Polish cheesecake at DS Cakes, Newbury, takes 2nd place in our search for best cheesecake in Northeast Ohio
Buckeyes DS Cakes & Sweet Cafe is located at 11130 Kinsman Rd. in Newbury - Photo by Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com
NEWBURY, Ohio — The star of the show at DS Cakes and Sweet Cafe isn’t flashy. It doesn’t come piled high with toppings or dressed up for social media. Instead, it arrives as a humble bar — creamy, light, and finished with a thin layer of tangy sour cream.
You can have a seat and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea with your pastries. DS Cakes & Sweet Cafe is located at 11130 Kinsman Rd. in Newbury - Photo by Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com
And that’s exactly the point of this cheesecake, which took second place in Cleveland.com’s search for the Best Cheesecake in Northeast Ohio.
Owner Diane Schneider’s Polish-style cheesecake is built on restraint and memory. The recipe, she says, dates back generations — the kind of dessert “grandma made,” passed down from the 1800s. It’s lighter than a traditional New York-style cheesecake, more delicate in texture, with a subtle sweetness balanced by that signature sour cream topping.
“I don’t want to take away from the integrity of this,” Schneider said. No fruit drizzle. No chocolate shell. Just a simple bar that lets the flavor speak for itself.
Customers respond to that simplicity. Each sheet is cut into 32 bars, and the café moves through 10 to 20 sheets a week. For many, it’s not just dessert — it’s nostalgia.
“They want that because grandma did it,” she said. “It’s those memories.”
While the cheesecake may be the anchor, stepping into DS Cakes and Sweet Cafe is about much more than a single item. The experience begins the moment the door opens — a swirl of aromas, half sweet and half savory, pulls customers toward the display cases where everything seems worth ordering.
Lem Berry Cheesecake Bar - Cookie crust, lemon cheesecake & strawberries DS Cakes & Sweet Cafe is located at 11130 Kinsman Rd. in Newbury - Photo by Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com
Originally envisioned as a cake shop, the business has evolved into a full café offering breakfast and lunch, alongside its extensive bakery items. Today, it employs about 15 people and has become a Geauga County gathering spot.
That growth wasn’t immediate.
“When we first opened, it was hard getting people in the door,” Schneider said. “That changed once we started doing more food — wraps, soups, quiche, breakfast and lunch.”
Cheesecake Brownie Bar - Rich chocolate brownie, with creamy cheesecake DS Cakes & Sweet Cafe is located at 11130 Kinsman Rd. in Newbury - Photo by Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com
Schneider’s path to owning a bustling café started decades earlier in Cleveland. She spent her early years near West 25th Street and Denison Avenue in a Polish neighborhood. Eventually, her family moved to Geauga County. The fourth of six girls, she was cooking dinner at age 12.
Kahlua Fudge Bar - Rich chocolate brownie with a Kahlua ganache & white chocolate topping DS Cakes & Sweet Cafe is located at 11130 Kinsman Rd. in Newbury - Photo by Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com
Her early jobs included working at Wiegand’s Lake Park in Newbury and later at TGI Fridays. She briefly attended culinary school but left after realizing she was learning more on the job from working chefs.
She eventually focused her hospitality skills on baking.
“I loved creating designs on a cake,” she said.
And so, while raising her three children, Schneider built a home-based cake business, ultimately making more than 2,000 wedding cakes over 36 years. Once her kids graduated high school, she decided to take the leap into a storefront that became DS Cakes.
Inside the dining area where you can book private events. DS Cakes & Sweet Cafe is located at 11130 Kinsman Rd. in Newbury - Photo by Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com
Today, that cake legacy remains, but it shares the spotlight with a wide-ranging menu and a commitment to ingredient quality. The café uses farm-fresh, locally sourced products whenever possible — going through about 100 dozen eggs each week, along with milk, honey, maple syrup and hydroponic lettuce. Schneider avoids seed oils and corn syrup. She prefers organic flour.
Polish Cheesecake is baked on a sheet and cut into 32 individual bars. DS Cakes & Sweet Cafe is located at 11130 Kinsman Rd. in Newbury - Photo by Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com
“If you’re going to eat something sweet, eat something without a lot of junk in it,” she said.
Beyond cheesecake, the bakery leans into both nostalgia and creativity. Peanut butter bars evoke grade school lunches, while original creations like Chewbacca bars, Magic bars and “Twixies” have developed their own following. Her vanilla almond shortbread cookies are among the bestsellers.
The café itself offers a cozy setting for breakfast or lunch, and it frequently hosts gatherings like baby showers and Mother’s Day celebrations. One tradition customers mark on their calendars: Paczki, available just once a year. By the way, Schneider doesn’t sell donuts.
Many delicious offerings can be found in the display cases including the popular Polish Cheesecake. DS Cakes & Sweet Cafe is located at 11130 Kinsman Rd. in Newbury - Photo by Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com
No
matter how much the menu expands, it’s that unassuming Polish cheesecake that continues to define the place. Simple, balanced, and rooted in tradition, it’s the kind of dessert that doesn’t need reinventing — just remembering.
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Polish Cheesecake is baked on a sheet and cut into 32 individual bars. DS Cakes & Sweet Cafe is located at 11130 Kinsman Rd. in Newbury - Photo by Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com
Owner, Diane Schneider holding her Polish Cheesecake bars. DS Cakes & Sweet Cafe is located at 11130 Kinsman Rd. in Newbury - Photo by Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com
