East on Broadway, in a brick building, sits a newly opened cafe — Wynnsome Cake & Tea. Adjacent to Seoul Taco, the two-floor cafe spot is decorated for the perfect Instagram post. The large space is a cream blank slate, with minimal coquette decor on wooden furniture and a hand-drawn menu on the back wall.

Sweet details litter the room, with a hand-painted teapot near the electronic register and antique teacups for dine-in drink options. Orders are brought to customers on a wood panel, and diners sit on mismatched chairs or one of two comfy couches. 

Similar to Columbia’s favorite study spot, Acola, plants dot corners throughout the space. Although, unlike other coffee shops in Columbia that are typically open seven days a week from morning to evening, Wynnsome’s biggest failing is its uneven schedule. For a spot that radiates a hangout-and-study or eat-cake-on-a-date vibe, the cafe is only open Wednesday and Thursday from noon to 8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Alongside two other MOVE reporters, Avery Copeland and Sabrina Pan, I ordered cake by the slice and various drinks, preparing to end our Wednesdays on a sweet note. Although odd, its schedule makes for the perfect post-class, end of day treat. 

Arguably first popularized by the “Treat Yo Self” episode of NBCs “Parks and Recreation” “Sweet treat”/ “little treat” culture has erupted over the last two years. The self-reward system marketed over TikTok and other various social media capitalizes on the principle that at the end of the day, we all deserve our very own “sweet treat.” The treat varies from possibly a social reward like hanging out with your friends, to shopping and buying yourself a new lip gloss. Or, in the literal sense: a slice of cake. Generally, people are more into purchasing a reward for themselves, whether or not they actually deserve it. 

But I do deserve that cake. And as far as cake goes, Wynnsome is doing something right. We tried three slices: a tall two layer peach and cream slice (heavy on the cream), a shorter two-layer flaky and creamy coconut and a lemon raspberry tart. 

If asked to rank the three, I’d have to give my best in show to the coconut cake; It was so creamy. Although I will admit some coconut-flavored products can be a little grainy, I am a coconut fiend. I’ll eat toasted coconut flakes by the handful. It’s easy for me to be on board with coconut flavoring, which is often the biggest setback to ordering a coconut pastry. Reader: this is a good coconut dessert. It’s beautifully offset with that amazing cream. Try it. If you’ve avoided coconuts before — it’s okay, I understand. But this is not to be avoided. Delicious! 

Awarded second would be Avery’s order, the lemon raspberry tart. The lemon sponge was reminiscent of a lemon bar, the crust was browned with a small crunch. But what differentiated it  was the tart raspberry sauce. The raspberry sauce is available on other cake slices and I also tried it later on a slice of olive-oil-based chocolate cake. In both of these instances, the compote stood out. There’s a good blend of cutting sourness with the other side of a sweeter raspberry. With lots of seeds and texture, perhaps a squeeze of lemon, I have to recommend it as a perfect compliment for your cake. 

Although the lemon was a delight, my peaches and cream slice wasn’t my favorite. It was pretty tall with layers of diced peaches stacked between cake and slightly daunting. I’m typically very into peaches, but at the beginning of September, peaches are no longer in their prime. That should’ve been red flag number one, and my sign to skip ordering this. My slice collapsed under my fork, peaches fell and it was hard to get a balanced bite of cake, cream and peach. The cake itself was a little dry. The whipped cream made an effort to retain moisture but just felt adjunct to the cake and not truly paired. In all fairness, we did go at 6 p.m. I’m not sure how long ago that cake had been made – maybe it holds better at a different time. It was alright. 

Besides cake, Wynnsome also offers a variety of tea and coffee. I tried their hibiscus rose tea and got it iced. Avery got their special latte — a strawberry and cream latte that we all approved. Sadly, Wynnsome isn’t going to be your new matcha go-to. They were light on the matcha and heavy on the milk. Of course, it is still drinkable, but for my matcha heads out there, it’s safe to skip it. 

If Wynnsyome’s menu is not your cup of tea, this can be made up by the appearance of the ginger cafe cat: Hobbs. The kitten is extremely well-socialized and is happy to be pet by patrons before returning to his roped-off lair up the stairs. 

A cake and tea shop is an untraditional addition to downtown Columbia, which bustles with takeout restaurants and bars, but it’s uniquely adorable. Wynnsome could be just another coffee house to study in, but the desserts add potential whimsy, and the possibility of a sweet treat to the downtown landscape. 

Edited by Molly Levine | mlevine@themaneater.com

Copyedited by Claire Bauer and Hannah Taylor | htaylor@themaneater.com

Edited by Annie Goodykoontz | agoodykoontz@themaneater.com