I'm a Huge Fan of this Bakery

I first got a taste of Buttercup Bake Shop last year, and have been going back regularly ever since. I need to share with you the scrumptious chocolate layer cake; of all the treats I've tried here, it's the one I dream of most.

It's moist and very rich without overpowering your mouth. Whenever I make chocolate cake, my aim is to make it taste like Buttercup's, but I can never quite get it. So I order a whole cake when I have friends over and it's always, always a hit.

Buttercup makes a bunch of other flavors of layer cake and cupcakes, and they are all wonderful. But trust me, beginners: order the chocolate layer cake with chocolate frosting. You're welcome.
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Buttercup Bake Shop
973 2nd Ave
New York, NY 10022

Mini MINI Cupcakes

I became curious about Baked by Melissa after constantly passing by it, and finally got the chance to step in and sample their treats. They sell cupcakes in many flavors you would expect to find, and a few that are more whimsical. If you are not familiar with this store,  I should tell you that they don't sell your typical cupcakes, but rather cupcake tops about the size of a quarter. For reference, I have included a teaspoon in the picture.

The first flavor I ate was chocolate chip pancake. It tasted exactly, and I mean exactly, like you would expect. I liked the fluffiness and the distinct flavor of pancakes. I wondered if they used pancake batter instead of cupcake batter.

Next I tried cookie dough- also yummy, because you can't go wrong with cookie dough in any situation. However, the chocolate frosting on top overpowered the rest of the cupcake.

And then there was the s'mores flavor, which was my favorite of the three. It was an excellent combination of chocolate and gooeyness.

I was slightly disappointed because they cost a dollar each, and I was probably expecting too much. They're a nice bite-sized treat, but because I feel they're overpriced for their size, I would suggest getting a discount by ordering them in bulk for your next party. They're sure to be a hit.
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Baked by Melissa
bakedbymelissa.com

Gelato Done Right

I must preface this post by saying I am a complete brat when it comes to gelato, also known as Italian ice cream, also known as the grand-daddy of delicious. When I lived in Rome, I ate gelato every single day- sometimes twice- even during the winter months. The gelato in Rome has a distinct texture and creaminess that I find is rarely duplicated, and was able to find in few other cities in Italy, or around Europe.

The same goes for gelato in the US. I tried gelato at a few spots around the States, places claiming to have imported their ingredients direct from Italy. And while some of these gelaterias may have come close, I had never found Italian ice cream that I felt was made just right until I visited Baci in New York. I walked in, saw the variety of flavors, and went straight for a scoop of the chocolate hazelnut. I took a bite and was instantly reminded of sitting by the Trevi fountain on a hot day, admiring its beauty, enjoying my ice cream. The flavor and texture were just like those of good Roman ice cream. This gelato made me, in a word, happy.

Side note: I also tried the mint chip and banana flavors that day. A-mazing.
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Baci Gelato
591 Willis Ave.
Williston Park, NY 10011

Loving These Cupcakes

I walked into Crumbs Bake Shop not knowing what I would order, but it was wonderful to just look at the selection and eat with my eyes for a minute. Their cupcakes are topped with a hefty amount of frosting and the flavors are just so creative. It took me a minute, but I decided on the Cookies and Cream cupcake.

The frosting was my favorite part of this one. It had a smooth texture and tasted just like Oreos. The chocolate cake was soft and rich but not that sweet. It didn't need to be. It worked well with all that sweet frosting.

Crumbs, I will be back soon. I'm dying to try the Cosmo cupcake.
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Crumb Bake Shop
crumbs.com

Cappuccino & Chocolate

Today my friend surprised me with a slice of cheesecake from Sweet Lady Jane. To my delight, I learned it was the cappuccino cheesecake, one of the more creative cheesecakes I've ever tried. Sweet Lady Jane's cheesecakes are always thick and luscious with delicious crusts. This cheesecake is made with an Oreo cookie crust and has little chocolate chips throughout the cappuccino cream cheese filling, so every time you cut into it with your fork you get that extra surprise. It's just exquisite.
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Sweet Lady Jane
8360 Melrose Ave
West Hollywood, CA 90069

Sweet Tart

Last week I visited the Little Door, a charming and very romantic French-Moroccan restaurant in West Hollywood. After my delicious entree, our waiter brought us the dessert menu, and I went straight for the strawberry rhubarb tart. Normally I would probably choose the chocolate cake, but my mouth waters at the mere thought of the combination of strawberry and rhubarb. For this I must give credit to Sweet Lady Jane, the bakery that makes one of my favorite pies ever- the strawberry rhubarb pie. Really, I didn't even like rhubarb until I tried this Sweet Lady Jane royalty.

But back to the Little Door. The tart is a nicely portioned slice, and to my surprise, it's actually fairly sweet. The crust was warm and chewy and fruit filling was juicy and flavorful. I tasted a lot more strawberry than rhubarb. I'm a fan of really tart desserts, so I would have preferred more of the rhubarb, but this was still a great pastry to end the meal. It was simple yet scrumptious. My dinner mates at the table said they wanted just one bite, but I ended up having to fight them for it.
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The Little Door
8164 W 3rd St
Los Angeles, CA 90048

A Spekuloos Spectacle

Just before my latest trip to New York, I heard about Wafels & Dinges, an uber-popular food truck serving up authentic Belgian-style waffles all over Manhattan. I had heard they served amazing waffles with all kinds of wonderful toppings and decided I wouldn't leave New York without trying it out.

I'm fortunate enough to have actually tried waffles in Belgium, and I must say they were the best waffles I had ever tasted. They were crisp and golden on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside. Most shops or carts that sold them offered to top them with jam or chocolate for a few cents more. Wafels & Dinges takes this concept and turns up the volume. It serves up two main kinds of sweet waffles- the Brussels and the Liège. The Brussels is basically the one I had in Belgium, while the Liège is thick and chewy. In addition, there is a variety of toppings, or Dinges, on the menu for you to choose.


My friend and I tracked down the truck just after we had dinner. Instead of picking my own Dinges, I asked Waffle Guy for his recommendation. He said he would make me something delicious, and a few minutes later came out and handed me my treat and said, "This is our Liège waffle topped with spekuloos spread and bananas." My friend and I just looked at him blankly. "What is spekuloos spread, you ask? It tastes a lot like graham crackers," he said. So I dug in. And it really was like graham crackers in sauce form, perfect on top of the soft and chewy waffle. The bananas paired wonderfully with it, as would strawberries, whipped cream, Nutella, or any other topping on the menu. It was a truly creative combination of flavors. I could hardly believe how happy one little waffle made me, and I will gladly run around Manhattan again to find this truck and try the other Dinges.
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Wafels & Dinges
wafelsanddinges.com
twitter.com/waffletruck