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Savvy Dalton boys and Brearley girls know that CBK Cookie's custom character cakes are must-have essentials for a birthday fête. Baked in molds and frosted to look like superheroes, princesses, sports themes, or race cars, the foundation is moist chocolate or yellow cake; the embellishment, sweet buttercream frosting made from a classic recipe straight off the Domino Sugar box. (Cupcakes and homey two-layer creations follow the same time-honored technique.) Like a mom for hire, owner and self-taught baker Cynthia Bruce Kramer offers these confections along with old-fashioned cookies like almond crescents, dainty, superrich double chocolate chips, and raspberry linzers—longtime favorites at the late, lamented Plaza hotel. The hand-decorated, whimsical butter-cookie cutouts come in shapes for any occasion: showers, holidays or corporate events. Just know, you'll have to make an appointment to set foot in this charming shop, a tiny red and white space adorned with pressed tin tiles, shelves of vintage ceramic cookie jars, and a wall of well-used cake molds. The simple wooden table, the window seat, and the apron-clad Kramer will make you feel like you're at Mom’s house—if your Mom channeled Harriet Nelson via Betty Crocker. — Colleen McKinney

CBK offers cookie-decorating classes for small groups of kids 8 years old and up.