Sweet Love: A Bakery Crush on Panaderia Latina Bakery, Vancouver BC

The awesomest part about being a Cake Gumshoe? Discovering totally sweet bakeries all over the world. And, getting sweet tips on new ones to discover from customers and friends.

And here's a sweet tip from CakeSpy Shop customer Charlotte, who recently visited from Vancouver. During her visit she mentioned her love for a sweet spot called Honey, but was kind enough to update me on another favorite:

When I got home I remembered the place right around the corner from my house!! It is a Latin Bakery with some grocery products.

Family run, custard and dulce le leche as far as the eye can see, and huge portions. The apple custard slice is my usual. It could feed two..... The bakery is on Joyce St. in the Collingwood neighbourhood, steps away from the Joyce St. skytrain station.

Well, if you're going to Vancouver, consider this your official tip-off for panaderia paradise!

Panaderia Latina Bakery, 4906 Joyce Street, Vancouver BC.

Sweet Inspiration: Dessert Travels with Cake Gumshoe Nicholas

So, I have a totally sweet customer named Nicholas. He's basically the ideal customer: he comes in and buys stuff, and then tells me all about the delicious sweets he eats when he travels the world. Just looking at his pictures is bound to evoke some seriously sweet wanderlust. Here's where he's been recently:

First, how about some macarons from Per Olsson Choklad & Konditori, in Stockholm? Nicholas picked a very nice duo of Raspberry (pictured at the top of the post) and Licorice (pictured below)--don't you wish you could have been there, too?
But if macarons aren't your thing, he also took another totally sweet shot at Gateau (which he previously reported on) of the bakery case, just to give us all something to dream on.

Sweet armchair travels to all! Rumor has it that Nicholas is off to Turkey next, poor thing--can't wait to see the photos!

Sweet Love: A Bakery Crush on A La Mode Pies, Seattle

The time is Pie--er, high--to discover some delicious new pies in Seattle. 

I'm happy to share my newest discovery: A La Mode Pies, a new company which is currently running a fairly small operation, working on a custom order and wholesale basis in Seattle (as I learned from owner and "Pie Guy" Chris Porter, a retail location is the ultimate goal; for the moment, though, if you want to try it by the slice, the pies can be found most reliably at Knee High Stocking Co.)

Why are they worth seeking out? Well, for me, it comes down to one beautiful, beautiful phrase: "Chocolate-Caramel Pecan Tart". This beauty is described as a "gift to your sweet tooth"--comprised of bittersweet chocolate ganache lining an all-butter crust, which is then filled in with toasted pecans and a perfectly balanced, rich homemade caramel. 

Another lovely which has captured my attentions is the fetching "Chocolate Cream With Pretzel Crust", which sounds like the perfect unity of sweet and salty (and we all know how delicious chocolate and pretzel are together!).

And--OMG, cute!--they have LolliPies!

And of course, if you like, you know, health food, they also have fruit pies, including the signature "Blue Hawaiian" (blueberry, pineapple, and coconut) and seasonal variations such as Sour Cherry.

You can hit them up online to order entire pies, or you can visit Seattle's Knee High Stocking Co. to grab a slice today.

Sweet Love: A Bakery Crush on Freshly Baked, Los Angeles

Now, there are countless reasons why Freshly Baked, a gourmet cookie company in Los Angeles, deserves your love and sweet affection.

But if pressed, I'd offer these up as some of the primary reasons:

1. Their mission statement, as stated on the front page of their website, may bring tears to your eyes: "Forget about carbs, sugar, and fat grams. Our cookies are meant to be eaten, not analyzed."
2. Said cookies come in flavors which give shout-outs to, but aren't quite, traditional flavors: for instance, Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzel, Oatmeal Coconut Chocolate Chip, Strawberry White Chocolate, Banana chocolate Chip Walnut, and Root Beer Float (!). Oh, and they do something called the "OMG" which is comprised of half cookie, half ice cream. Like, OMG!
3. The cookies all come in hand-graffiti'ed boxes with Keith Haring-esque designs, so that like snowflakes, no two are alike. I'm tempted to say something about the anti cookie-cutter effect...
4. The company has a sweet story: owner Eric Weston has had a love affair with the cookie since he was a wee lad (he'll show you an adorable photo) and while a talented actor-comedian he decided to take his penchant for unsusal cookie creations to the local LA Derby Doll arena and see if he could sell his wares to all the local hipsters. To his great delight (and theirs), he was a hit and is now delivering his goods to all the hip coffee shops all around town!

Of course, these cookies were recommended by Cake Gumshoe Renee, who says that the "cookies are crackalicious, seriously. I'm very persnickety about my cookie selections, but his Nutty Bavarain Love Biscuit (peanut butter chocolate pretzel) cookie makes me want to curse with pleasure."

Freshly Baked will soon be debuting a cookie truck which will deliver mobile cookies throughout LA; til then, cookies are currently available at various coffee shops in the Los Angeles area, and can be special ordered for local delivery or nationwide shipment; find out more on their site, freshly-baked.com. Oh, and you can follow them on Twitter, if you're into that.

Sweet Love: A Bakery Crush on Sugar Couture

What happens when a documentary film producer decides to become a pastry chef?

You get delicious desserts of cinematic proportions!

This is the story behind Penny Stankiewicz, owner of Sugar Couture in NYC. What started out as taking a pastry course as a bit of a lark has turned into a full fledged custom dessert business with some serious clients: Sugar Couture has fattened up stars like Tony Bennett, John Mayer, Wyclef Jean, Hugh Jackman, Adele, Hayley Duff, Russel Simmons, Betsey Johnson and Donna Karan at various events. Not that I'm starstruck or anything.

And I can see why the stars flock to these sweet treats: with gorgeous cakes like the ones pictured (and yes, the one to the left does have braces), which come in flavors like "ultra rich butter" and "deep chocolate" (can't you just taste them?) and a signature mini Boston Creme Pie, I am a bit in love myself.

If you're in the NYC area, you can get ahold of some of Sugar Couture's desserts by custom order; for a behind the scenes look, check out the blog.

Sweet Love: A Bakery Crush on Smitten Bake Shop, Bay Area CA

When sweetness and cuteness are combined, what can I say? CakeSpy is absolutely smitten.

And the most recent crush? Smitten Bake Shop, in the East SF Bay Area. They don't have a retail storefront--in fact, they barely have a website--but they sure do have plenty of sweetness. As their website says, "our website may not be up and running yet, but our ovens are!". They are currently available for custom orders.

Per an email from co-owner Lisa, here's the story:

I do the baking and my partner Debra handles the biz and financial side. I bake out of a restaurant on Mondays when they're closed, but as we're getting busier, are looking high and low for a place with more flexibility/hours. We were surprisingly (happily) buried in Mother's Day orders, especially for our "Love You" sour cream heart cookies, and looking very forward to having a permanent home soon so we can be ready for the holidays.

Till then, find out more at their work-in-progress site, smittenbakeshop.com.

Sweet Love: A Bakery Crush on Brooklyn Treat Shoppe, Brooklyn NY

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, at least one of them from the above photo is yum.

And it should serve to tell you pretty much why Brooklyn Treat Shoppe is CakeSpy's latest Bakery Crush!

This dessert catering company (read: no retail storefront at the moment), as the name might imply, is based in the borough of Brooklyn, and they specialize in sweets: cakes, cheesecakes, cookies, cupcakes, and other sweets, some of which don't start with the letter "c". They also do "cake art", including this sweet treat which vaguely resembles a cartoon version of the Seagram building (in the sweetest way possible!):Testimonials are loving: "to die for" and "what dreams are made of" are basically the tone of fans. Yup--chef Toniann Salvato sure does have a sweet future, based on what I see!

Check out the official Brooklyn Treat Shoppe website here; follow them on Twitter here.

Sweet Love: A Bakery Crush on Pine State Biscuits, Portland, OR

Image c/o Pine State BiscuitsOK, so Pine State Biscuits isn't technically a bakery--you'd be more likely to hit them up for hearty breakfast fare than sweet treats.

But the core of their business is biscuits, and everyone knows that the beauty of the biscuit is its versatility.

And while serious savory eaters might enjoy "The Reggie" (a biscuit with fried chicken, cheese, bacon, and gravy) or the "McIsley" (fried chicken with pickles, mustard, and honey), there are options for the sweet-lover too.

I'm talking simple, but oh-so-pleasurable: Biscuits. With. Seasonal. Fruit. And. Whipped. Cream.

Is there anything more pleasurable than digging into a buttery biscuit topped with rich, sweet cream, complemented by fresh fruit? Maybe, but the list of things less pleasurable is far longer than the list of things more pleasurable, I'd be willing to place a wager on that.

Pine State Biscuits, multiple locations; visit pinestatebiscuits.com for more information.

Sweet Love: A Bakery Crush on American Cupcake, San Francisco

Don't get me wrong: there are many reasons why one should desire to be in San Francisco. It's cool, full of good burritos and fun people watching, and it's gorgeous. However, right now all of those reasons are being put to the side, because my wanderlust is fueled by one thing only: American Cupcake.

Per DailyCandy (where I discovered this wondrous place),

Despite the saccharine name, this is no kid’s birthday party venue. Decidedly 21-and-over fare includes pork sliders with Jack-and-Coke BBQ sauce and champagne cocktails with intriguing names like the Drunken Ballerina.

And if that didn't make you want to book a one-way ticket to the foggy city, let's just take a gander at the sweets menu (copied in its entirety below):

......................

Cupcakes

chocolate / vanilla / black & tan / tan & black / red velvet / lemon / coconut chocolate coconut / butterscotch / chocolate mint / bubblegum / cotton candy red hot / pixie stixTM / chocolate peanut butter / passion fruit

single | flight

Ice Cream or Old Fashioned Sundae

three twins chocolate, vanilla or coffee | all the fixins

Cupcake Split

cupcakes | ice cream | bananas | all the fixins

Mad Tea Party (serves 10) naked cupcakes loaded with ice cream, frosting, and all the fixins

Whoopie Pie

classic chocolate | vanilla | red velvet

Cotton Candy

cone or big bowl

Candy Apple

classic cherry red

Margarita Pie

frozen tequila lime| salted pretzel crust

“Snickers Bar”

soft chocolate cookie | caramel | salted peanuts

Red Velvet Bread Pudding

red velvet cake | housemade custard

Banana Nilla Pudding

banana pudding | nilla wafers | whipped cream

Root Beer Float

root beer | vanilla ice cream

Beer Float

coconut porter | vanilla ice cream

Fried Oreos

(no description necessary)

......................

Aren't you feeling the love, too? American Cupcake is located at 1919 Union Street in San Francisco, and will have its grand opening on May 1 at noon; find out more at americancupcake.com.

Sweet Love: A Bakery Crush on Dollhouse Bake Shoppe, Los Angeles

All photos c/o Dollhouse Bake ShoppeEveryone knows that small things are cute. But at Los Angeles-based Dollhouse Bake Shop, not only are the goods adorable, but totally sweet (literally) too--taking form as little ice cream, candied apple, or animal-shaped confections which are--surprise!--filled with cake truffle filling! Here's the story about -- and many pictures from -- CakeSpy's latest online bakery crush.

Dollhouse Bake Shoppe was founded by owner Lindsay Morton in 2009. Soon after applying to grad school, she decided to pursue her dream instead and moved back to her hometown in LA to start a business that brings smiles to faces, and sweetens lives.

Combining her love for sweets with her innate artistic flare, she followed her heart and turned her dream into a reality when Dollhouse Bake Shoppe was open for business. Her vision to create a unique and tasty line of delectable "dollhouse size" desserts has become her signature approach in this vastly growing market. By putting her own twist on her favorite desserts she introduced Dollhouse Bake Shoppe's signature and best selling item, the "Cakelet", and created a chocolate canvas to decorate each hand sculpted piece into an edible work of art.

With a variety of anything but ordinary flavors, Lindsay's endless creativity, and of course, everything bite sized, Dollhouse Bake Shoppe makes the perfect treats to match the theme of any event, from birthdays to weddings, showers, parties, or for those simply craving a little something sweet without the guilt of indulging."

Dollhouse Bake Shoppe baked goods are available by special order / delivery in the LA area; additionally, some (but not all) of the items can be shipped. For more information, visit dollhousebakeshoppe.com.

Lucky Charms: Lollipops by This Charming Candy

Photos c/o This Charming CandyLollipops are an inherently happy food. They're the reward at the end of childhood doctor visits or trips to the bank--a small and innocent nugget of sweetness on a stick. 

But even happier is when they actually taste good. So it was very delightful to receive a tip about This Charming Candy by Melanie of Starry Nights Catering (featured on CakeSpy a while back), who has this to say about them: "They do amazing handmade lollipops featuring crazy-good flavor combinations like coconut-caramel and coffee-hazelnut. They have flavors to appeal to both kids and adults, and man do I love them!"

Certainly above and beyond the average lollipop, these handcrafted hard candies are made in small batches in the Seattle area. Not only are they visually stunning, almost like little confectionery stained glass objets d'art, but they come in a dazzling array of creative flavors such as Vanilla cardamom, Salted caramel, Pistachio-marshmallow, Nutmeg creme, and Honey Jasmine.

Special flavor collections--paired by seasonal flavors or themes, like the "Twilight"-inspired collection of "bloodsuckers" (above) are also available, as are Lollipop of the month subscriptions.

And--just saying--they have Birthday Cake flavored lollipops. Birthday! Cake! Flavored! Lollipops!

But really, I've said enough. At this point, I'm surprised you're still even reading this--don't be a sucker, go order some!

Find out more about This Charming Candy on their website; buy enough lollipops to make your mouth happy for a long time at their online store!

Sweet Love: A Bakery Crush on Daisy Mae Treats, Los Angeles

Photos c/o Daisy Mae TreatsThank you, internet. For various reasons, of course, but most recently for introducing me (via DailyCandy) to my newest bakery crush: Daisy Mae Treats, an online bakery based in Los Angeles.

And happily, several of their items can be shipped nationwide.

The primary object of desire? Their signature "Daisycakes", a most delectable-looking gourmet cookie sandwich which comes in flavor combinations like chocolate cookies filled with sea salt caramel frosting as well as ginger molasses, peanut butter chocolate, and lavender. 

Of course, the caramels--which come in flavors like sea salt and lavender--don't look so bad themselves.

While they don't have a retail space (yet), if you're in the LA area you can also receive deliveries of all sorts of treats from their menu, including the aforementioned cookie sandwiches and caramels, as well as a full array of cupcakes (in flavors like lemon curd, honey mascarpone, chocolate sea salt caramel, and red velvet), brownies, blondies, sour lemon scones, and a most alluring-looking chocolate chip coffee cake (pictured left).

Browsing the internet has never been so sweet.

Daisy Mae Treats can be found online at daisymaetreats.com.

Sweet Love: A Bakery Crush on Bubblecake Bake Shop, Roanoke VA

Photo c/o the Bubblecake Bake Shop Facebook PageUh oh. It's happened again--I've been hit by a sweet cupid's arrow, and the object of my affections? Bubblecake Bake Shop in Roanoke, Virginia.

CakeSpy reader Haley alerted me to this source of sweetness in the Mid-Atlantic, saying

I sadly didn't have my camera with me, so I didn't get any pictures of the cupcakes or the store, but were they both adorable! The place has a pink front door, a front lawn with the cutest furniture, and a covered patio on the backside of the store.

but the cutness doesn't end at the decor--oh no. Their wares are fresh and sweet--as Haley continues,

I couldn't rave more about the cupcakes though! They were all fresh, most were still on baking pans. My friend got me a twelve pack... they were all chocolately, moist, and delicious.

But the highlight?

BROWNIE CUPCAKES, exuse my caplocks, but I was complete suprised. I thought I was eating a normal chocolate cupcake, and what do you know.

And of course, it doesn't hurt that Bubblecakes prides itself on giving you a free cupcake for your birthday--their white/buttercake flavored with strawberry or blueberry icing with a happy birthyday M&M on top.

Oh, Bubblecake Bake Shop, you had me at hello.

Curious? Bubblecake Bake Shop has two Roanoke locations; find directions and more information on their website, bubblecake.com. They're also on Facebook and Twitter!

Sweet Love: A Bakery Crush on Lollicake Bakeshop, Denver CO

First off: what is a Lollicake?

Per the Lollicake Bakeshop site: Lollicakes are yummy, bite-size cupcakes on a stick! Rich cake blended with creamy frosting and dipped in vanilla or chocolate, lollicakes are the perfect hand-held treat.

Pretty much as you may have suspected, it's heaven on a stick. And now, these little nuggets of sweetness are available for custom order in an unlikely duo of locations: Denver and Boston! (The business is run by a mother and daughter in the two respective locations).

Let's have a look-see at some of their flavors and past orders, shall we?

how about some "Jack and Coke" Lollicakes...

...or maybe some lucky Irish ones?

...or, one of my favorites--the apple-shaped ones, perfect for a teacher gift!

OK...now can you see why they warrant a bakery crush?

Custom orders are available in the Denver and Boston areas. Shipping is not available now, but may be in the future; in the meantime, keep up with Lollicake Bakeshop via their website, blog, Facebook, and Twitter!

Catch the Buzz: Chocolate Covered Honey Cakes by Bee Desserts

My dad always says "you catch more flies with honey". Really--he does say that. Often.

But what if that honey was in cake form, and enrobed in rich chocolate?

Say hello to the latest CakeSpy bakery crush: Bee Desserts in New York City. 

Although their Greenwich Village location does offer a few different dessert offerings, their signature (and, in this spy's opinion, most intriguing) offering is a dark chocolate coated honey cake. Apparently it was borne of a desire to have a dessert "without the use of sugar or additives"...but I suppose they can be forgiven for that, because they do look (and sound) awfully good.

P.S. If the concept of the honey cake covered in chocolate intrigues you, you might also be interested in this recipe I found for honey fig chocolate covered cake. Nom!

Try them for yourself at 94 Greenwich Ave., New York, NY 10011; online at beedesserts.com.

Sweet Love: A Bakery Crush on A Dozen Eggs Bake Shoppe, Mount Holly, VT

I'm not against a little matchmaking...when the match in question is a bakery.

So when CakeSpy reader Jen wrote saying "have I met a bakery that would be great for you!" I clicked over to their website, and knew that she was right: we were a perfect match. 

That was how my long-distance love affair began with A Dozen Eggs Bake Shoppe, a sweet bakery in Mount Holly, Vermont. 

Now, I have a few reasons why one should love A Dozen Eggs--sweetly decorated cookies for just about every occasion and interest (say hello to your new go-to source for baseball, female golfing, ballet, birthday, skunk-love, penguin, and butterfly cookies); cupcakes that look pretty and like they have a great frosting-to-cake-ratio; and of course, that New England classic, the Whoopie Pie. Several of the items can be shipped, too.

But of course, from a distance, it's hard to tell how the sweets taste. Just as good as they look, Jen assures us, who, when asked her favorite items from the shop, had this to say:

"Well their cookies are not only impeccably decorated but delicious as well.  So are their homemade marshmallows! And my dogs have enjoyed their pumpkin doggy biscotti.  Too many to list!!"

That's good enough for me. Another bakery match made in heaven!

In Vermont? You can check out A Dozen Eggs yourself at 1871 Route 103 in Mount Holly Vermont; or, some items are also available for nationwide shipping too via their website; online at adozeneggs.com.

Sweet Love: A Bakery Crush on Deluxe Cakes and Pastries, Iowa City

Dear Deluxe Cakes & Pastries in Iowa City,

I've never met you, but I love you.

I realize that this may seem sudden, and I may be coming on strong.

But there are several reasons why I've decided we're soul mates. Care to hear?

Your cakes. Like this one, a 4-layer cake consisting of dark chocolate soaked in coffee syrup and layered with milk chocolate mousse and raspberry. If it tastes a third as good as it looks, I could die happy after eating this.

Your cupcakes. You have cupcakes in a delicious range of flavors, and you decorate them so sweetly. Who doesn't love a cupcake that looks like a bunny is diving into it (shown top)? I'd eat this for Easter...and beyond.

Your Doughnuts. Every Saturday morning, you fry fresh yeast doughnuts. I would get up early for these. Really, I would.

Your Petits Fours. Petits fours are by nature an adorable thing, but yours are especially cute, and I've never had a carrot cake or red velvet petit four. Needless to say, I would like to change this.

Your Tiramisu. Really, I think the picture speaks for itself.

In closing, Deluxe Cakes & Pastries, I would like to say that should you decide to relocate to Seattle, I would very much appreciate it. But if that's not possible, I look forward to stalking--er, visiting--you on my next pastry road trip.

Want more? If you're in Iowa City, you can visit Deluxe Cakes & Pastries at 812 S. Summit Street, Iowa City; even if you're not in Iowa, I bet you'd get a thrill out of checking out their website at deluxecakesandpastries.com or visiting their blog at deluxebakery.blogspot.com.

Sweet Love: A Bakery and Baking Blog Crush on Cupcakes and Sundry Cupcakery, Toronto

It's happened again. Like a ray of buttercream sunshine straight to the heart, CakeSpy has another bakery crush. This time it's a double dose of delicious, because Cupcakes and Sundry is not only a custom order baking business, but also a delectable baking blog.

So who's behind all of this sweetness? Head baker Stephanie is a teacher by day, baker and blogger by night. What moves her?

I've been in love with cupcakes all of my life. In March 2008, I started making cupcakes as a hobby in my little apartment kitchen. Every week I'd pump out a different flavour for my friends and colleagues to try and to judge. Everyone has their personal favourite; mine strawberry angel food cake (picture on photo page) and a new flavour the peanut butter colossal.

I like to swirl and sprinkle, dip and glaze, fill and layer, pipe and top or just make cupcakes simple and sweet. Birthday, holiday or any occasion cupcakes are a perfect dessert after any meal.

And now that you have the backstory, howsabout the goods?

On the menu, you can build your own cupcakes using various cupcake flavors, fillings and frostings--love that. And oh, what an array of flavors--the chocolate chip cupcookie with cream cheese frosting sounds pretty good to me--or perhaps some vanilla cake with boston cream filling and chocolate frosting for a sort of Boston cream pie shout-out? Oh, you lucky Canadians who can order Cupcakes and Sundry wares!

Of course, for those not in the Toronto area, instant pleasure is available via the Cupcakes and Sundry blog, where you can follow Stephanie's day to day adventures, and you have access to some of the recipes she loves. Don't know about you, but within five minutes I was able to find a bunch of baking ideas I wanted to try--including Snickerdoodle cupcakes, cotton candy cupcakes, coffee and doughnut cupcakes, Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes, macaroons, and -- OMG-- these: 

Yup--Cupcakes and Sundry deserves to be loved.

You can check out Cupcakes and Sundry in several ways: if interested in ordering, visit the order page; if you want to keep up with the baking adventures, visit the blog; if you want some seriously sweet pictures to tempt you, visit the Flickr page.

Sweet Love: A Bakery Crush on Sara Snacker Cookie Company

What happens when a former TV producer switches gears and decides to start producing sweet treats? 

You get spectacular productions of sweetness, that's what happens.

Say hello to Sara Snacker Cookie Company, "a milk and cookies company" run by Sara Leand, who left behind the world of creating and producing shows for the likes of TLC, E!, and Lifetime to start creating get-fat-now treats which meld old-school nostalgia with new-school creativity and awesomeness.

Some of the menu's highlights? 

The Chipn'etzel Cookie is their signature product, a kitchen sink-type cookie which combines many of the best snack foods--pretzels and potato chips--into one delicious cookie. There are variations which include dark and white chocolate drizzles, in case the original isn't rich enough for you.

The CandyPop Cookie is one of those cookies which makes children shiver with joy and dentists quiver with fear: a cookie with lollipop bits baked inside, topped with a gumball center.

Chocolate Dipped Twinkies and Devil Dogs: Want to get fat in an extremely enjoyable way? How 'bout eating one (or three) of these Twinkies enrobed in thick white chocolate or a Devil Dog smothered in deep, dark chocolate? Goodness gracious--somewhere Paula Deen is shedding a tear over these babies.

Homemade versions of classic cookies and candies: Homemade animal crackers (you can actually tell what animals they are!) and Tootsie Rolls that "won't break your teeth"--yes please!

Yup: this is what love looks like.

Where can you get Sara Snacker sweets? Right now there is limited availability in fancy food stores in the NYC area; however, they can ship anywhere in the USA! Here's a link to their online store; for more information, visit sarasnacker.com.

Sweet Love: A Bakery Crush on Coco Cake, Vancouver BC

Photos by Lyndsay Sung and Amy Pelletier

If it were legal to marry a cupcake business, I'd probably propose to Coco Cake in Vancouver.

Why? Well, if you have to ask, you've clearly never checked out the website. Why not go there now?

Probably now you have an idea of why Coco Cake ought to be adored, but just for fun, let's talk about some of the reasons why it's a CakeSpy pick.

Coco Cake is totally sweet: The operation is run by Lyndsay Sung, an "artist and fun-loving baker" whose sense of whimsy is matched by a slight dark humor (bloody hand cupcakes to raise awareness for workplace safety, anyone?) that makes for simply irresistible cakes.

Coco Cake is thoughtful: When asked the open-ended question "why cupcakes?" baker Lyndsay had a thoughtful and thought-provoking response: "I think in an aesthetic sense, cupcakes appeal to me, especially when done artfully and with care and a nice sense of design. I also love vintage-look cakes, old school buttercream techniques, anything well-designed. I hate it when you go into a shop and you can tell someone has frosted their cupcakes so sloppily with no regard or real caring. I really do care about my cupcakes and think about them often on their journeys out into the world!"

Coco Cake is inventive: You've heard of Red Velvet...but how about Brown Velour? It's a Coco Cake original--in Lyndsay's words, "it's a play on the idea of the Red Velvet, because ... don't murder me, world-- but I'm not a fan of the cake part of a red velvet cake, but I love the creamcheese frosting. So Brown Velour is a dark chocolate cupcake topped with vanilla creamcheese frosting. More what I would hope to bite into rather than the bland weird red muffin taste of some red velvet cakes. The name Brown Velour also makes me think of an old lady with lavender hair boogying it up on a dancefloor in a brown velour tracksuit...!

Coco Cake enjoys life balance: Baker Lyndsay makes an adorably sweet cupcake burger. But in truth, she's just as passionate about the savory versions! "I actually love regular burgers and hot dogs as much as I love the cake versions!" she says, adding a tip for visitors to Vancouver: "We have this awesome hot dog stand in Vancouver called Japadog. Japanese style hot dogs, with nori, Japanese mayo, miso, all sorts of yummy/crazy sauces." Life is about balance, and Coco Cake embraces all of the major food groups!

For more, visit cococake.com or keep updated via the Coco Cake blog!