Building community, one slice at a time downstairs on Third Street

By Emma Coke, Ashland.news

Indulge Artisan Cheesecake, a small wood-paneled, farm-themed bakery dedicated to all things cheesecake, recently opened in the Underground Marketplace on Third Street.

Owned by the husband and wife team of Rick and Kora Charles, Indulge Artisan Cheesecake sells their in-house-baked cheesecakes either by the slice for in 6- or 9-inch cakes. They currently offer nine flavors, ranging from New York cheesecake to salted caramel macchiato. All are gluten free.

Rick is in charge of the baking and recipe developing, while Kora is in charge of greeting customers and decorating the bakery, which she’s transformed into what she calls a “farmhouse feel.”

“We make a good pair,” Kora said. “I do everything he doesn’t like and he does everything I don’t like.”

The duo run their bakery on an ingredient-forward philosophy, using ingredients such as real butter, cage-free eggs and real vanilla. 

“It’s made from top to bottom, it’s handcrafted,” Kora said. “Which is rare and hard to find these days.”

That focus on making everything from scratch is what Rick said sets their bakery apart. 

“And just the fact that, I mean, I don’t want to send anything out that’s subpar,” Rick said. “I want everything to be perfect and so that desire makes them good.”

The base recipe for their cheesecakes was developed using a recipe Rick found online for a New York cheesecake. Rick said he’s tweaked the recipe to create the other flavors, such as their lemon curd cheesecake.

Interviewed less than a week opened, Rick said the bakery has seen slow but steady traffic. 

“The word is definitely getting out,” Rick said. “Facebook blew up like crazy for us. I couldn’t believe it.”

They’re already receiving positive feedback from their patrons.

“It’s fantastic, and I’ve eaten cheesecake all over the world,” said Miriam Curran. A friend of hers  who had tried six of their flavors recommended she try Indulge Artisan Cheesecake. 

Opening a food establishment is not new to Rick and Kora. The two have a long history in the restaurant industry, but this is the first dessert-focused place they’ve worked at or operated. For 30 years, Rick cooked in restaurants, but he never truly loved it.

“I was always on the line cooking breakfast and I started baking desserts because I wanted to get off the line” Rick said. “So I told my boss ‘Hey, I’ll make some Danishes today, or, you know, cinnamon rolls and pastries and stuff like that.’”

Despite that newfound love of baking, Rick and Kora then opened a food truck called The Hangry Habanero, which served everything from tacos to hot dogs, and decidedly lacked baked goods.

“I felt like I was back on the line again and I started getting tired after a couple years,” Rick said. “And I just wanted to get back to baking.”

Despite their experience in the food industry, opening a bakery was only something the couple dreamed about. But when they moved to Ashland to be closer to family, the idea of opening one soon became something they started talking about seriously.

“I just really liked to bake,” Rick said. “Nobody around here is really doing it.”

After two months of fixing up their space, which Rick said was tedious, Indulge Artisan Cheesecake opened late in June. 

“The best part of it has been putting all of our love and energy into something,” Kora said. “The scariest has also been putting your all into something and hoping it goes well.”

Despite only being open a short time, Kora has already set up a partnership between Indulge Artisan Cheesecake and Bridging Communities, a Medford-based initiative offering support for families with children experiencing disabilities. 

Kora and Rick’s youngest son has Down syndrome, which sparked the idea of the partnership.

With Bridging Communities, they will host events once or twice a month at their bakery, with the first event possibly being held in late July and having a dance party theme, according to Kora. Each one will have a different theme.

“We’ll have cheesecake and drinks and just be able to come together and have fun and support one another,” Kora said.

Through Bridging Communities’ platform, they will be able to reach families around the community and put on events that are relevant to their needs. 

Kora hopes will becomes a staple of the Ashland community, one slice of cheesecake at a time. 

“I feel confident, and you know, when people come in and tell you you created something and they say how great it is, it feels great,” Rick said. “There’s nothing better in the world. It’s really what it’s about for me.”

Email Ashland.news reporter intern Emma Coke at emmasuecoke@gmail.com.