If you see it like we do, then you probably look forward to the cake as the highlight of any social gathering. It can add excitement and anticipation even to the most dreaded of events—the wedding of someone you hardly know, the graduation party of an indignant teenager or a birthday party full of a dozen squealing children. Maybe you’ve even found yourself hunkering down near the cake table, hoping no one has noticed that you’re queuing up for your second piece. If you hold cake in nothing but the highest regard, you’ve found the right place to enjoy this simple luxury in all of its spongy, moist, frosting-laden glory. By our estimations, Edina has some of the best cake shops in the Twin Cities.
Ancho Diablo
The Ancho Diablo is the most popular cake at Franklin Street Bakery, and when you experience its chocolate-y complexity, you’ll understand why. It consists of five layers of chocolate devil’s food cake, filled with a milk chocolate, ancho pepper buttercream frosting and covered with a layer of chocolate ganache. “Ancho peppers are predominately smoky and there is just a small kick of heat, which I like to call ‘Minnesota spice,’” says pastry chef Lynne Hackman. The cake is available daily in the 8-inch size ($30) to serve 12–16 people, and can also be custom ordered in a 10-inch size. By stark contrast, the bakery’s signature lemon vanilla bean cake is three layers of vanilla-bean-flecked white cake, glazed with lemon simple syrup, filled with tangy lemon custard and covered with lemon buttercream frosting ($30/8-inch). Finally, if you’re looking for something a little bit cheeky and fun for your next party, try the Kupcake Kabobs.
3904 Sunnyside Rd.; 952.929.2253
Hours: 7 a.m.–6 p.m. Mon.–Sat., 8 a.m.–6 p.m. Sun.
Guinness Stout Ginger Cake
The warm, dark and aromatic flavors of Patisserie Margo’s Guinness Stout Ginger Cake could be a smashing success at fall events like book club or the buffet line at a family gathering. Guinness Irish stout is simmered with molasses and added to the cake batter along with fresh ginger juice and ground ginger. Between layers you’ll find a generous layer of creamy, caramel mousse. The cake is then topped off with a caramel buttercream frosting that’s loaded with bits of chocolate-covered toffee. The preferred size is a 12-by-4-inch rectangle to show off all of the attractive layers, and serves 10 people ($37.50), but the cake is also sold by the half cake or slice, and can be cut into petit fours.
5133 Gus Young Ln.; 952.926.0548
Hours: 7 a.m.–6 p.m. Mon.–Fri., 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Sat.
Princess Torte
The Princess Torte is something of a Wuollet’s classic, and it’s also the bakery’s best-selling cake, according to Aaron Wuollet, whose grandfather first started the business. It starts with layers of light, golden sponge cake, filled with Bavarian cream and raspberry, then covered with a pastel green marzipan (other pastel colors can be specified on a custom order). The standard size is an 8-inch round for 12 people ($37), and can usually be found in stock. The cake can be ordered in rounds or sheets, and Wuollet says it has been done for weddings and sells at least once daily as a birthday cake.
3608 W. 50th St.; 612.922.4341
Hours: 7 a.m.–6 p.m. Mon.–Sat.
Black and White Wedding Cake
Sweet Retreat Cupcake Boutique
Owner Robin Johnson of Sweet Retreat Cupcake Boutique has seen an uptick in the number of black and white wedding cakes being ordered for fall 2011. Any cake can be completely customized to the client’s specifications, but one example includes an outside layer of hand rolled white fondant with a floral pattern designed by the store’s pastry chefs featuring black fondant flowers, leaves and vines. Black satin ribbons serve as accents, with white beading piped in buttercream at the base of each layer. Other trends Johnson has noticed are cakes with colors and symbols matching the theme of a wedding or using multi-flavored cupcake tiers to complement a centerpiece wedding cake. The store offers custom cakes and cupcakes for any occasion.
5013 France Ave.; 612.353.6230
Hours: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Tues.–Sat.
Coconut Cake
Ever wondered where restaurant desserts come from, like that tempting coconut cake you’ve tried at Crave? If they aren’t made in house, you can bet a good lot of them are provided by Main Street Bakery. While the bulk of the bakery’s business is wholesale, it has a retail outlet tucked away in an industrial strip where a couple of signature cakes are sometimes available, in addition to goodies like doughnuts, breads, spreads and dips, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and even frozen lasagna, with selections changing weekly. The coconut cake is a white cake topped with Brazilian pastry cream, which contain no yolks, so it’s lighter and fluffier than most pastry creams. The shop also sells a decadent chocolate truffle torte that (when enjoyed with a glass of red wine) is true happiness, according to owner Tony Sisini who started the bakery 15 years ago. Bargain-hunters will find a haven in Main Street, where cakes that would typically sell for $35–$40 at a traditional retail bakery are selling for $15–$20. At peak holiday times, there’s often a line out the door.
6947 Washington Ave. S.; 952.943.8008
Hours: 3 p.m.–5 p.m. Wed., 8 a.m.–12 p.m. Sat.
Ice Cream Cake
Neighborhood Ice Cream Shoppe
Plenty of corporate chains like Culver’s or Dairy Queen do big business when it comes to frozen cakes, but if you’d like your cake to be crafted in a locally owned shop, with real, Wisconsin-made ice cream, the Neighborhood Ice Cream Shoppe is the place. The dessert comes with two layers of ice cream—you choose the flavors—filled with a layer of Oreo cookie crumbles and fudge or caramel sandwiched in between, and topped with whipped cream frosting. Some cakes are kept in stock, or with 24-hour notice, you can customize your own. Cakes come as sheets, pies or rolls and range from $19.99 to $34.99.
6137 Kellogg Ave.; 952.922.9597
Hours: 12 p.m.–10 p.m. Mon.–Sun.
Red Velvet Cake
If you thought red velvet cake was just a fad, think again. Terri Leckas at Queen of Cakes says the homey dessert is as popular as ever. Her version is a two-layer cake using a slightly modified German chocolate cake recipe for the batter, cream cheese icing and Bailey’s mousse filling—a surprising twist that customers love. A 6-inch cake sells for $20 and serves six to eight people, but the cake can be ordered in larger sizes and is a crowd-pleasing favorite for weddings.
7104 Amundson Ave.; 952.942.7628
Hours: 9 a.m.–7 p.m. Mon.–Fri., 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Sat.
Sarah Cake
A beloved favorite from Patrick’s French Bakery for birthdays, weddings and anniversaries, the Sarah Cake is an almond sponge cake base with dark chocolate mousse and a pistachio crème brulee center. It is covered with fondant and a dark chocolate glaze and decorated with a macaroon and a white chocolate triangle. It’s available in various serving sizes, but you can get an individual size for $4.95.
2928 W. 66th St., Richfield; 612.861.7570
Hours: 7 a.m.–9 p.m. Sun.–Wed., 7 a.m.–10 p.m. Thurs.–Sat.
