Magnolia Bakery

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If you’re from the fandom of Sex and the City, in most likelihood, you had salivated at the sight of the heavily frosted cupcakes that put Carrie and Miranda in the shade. The home of those picture-perfect cupcakes is Magnolia Bakery, New York. From then on, a whole new global cupcake craze was spawned.

Fast forward to Magnolia Bakery, Los Angeles. As crisp as the recollection of the celebrated NYC cupcakes, the still-life garden of sweets begged to be photographed. Dainty swirls of pastel icing floated against the periphery of desaturated monochromes.

Picked a vanilla cupcake with their signature delicate green vanilla buttercream frosting. Because I’ve had way too many Magnolia cupcake wannabes before the real thing, I could no longer tell what sets a Magnolia Bakery cupcake apart. But I can say — the size was neither big nor small, the frosting was pleasurably not too-too sweet, and the texture was not dense, more like homey in a delightful way.

Asked suggestions from the cashier. Btw, service was warm and nice. Was happy with my almost like tart but not overly sweet lemon square. The size is a little too big if you’re trying to sample more goodies from the bakery.

And the best part of the Magnolia Bakery experience, yes, I had room for one more of their winning creations — surprise, their banana pudding! It is a creamy banana dessert made with very thick whipped cream and segments of wafer cookies. Believe the staff when they say the banana pudding is a hot seller.

Like Belinda Carlisle’s song, heaven is a place on earth. In my case, it is a walk away. Check out the next post.

Magnolia Bakery
8389 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 951-0636

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2016

The new cupcakes in town

Just when I thought of giving food blogging a rest, Cefi and Me is hatched. Toni Carag, the young owner of Playa Tropical Resort Hotel in Currimao, gets bitten by the baking bug, or was she born a baker ‘coz her cupcakes have that high tone to it? If you read my recent post on Mallory’s first birthday party, she made the heavenly blue velvet cupcakes. The little cake’s just the right volume, not heavy, and not spongy either, so you never get that tiresome feeling. The cream cheese frosting is another level, says the hubby who is so picky when it comes to cakes. He just made me order a dozen blue velvet cupcakes for Thursday.

Cefi and Me is soon to open at the Paseo de Paoay. Cef is Toni’s angel. And Toni’s dad, Lito, has even joined her in baking — quite a formidable team because I know for a fact that the dad has exacting taste. I had the opportunity to try his banana loaf (in photos below), and it amazes me that you would think he’s been baking forever. In truth, I didn’t know that about Lito that he is so into the kitchen, developing sweet recipes. “It’s just a hobby. Daddy and I love to bake,” Toni says.

The banana loaf is more of a cake with moist, marbled texture. It is rich, without getting cloying, and it refrigerates well. If I’m not mistaken, chocolate chips were thrown in for that surprising twist.

Keep posted for the opening of Cefi and Me. In the meantime, Toni accepts orders through her FB account (here).

Top photo by Martine
Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2014

Slice of Pia Cayetano’s

The other side of the outdoorsy, eco-defending senadora Pia Cayetano is revealing. Slice cafe/bakery in Bonifacio High St. Central in Taguig is a slice of her creativity and enthusiasm for healthful living.

According to Slice’s Facebook page, “Slice is where breakfast is served all day, dessert is at the top of the menu and healthy alternatives are always recommended.”

After going out of town over the weekend, Ericke came home with boxes of Slice muffins and cupcakes. She handed me my yema cupcake, Slice’s bestseller. The size is modest. The yema (candied egg yolk) matched the beautiful, fairly thin texture of the chocolate cupcake, all in all tasting much like a Toffifee sans a hazelnut. Love the idea of prettifying a cupcake with dainty swirl roses.

Sticking to Slice’s eco-friendly attitude, the boxes came in a reusable bag. Clever packaging is important to punch up an otherwise hard-to-embrace cause and culture besides attracting people to wonderful options. More power to Slice!

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2012