Battle of the Bakeries

I know that a lot of people enjoy a slice or two of cake as part of birthday traditions but can otherwise pretty much take-it-or-leave-it, opting instead for the more accessible delights of chocolate, sweets or crisps… To these people I say, the answer is that you simply have not experienced the true potential of really good cake. Don’t get me wrong, I know we all looked forward to the chocolate caterpillar as a child, but proper cake has so much more to offer - trust me on this one.

To my delight and my horror, the fad for cupcakes has recently exploded and these days temptation lies on literally every corner. This is mainly because, from the moment that Carrie Bradshaw sat outside the Magnolia Bakery (New York), shamelessly stuffing her face with a bubblegum pink cupcake on an episode of Sex And The City, eating cake became à la mode.

As a genuine cake lover I have made it my mission to separate the men from the boys, the connoisseurs from the copycats, with an aim to defending and preserving truly great cake from every tom, dick and harry that wants to cash in on this craze.

This quest is far from finished but here’s what I’ve found so far…

The Hummingbird Bakery: ****

Flavour / Texture: Always moist and delicious. Generous thick buttercream icing. Flavours reliably exceed expectations but relatively limited variety.

Decoration / Aesthetics: Simple and classy. Immaculately presented, if a bit predictable.

Other Info: Probably best known for being at the forefront of the ‘Red Velvet’ fetish that is sweeping the nation. Easily accessible with stores in Notting Hill, South Kensington, Soho, Spitalfields and Islington. Both of their cookbooks are full of yummy recipes that are easy to follow and (usually) turn out well!

Personal Favourite: the mini piña colada cupcakes with pieces of flambéed pineapple. (I made them from their original cookbook– agonisingly more-ish if I say so myself! Not available for purchase in store)

The Primrose Bakery: ***

Flavour / Texture: Big range of excitingly original recipes, alongside all of the classics. Very tasty but not exceptional. Probably targeted more towards children with some super sweet recipes such as ‘chocolate and marshmallow’ (or people like me with a mega sweet-tooth!)

Decoration / Aesthetics: Charmingly unpretentious with a homemade feel.

Other Info: Slightly less expensive than their competitors. Their book is full of things that look fantastic but personally I find their recipes overly complicated and don’t turn out quite as you’d hope (but maybe that’s just a reflection on my baking skills!)

Personal Favourite: I haven’t had the chance to sample nearly as many flavours as I would like but so far my vote is for carrot

Konditor & Cook: ***

Flavour / Texture: very moist, almost slightly sticky/syrupy. Royal icing and distinctive flavour, not your typical ‘cupcake’

Decoration / Aesthetics: Fantastically unique – perfect for special occasions and parties. Small, square, colourful and fun

Other Info: They might not be the best cake you’ll ever eat but they’re tasty and are always well received

Personal Favourite: N/A – more about decorations than flavours

Cake Boy: *****

Flavour / Texture: DIVINE! Top of my list so far. Fresh, bursting with flavour and the best icing. Rich but not sickly.

Decoration / Aesthetics: Ranges from simple and elegant to stylishly wild and glamorous.

Other Info: Cake Boy (Battersea Reach) is the baby of Eric Lanlard (who has the Channel 4 show, Baking Mad). He also one half of Cox Cookies & Cake in Soho, which I’m dying to try. The Café is well worth a visit for breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea, and it also offers cooking classes.

Personal Favourite: Lemon (with real chunks of caramelised lemon – perfect balance of sharp and sweet)