How could someone choose just one dessert when first walking through the door at Larry’s House of Cakes? Italian cream cakes (one of its bestsellers) fill an entire shelf. Other cakes sit on the shelf below — red velvet iced with buttercream, carrot, strawberry, German chocolate with caramel, and coconut with walnut icing. On a good Saturday, Larry’s will receive around 100 special orders just for cakes.
The case of cookies showcases an array of colors and flavors — pink and orange frosted cookies, snickerdoodles, orange cranberry oatmeal, red velvet and, of course, chocolate chip. Cupcakes, muffins, cannoli oozing with a creamy filling and a variety of donuts sit on racks, gradually disappearing into bags as customers come and go.
In the back of the bakery, several staff members work alongside David Clayton, one of the owners, who arranges a line of crisply cooked bacon soon to be covered in chocolate. A decorator works on a special-order cake, piping pale blue and lavender icing to form perfect flowers. David says he doesn’t mind if someone messes up a red velvet cake with cream cheese icing, because when that happens, he nabs his treat for the day.
David’s dad, Larry Clayton, first opened his doors for business in Marion in 1963 after working at Dixie Cream Donut Shop in West Frankfort. Larry’s Donuts, as it was called at the time, initially sold only donuts, but Larry, with the help of his wife Francis, gradually expanded the business to include cupcakes, cakes and other pastries, and in the early ’70s, he changed the name of his business to Larry’s House of Cakes.
In 2007, when Larry and Francis retired, their three sons — David, Dale and Neil — took over the business, and in 2009, the brothers opened a second location in Carbondale. Sadly, Neil passed away in 2023, and David and Dale took over his responsibilities. They supervise, train new staff and roll up their sleeves to help bake.
They also decorate, order supplies and handle the business side of the bakeries. Both work at the Marion location, and then either David or Dale head to the Carbondale store. The brothers work six days a week and occasionally pop in on Sundays to prepare for the upcoming week. Although the hours of operation at both locations vary slightly, the kitchens remain busy for six to 12 hours a day, six days a week.
Lobbies at both locations hold a few tables for patrons who stop by for coffee and a sweet breakfast before heading to work. Some customers sit quietly with a pastry and a book. However, approximately 75% of Larry’s business comes from special orders.
Order a dozen “specialty cupcakes,” and each one will be a mouthwatering surprise — the peanut butter delite, for instance, is made with chocolate cake, iced with chocolate buttercream and filled with peanut butter. Larry’s Favorite is drizzled with fudge and filled with angel cream. Unfilled varieties include lemon, red velvet, strawberry and pumpkin. Individual cupcakes, baked fresh each morning, are also available.
Larry’s outsources only a few items — the muffins are ordered and the donuts come from Dixie Cream, where Larry worked as a young man. However, everything else is made by a dedicated staff who begin shifts early in the morning, oftentimes before daybreak, to be sure custom orders and bestsellers are ready.
The two bestsellers are Italian cream cakes and pink iced sugar cookies, both of which Larry developed from recipes he ran across then tweaked. Cupcakes, especially the cookies and cream variety, are also a customer favorite.
Larry Clayton himself may have retired years ago, but he still ducks into both locations regularly. He knows his sons do a great job of running the bakeries on their own, but he still feels a deep attachment to the business that he built years ago.
After greeting each staff member individually, Larry checks out the new cake designs, gently offers advice, if needed, and generally just looks everything over. And, like his son, he can’t really complain if an occasional cookie breaks, because he’s always up for a treat.
Larry’s House of Cakes
