Location:
81 Charles Street, Boston MA 02114
www.izzyscurlycakes.com
My girlfriends were visiting from Toronto this past weekend. As we toured around Boston and wandered towards Boston Common on Charles St. we came across Curly Cakes. I'd been past it before and have always wanted to visit.
We did.
Gorgeous Little Shop. Gorgeous Little Cakes.
These babies were absolutely delicious. Each one tasting different than the last. We got three different kinds:
Triple Chocolate (Moist buttermilk, chocolate cake with a rich ganache filling, topped with creamy chocolate buttercream and dipped in melted chocolate, dusted with Cocoa PuffTM streusel. $3.95) Yes, THE Cocoa PUFFS!!!
Red Velvet. (A rich Southern Red Velvet Cake that combines classic cocoa and vanilla flavors, topped with velvety cream cheese frosting, dipped in melted white chocolate. $3.95)
Boston Cream - how could you not? (Moist vanilla cake filled with rich vanilla pastry cream, topped
with chocolate buttercream and dipped in dark chocolate. $4.95)
With our lattes and coffees and teas, everything hit the spot. Did I mention it was only lunch time?
Recipe: Cardamom Cake
This is one of my favourite cake recipes handed down to me from my Mother.
It's the Elachi (Cardamom) cake...a spongy cake that's great for tea parties or rainy days.
Ingredients:
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 Tsp Cardamom crushed
1/2 Tsp Nutmeg crushed
1/4 Tsp Salt
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Butter (softened)
4 Eggs
1 Tsp Vanilla Essence
1 Cup Milk
Directions:
Set oven to 350 degrees F.
I like to use fresh nutmeg and cardamom pods and crush them instead of powders which I don't find as aromatic. Remove the shells of the nutmeg and cardamom and crush into a powder.
Combine the softened butter and sugar together in a big bowl. Add eggs and blend together.
Combine the flour with the crushed cardamon, nutmeg, salt and baking powder together in separate bowl.
Pour the milk and flour into the butter/sugar mixture and blend until smooth.
Grease and lightly flour a loaf pan and pour the batter (should be smooth and creamy).
Bake for 1 hour at 350F
Cool on a wire rack and dust with icing sugar if desired.
Serve with piping hot chai (tea)!
NEW: L'eat
Location:
410 Adelaide St W
www.leatcatering.com/home.htm
In the cursed location where Zimbel's Cafe and before that, Mosaic used to be, L'eat Express is the newest addition to the building beside Toronto School of Art. Herbal Infusions is faring quite well so far, so maybe there is hope for L'eat (such a difficult name to wrap my head around. Sometimes I think "teat", wrongly, of course).
I hear the brownies are amazing, but I walked by earlier today and the door was locked! Will try again in a bit and keep you posted.
** So went back with some co-workers but they were still closed. Someone did inform us that they were open this morning for a training session which included free pastries and plan to open again later this afternoon for another training session. We were told they'll be open again tomorrow, so fingers crossed!
*** Went back on Friday and they were OPEN! Found out a few things.
Most importantly it's pronounced "ELITE", literally pronounce the letter "L" and the word "EAT". I feel so much better, now. 
Owned by Tony Loschiavo with hand-crafted goodies and gourmet meals made by Chefs Christopher Palik and Eric Walker, L'eat Express looks promising, especially with their original full service catering business (started 1983) in full swing at their Bathurt location. I DID try the brownie, and it did not disappoint. Shared with several co-workers, it was a huge hit! 
The complimentary bran muffin and double chocolate fudge cookie I scored was equally as satisfying, although I have to admit the cookie can't compare to Le Gourmand's chocolate chip walnut cookie which still reigns supreme. 
The teas on hand are from Language of the Leaf, which I love and which Neeta Khanna had sent me a package of teas to review in 2009. I've also heard great things about Paese, the sister restaurant to L'eat on King St W.
I really hope L'eat Express does well in this district, it's such a beautiful space and after speaking to Christopher, Tony and Rahim about their vision for this location, it looks like it's got all the ingredients to being as successful as the original.
Open Monday - Saturday (7:30am - 7pm)
The Cupcake Shoppe
Location:
2417 Yonge Street, Toronto
www.thecupcakeshoppe.ca
Our friend had an engagement party and served up these gorgeous beauties from The Cupcake Shoppe!
Not only were they pretty, they were insanely good! I heart. A lot.
They're $2.50 a Cupcake or $20 for 6 Customized Cupcakes which is quite pricey. And mini cupcakes have to be pre-ordered as well. They're beautiful though, and a great idea for parties. I love the petaled ones!
NEW: Jimmy’s Coffee
Went to Jimmy's Coffee and got some Earl Grey (Mighty Leaf brand) and a banana caramel cake/bread - which was tasty but greasy.
Banana caramel cake
My tea has a funny aftertaste, which I can't pin-point, tastes like the cup?
Still, I like this place - it's cosy and they have a lovely sunny patio out back. Reminds me a bit of Moon Bean in Kensington although it's a lot newer and also trendier.
Love the photographs of all the Jimmy's on the walls.
And considering our old fave Le G is now shut down due to rent evasion, we'll be back!
Sloan's, Florida
Location:
112 Clematis St West Palm Beach FL
www.sloansonline.com
One of the prettiest candy stores I've ever been to has got to be Sloan's in West Palm Beach, Florida.
It's PINK! And has fancy lamps and a painted ceiling and they have chocolates and delicious ice-creams!!
We had a caramel-and-nut-filled chocolate which got wrapped up all prettily!
I'm sad to say I missed out on the bathroom which is apparently incredible!! Check out the review on Crappers Quarterly (yep, I'm just as surprised as you that this site exists!)
Fascinating!
Worth going there for that, alone!
Over Easy & The Coffee Mill
Locations:
Over Easy 208 Bloor Street West, Toronto
www.overeasyrestaurants.com
Coffee Mill 99 Yorkville Ave, Toronto
www.coffeemillrestaurant.com
Our girlie gatherings usually revolve around food; specifically, brunch! What better way to start the day.
This time, our choice brunch location was Over Easy since the plan was to check out the latest addition to the ROM (mainly, The Lee-Chin Crystal addition) after brunch.
I think it's quite safe to say that brunch is easily unscrew-up-able. Am I right?
And while nothing was screwed per se, there was certainly nothing memorable about eating there (except for the company).
I do have one gripe, however.
My tea was lukewarm.
I truly dislike a lukewarm tea which brings to mind A Salmon of Doubt by Douglas Adams where he describesa perfect proper cup of tea.
I've noticed lukewarm tea all over the city - ya know, that "hot" water from that hot water machine just doesn't cut it.
Anyway, here's some of what was eaten.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="512" caption="Eggs and chicken sausage $6.99"]
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[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="604" caption="Spanish Omelette $9.99"]
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I must say, the pots that the hot drinks came in were loads of fun!
After a blustery walk from the ROM, all we wanted was a warm hideout and a hot drink to warm up our hands.
Starbucks was full, and the next best idea was the Lettieri but before we made it there, we found The Coffee Mill!
Interior of The Coffee Mill
Nestled within the shops at 99 Yorkville is the quaint old (est. 1963!) hideaway for just these types of gatherings. The pastry selection got us all salivating, so a chocolate cake and an apple (or was it rhubarb ?) strudel, it was.
Chocolate Cake
Strudel
Interior
As far as copy coffee shops go, this one has the cosy part down pat.
TRAVEL: Montreal : Les Glaceurs
Location:
453 Rue Saint-Sulpice
Montreal, QC
www.lesglaceurs.ca/
We just happened upon this cute pink cafe on our walk through Old Montreal and boy were we happy we did! Our friends C&K hadn't been to this ice-cream/cupcake place before either, so it was a real treat for all of us.
There were many gorgeous cupcakes; it was so hard to decide!
So, much like the Seinfeldian black and white cookie, we went with the vanilla cupcake and the brownie cupcake.
Iz..how you say...pretty, non?
And damn, that frosting was kickass!
Future Bakery & Cafe
Location:
483 Bloor St. W., Toronto
Cost: $10-15
Speaking of cake...
Future Bakery's Kahlua Truffle Cake is to die for....or to share with friends.
Great little cafe in the Annex, to hang out with the people you love until the wee hours of the morning...or until 2am, when they close :)
Happy St. Paddy's Day!
True to my word, here's a RECIPE (from the Toronto Star) for Chocolate Guinness Cake!
I can't wait to try it!
Sláinte! Have a Safe & Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!
-FH
INGREDIENTS
Cake:
1/3 cup Guinness draught stout
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
5 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Syrup:
1/4 cup Guinness draught stout
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Ganache:
3/4 cup heavy cream
6 oz (170 g) semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
DIRECTIONS
For cake, liberally grease and lightly flour 9-inch cake pan. If desired, line bottom with parchment circle, as cake tends to stick.
In small pan, whisk together stout and cocoa powder on medium-low heat until smooth. Cool. Stir in buttermilk.
Sift flour, baking soda, powder and salt into medium bowl.
In large bowl, beat butter until creamy with electric mixer on medium-low speed. Gradually beat in sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one a time, until blended. Beat in vanilla.
With mixer on medium-low, add third of flour mixture until moistened. Beat in half of stout mixture until blended. Beat in half of remaining flour mixture until moistened. Beat in remaining stout mixture until blended. Beat in remaining flour mixture until moistened. Scrape bowl. Beat just to blend.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated 350F oven about 30 minutes, until cake starts to pull away from sides of pan and tester comes out clean.
Set wire rack over sheet of waxed paper. Cool pan on rack 10 minutes. Slide blunt knife around edge of pan. Invert to release cake onto rack. Cool.
For syrup, whisk ingredients in small pan over low heat until smooth and warm, at least 5 minutes.
If you used parchment, peel it off cake. Use fork or toothpick to poke holes in bottom of cake. Pour three-quarters of syrup over cake, spread with bottom of spoon and let it seep in, at least 5 minutes.
Invert cake onto serving platter. Poke holes in top. Spoon remaining syrup over top and let it seep in for 5 minutes. Reserve syrup pan.
For ganache, pour cream into syrup pan. Bring to simmer on medium heat. Remove from burner. Stir in chocolate until smooth and creamy. Cool briefly, until thickened but still pourable.
Pour ganache gradually onto centre of cake, smoothing with offset spatula until it runs down sides. (You will have some left over.) Cool cake until ganache sets.
Place pan with remaining ganache on low heat. Stir until pourable. Drizzle zigzag or whirly lines across top using whisk or fork. Or pour ganache into zip-lock bag, snip off one corner and squeeze lines or design onto cake. Refrigerate to set before serving.
Makes 12 servings.