese Frosting…..no description needed. Oh, I hope I can have time to stop in! Thank you for your reviews, photos, and info. If it weren’t for this site, I wouldn’t know about all these fabulous finds!
Andrew Z says
Reading this blog on an empty stomach is dangerous.
Marilyn Kane says
My husband and I live in Four Corners, Florda, about a 15 minute drive from WDW. When I saw the post on the Peanut Butter Pie, we went out the door to try it. It did NOT disappoint. We also shared a Flatbread. It was not good. I will make the trip for the PB Pie though, it was delicious.
Linda Morgan says
Sure Hope PEANUT BUTTER PIE is still there in Dec when we come down to Walt Disney World.Will be staying at Old Key West this year.
Cindy Hathaway says
I just got back from our vacation last week, I can tell each of you that the peanut butter pie is AWESOME!! We didn’t stay at the Contemporary, but made a special trip over just for this dessert. I must say it was well worth the trip, by far the most delicious item I’ve EVER eaten on any of my previous 5 Disney vacation trips!
Alexa says
I read this post one week before my Disney trip last year….I hoped they would have had the PB pie…..THEY DID!!!!! I ate a little tooooooo many! SO DELICIOUS…..they are a MUST!!