Lily Voronina, owner and pastry chef of Lilla Vanilla, tops Biscoff Cupcakes with a drizzle of cookie butter. PHOTO | Demetrius Davis
Lilla Vanilla Cake Shoppe started off as a hobby for Lily Voronina, pastry chef and owner. What started in her home kitchen is now an inviting spot on Nottingham Way in Hamilton, New Jersey, tucked within The Shoppes shopping center.
Lilla Vanilla is a French-style patisserie. Upon entering you are met with the aroma steaming off of each tray of temptations from chocolate and almond croissants to cupcakes. The menu also includes macarons, cakes, sundaes, Lavazza coffee, and more.
Voronina says the bakery offers a way for her to embrace her Eastern European roots while helping her overcome personal challenges.
She says, “About eight and a half years ago, my older brother died in an accident and I didn’t want to take antidepressants and stuff to get over [it]. I was thinking, I needed to figure out a different way, so I was cooking every single day.” She continues, “I was cooking and cooking at home and then I started getting orders from my friends and then from their friends. They spread the word and I was cooking from home for about four years.”
She worked on recipes for creamy macarons, cupcakes oozing with fudge, or topped with sweet vanilla mousse and icing. Her evolving ideas are shown in the store’s rotating menu.
Voronina says, “I don’t like to stick to the same recipes. We don’t have a menu; we change the recipes every day because I don’t want to get bored. If I get bored I will lose my interest.”
The ever-changing line up includes croissant flavors like the lemon poppy seed add a lemon tang and a muted nuttiness to a crisp Autumn morning. The mango peach is fruity sweet, and the tiramisu with Bailey’s Irish Cream almost feels too indulgent for a morning snack. Displayed like precious gems, customers rush in and try to snatch these fresh out of the oven.
On a recent weekend in November, the Nutella croissant, which Lilla Vanilla has become known for, was a special. These croissant rolls are thick, round, flakey, and baked to a golden brown, filled with the decadent chocolate spread.
Marcia Calle, a long-time customer and resident of Hamilton says, “My favorite [pastries] are the Nutella croissants that they have here.”
But they aren’t the only thing she likes. She says, “I’ve ordered three cakes from [Lilla Vanilla] before, a Valentine’s cake, and two birthday cakes for my kids.” She says the passionfruit with vanilla sponge cake is a particular favorite.
Other customers also have praise for Voronina’s offerings.
Kenisha Pilla says, “You can tell she’s passionate about it. Everything looks so perfect and tastes even better.”
When asked about the attention Lilla Vanilla has gotten since it opened, Voronina says, “I’m flattered, you know. I mean I love it. The more people coming, the happier I am, because I feel like I’m doing the right thing. If people keep coming for something I make, it makes me excited. It means I’m doing something great. I don’t know, it gives me wings.”
Voronina’s gratitude extends to more than just the customers who support her bakery. She says, “My brother was always telling me, you must do what you like to do and then you will never work a day in your life.”
