Bakery expands into Cajun food at NewBo City Market

CEDAR RAPIDS — A relatively new bakery at NewBo City Market is expanding into a new food category.

K.C. Cakes, first opened in November 2023 by Krystan Proctor and Alex Cooley, will become K.C. Cakes and Cajun as it starts serving Cajun food on Jan. 3.

The fast-growing bakery and restaurant will be moving to a new space in the market as Midnight Smoker leaves to open its first stand-alone restaurant at Cedar River Landing.

“As sad as we are to see CR Midnight Smoker go, we can’t wait to jump into that spot and start selling authentic Cajun on top of all the baked goods you’ve grown to love,” the owners said in a social media post.

Proctor told The Gazette that new menu will include jambalaya, red beans and rice, biscuits and gravy, and eventually meats like Boudain — a Cajun sausage stuffed with seasoned rice and pork.

The couple started K.C. Cakes as a part-time cupcake delivery service from their home a few years before their debut at NewBo City Market. Cooley, a southern Louisiana native, had a vision at the outset to eventually share his Cajun roots.

Comments: Features reporter Elijah Decious can be reached at (319) 398-8340 or elijah.decious@thegazette.com.