Photo by Mary Kushman.

If you could read the thought bubbles above lawyers’ heads as they labor through the daily grind, some would swear to find another profession. Some would just swear.

Only one has said, “I want to open a cakepop bakery” and delivered on that goal.

Enter lawyer-turned-baker Yael Krigman, owner of D.C.’s first and only cakepoppery.

Cakepops are a two-bite novelty made of cake and frosting mixed together, rolled into a ball, dipped in candy coating and served on a lollipop stick. Having trademarked the word “cakepoppery®,” Krigman owns the genre.

Baked by Yael (3000-F Connecticut Avenue NW) opened January 14, four years after Krigman launched an online bakery selling cakepops, rugelach, cookies, and bagels. She quit her day job at the law firm of White & Case in 2011 to concentrate on building the bakery business and opening a retail shop.

Yes, you’ve seen cakepops at Starbucks. No, it’s not the same.

Krigman takes pride in small-batch production, which enables her to taste test and perform constant quality control over her made-from-scratch recipe. The result is an unprocessed product that envelops a moist cake blend inside a gently snappy candy shell.

Photo courtesy of Baked by Yael.

Krigman’s immodest tagline is “best cakepop ever,” which she attributes to customers’ reaction after tasting her product. “I heard two things over and over again from my customers,” said Krigman. “They were surprised at how moist it was and they said it was the best cakepop ever, so I just went with that slogan.”

As for bagels, Krigman bakes them to be “crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside.” Adhering to traditional methods, she boils and hand rolls them. But cakepops are the bakery’s mainstay, while the availability of cookies, rugelach, bagels, and raspberry bars varies by day.

To satisfy dietary restrictions, Krigman makes a vegan cakepop and cakepops with no gluten added. Translated from lawyer-speak, that means a glutenless flour is used, but cross-contamination and traces of gluten can’t be ruled out. Similarly, Krigman does not bake with nuts, but traces could be found in the raw ingredients.

In Krigman’s view, cakepops are uniquely appealing because “you get the nostalgic feeling of holding a treat on a lollipop stick with the pleasure of biting into moist deliciousness. It’s just enough to satisfy your sweet tooth without feeling guilty.”

Baked by Yael is located at 3000-F Connecticut Avenue NW.