Cake Byte: Deliciousness, and CakeSpy Artwork, at The Original Bakery, West Seattle

Even if you live in Seattle, you might not ever have visited The Original Bakery.

You see, that's because it's in a mythical part of the city called West Seattle (also known as "the place where the car-less do not go"). And what's more, it's on the "other" side of West Seattle (also known as "not the Junction").

But here's the thing. You not only should, but need, to visit this treasure of a bakery, which has been around for something like 80 years, and continuously owned by the same family for over 30 years.

Not to be too pushy, but I'd like to present a few reasons why.

Photo: Lara FerroniReason 1: Just Donut. Their donuts, which are simple and unfussy, have a secret: they are filled with crack. Well, OK, this is not exactly true, but they are equally addictive. And I'm not the only one who thinks so: when I recently visited the bakery to hang artwork while they were closed for business, at least three people tried to come in and ask for donuts, and all were so sad that there were none. These donuts have a devoted following.

Reason 2: Danish Delight. Their cream cheese danish, which is rich, flavorful, and beautifully chewy, nearly brought a tear to this transplanted East coaster's eye.

Reason 3: Under my Thumb(print). Looking for an old-fashioned, nutty, buttery, thumbprint cookie? They have a solid, classic version here, like Grandma made, but better than my grandma made (no offense, grandma).

Reason 4: Challah! Anna Alonzo, part of the family who owns the bakery, is not only completely cool, but she bakes a mean challah. It's not in regular rotation (yet) but if you see it, you'd be wise to buy a loaf or 10.

Reason 5: Keeping it in the Family. Owned for over 30 years by the Alonzo family, this is very much a family operation, with Bernie and his daughter Anna working in the kitchen--this place is a fixture in the community. This is the type of bakery that people get nostalgic about when they move away. 

Reason 6: They have CakeSpy art! Yeah, it's true. I just hung a very sweet series of paintings in the seating area, so not only can you enjoy the awesome extolled in reasons #1-5, but you can also buy CakeSpy artwork. You. Know. You. Want. To.

The Original Bakery, 9253 45th Ave SW, West Seattle; online at theoriginalbakery.com. Oh, and they're on Twitter and Facebook too.

Have a Ball: Birthday Cake Truffles by Momofuku Milk Bar

Cake Gumshoe Leandra kind of rules. Not only is she the grande dame of NYC doughnuts, having tasted just about everything on the menu at Doughnut Plant and having tempted us all with her account of the very wonderful Peter Pan Donuts, but now, she's shared a very sweet find: Birthday Cake Truffles by Momofuku Milk Bar.

As Leandra puts it, 

Since they stopped selling slices of their cakes, they made up for it by creating "truffles" out of them. Balls of sugary dense cakey wonder packed with rainbow goodness.

Now, I don't want to speak in grand generalizations, but basically, if the very thought of these doesn't make your toes curl with happiness, then you're probably a fairly joyless person.

Of course, if cake truffles aren't your thing, you probably know that you should try their cookies. As Leandra puts it,

Also, their cookies are out of control! My favorite? the chocolate chip cornflake marshmallow. WOW.

Of course, she included a picture to illustrate the "WOW".Want more? Learn more about Momofuku Milk Bar here; read more of Leandra's delicious adventures on her site, Snacks in the City.

It's All About The Cookie: Sweet Dreams Cookies from Baker Street Bread, Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia

Only a professional Cake Gumshoe would walk into a place known for its bread and pass right by the heavenly carbohydratey display of loaves and go right for the cookies.

But oh, am I glad I did.

I'd like to introduce you, friends, to the Sweet Dreams Cookie from Philadelphia's Baker Street Bread. It's fairly standard cookie fare at first glance, but one bite tells you why this cookie has been elevated from mere chocolate chip to "sweet dreams" status. It's comprised of the usual suspects, upon first taste: buttery cookie base. Chocolate chips. Nuts. And then...cinnamon. A simple addition, but one that adds so much to the end result, and makes you look forward to each following bite until the cookie is gone.

It's one smart and well-spiced cookie.

Sweet Dreams Cookies, Baker Street Bread, 8009 Germantown Ave., Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia.

Get Sconed: Strawberry Jam Filled Scone, The Night Kitchen Bakery, Philadelphia

Next time you're in Philadelphia, I have a suggestion. Get sconed.

You heard me. Get good and sconed, and do it at the Night Kitchen Bakery in Chestnut Hill.

This is no ordinary scone. A bit denser than typical coffee-shop varieties, this one comes closer to pie crust consistency than to that of cake, in the best way possible. Because well, sometimes dense, flavorful, buttery carbs are necessary to really get the morning going.

When served with a generous dollop of strawberry jam,as was the one we obtained on a recent visit, it makes for a sort of acceptable-to-eat-in-the-morning strawberry shortcake variation.

Of course, if you hit up Night Kitchen at other hours, the scones are still delicious at any hour, but they also have a bevy of other delicious-lookin' offerings, including chocolate chess tarts:

as well as a full menu with cakes, cookies, pies, and more.

The Night Kitchen Bakery, 7725 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia; online at nightkitchenbakery.com.

Flash in the Panera: A Sweet Sampling of Panera Bread Baked Goods

So, a few weeks ago Panera Bread emails me and says "would you like to be part of our blog program? We'll pay you." Well, you know, in so many words. 

Turns out, they wanted to pay me to eat their baked goods. Now, I would have eaten baked goods without being paid, but money is cool. Plus, I'd been curious, anyway-- they just opened a retail location a few short blocks from my store, and I had never tried their baked goods.

So, Mr. Spy and myself made a trip to the new Panera Bread location on Broadway in Seattle, and sampled some of the goods. 

First: the French Toast Breakfast sandwich, because, well, how could we not? Sort of a breakfast version of the Krispy Kreme burger made famous by Paula Deen, this delightfully unhealthy breakfast nicely mixed savory (eggs, cheese, and, if you want it, sausage) by sandwiching it with sweet. Though technically it was served on a bagel, I would like to assure you that this bagel was really, really close to its pastry re-assignment as a doughnut, what with its lightly sweet, soft interior, studded with raisins, and its gentle, sweet glaze of cinnamon and sugar on the crispy, grilled exterior.

Second: The "Cobblestone" sweet roll (pictured top) which was sort of like the muffin love child of Monkey Bread, Coffee Cake and a Cinnamon roll--and I mean that as a compliment. Made up of "Cinnamon Raisin bread dough mixed with chunks of apples and spices, topped with streusel and white icing", I'd have to say that if you are what you eat, you're living large when you eat this baby. 

Third: After taking a break to digest, we tried out the Mint Crinkle cookie, which is new on their menu. Once again, a sweet sort of fusion was going on here: it had the texture of a molasses cookie, but the flavor of a rich, fudgy chocolate crackle cookie mixed with a Thin Mint. And this is a very, very winning combination. 

Moreover, I have to say I was pretty impressed by Panera Bread--their menu is interesting, their baked goods are alluringly displayed when you walk into their cafe, and--most importantly--the sweets tasted good. I'd go again, even if I weren't being paid.

To find a location close to you, visit panerabread.com; follow them on Twitter here, and find them on Facebook here.

Bred and Butter: A Sweet Visit to Bredenbeck's, Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia

How does this sound to you: a banana pound cake cupcake, covered in peanut butter mousse frosting, topped with salted peanuts, a wedge of peanut butter cookie, and drizzled with honey?

Well, this cupcake--the "Elvis"--was as delicious as it sounds, and it was just one of many delectable items obtained at Chestnut Hill's Bredenbeck's Bakery.

Now, as you probably aready know, CakeSpy has had a bakery crush on this place for the longest time--recipes for ghost cupcakes and dude-friendly beer and chip cupcakes have been featured on the site. So it was an absolute joy to visit the actual bakery--open in Philadelphia since 1889 --in person and sample some of their sweets for ourselves.

Other than aforementioned Elvis Cupcake, what did we sample? So glad you asked.

We tried a bit of their seasonal Eggnog ice cream--similarly deliciously decadent.

After that, why not follow up with a seasonal sugar cookie (but obviously a  2 and 0, because seriously, the 1s looked like they had far less surface area). Buttery. Sugary. Good.

We finished with one of their slices of buttery pound cake. Simply awesome.

Of course, due to limited time, some of the things that sadly were not sampled included:

The "Chestut Hill" Torte (a sort of rich chocolatey confection);

...or the cannoli, brownies, or other delicious looking cakes.

But there's always something for next time, right?

Totally worth a visit: this bakery was chock-full of unfussy, but totally buttery, baked goods that will make you smile.

Bredenbeck's Bakery and Ice Cream Parlor, Philadelphia; online at bredenbecks.com.

Batter Chatter: Interview with Esa Yonn-Brown of Butter Love Bake Shop

Sometimes you discover great bakers in the most unexpected places. For instance: recently I got to talking to Liz, violinist in Mr. CakeSpy's band Exohxo, and she casually mentions that her childhood pen pal Esa Yonn-Brown not only makes the most amazing baked goods, but she owns a Butter Love Bakeshop (best name ever!), a pie-making business in San Francisco, featuring such alluring pies as the Pear Crisp Pie, "One Bite Wonder" mini pies, Irish Coffee Cream Pie, and a signature "Butter Pie". Well, I demanded an introduction on the spot, and thanks to the magic of Facebook, it happened soon after. Want to know more of Esa's story? Here you go:

CakeSpy: Tell me your first pie memory.

Esa Yonn-Brown: I don't recall the day that the photo was taken that appears on the front of my website (picture left) but as you can see I grew up around pie from the time I could wield a butter knife, so pie it's self is embedded in many of my memories. The most comforting memory I have that surrounds pie is that of my mom in the kitchen in the very early morning singing while I still lay in my bed before school. She would sing while she rolled out the butter studded dough and filled rounds with potatoes, meat and vegetables. I remember her telling me as I got on the school bus to hold my lunch bag opened on my lap until my empanadas cooled or they would steam up and get soggy. I also remember all the kids on the bus asking me what I had because that buttery smell filled the cabin of the stale smelling bus.

CS: What do you think are some contributing factors to the current "pie renaissance"?

EYB: I think people are looking for comfort these days and pie, to many people, is the essence of comfort. Pie evokes memories of moms in the kitchen, something homemade and simple, and is warm and full of love. It is not pretentious but can be elegant in it's core which is appealing in a time that is so full of unknowns.

CS: Please, tell me more about your signature "Butter Pie". What is it, where did it come from, why should we love it?

EYB: The Butter Pie is a take on the traditional Canadian Butter Tart. I was trying to think of a signature pie when I was getting started that was both unique, butter related, and addictivly good. This pie ended up fitting the bill. Plus I wanted the signature pie to be something I could make year round so it would not rely on seasonality.

CS: A lot of people are VERY scared of pie crust. Any tips or suggested tools to make it slightly less scary?

EYB: Practice and cold butter. There are all sort of tricks out there but really if you want to make a truly good all butter crust it is difficult and requires practice. Once you get it it is not hard to do at all, but it is a delicate balance between cold ingredients, not over working the dough, and making sure not to add too much water which will all result in a tough crust. People should not be scared to try to make an all butter crust, the flavor will be there no matter what and after a few tries they will figure out the balance involved.

CS: Also RE: pie crust--butter, shortening, lard, or a mixture?

EYB: Butter all the way! Shortening has no flavor at all, but is much easier to work with. I have not tried lard and would be interested to experiment but I love the flavor that butter provides. Butter also offers a tenderness that is not achievable with shortening, and if you master it can have the crisp flaky texture that shortening provides.

CS: What is your favorite type of holiday pie?

EYB: It may be boring to some but I really think a traditional apple pie still slightly warm with some vanilla ice cream or generous helping of just whipped above weeping cream, with a touch of vanilla and lightly sweetened couldn't be better for the holidays.

CS: New Year's Eve is over, but next time I'm celebrating, what kind of pie do you think would go well with champagne?

EYB: I personally love champagne and think pear pie would be lovely as well as a rich chocolate tart.

Discover Butter Love Bakeshop via Facebook, follow them on Twitter, or learn more at butterlovebakeshop.com.

Sweet Excess: The Exquisite Pleasure of Eating the Pumpple from Flying Monkey Patisserie, Philadelphia

Pie? Cake? Why decide, when you can eat two kinds of each, plus a 3-inch slab of buttercream frosting, all at once?

That's right: it's time for me to tell you about the exquisite pleasure that was ordering and eating the Pumpple, by far and away the single most calorie-dense offering at Philadelphia's Flying Monkey Patisserie.

But first, a 411. Per this article on MSNBC:

While the turducken, a chicken stuffed into a duck stuffed into a turkey, once seemed over-the-top, the pumpple cake is even more decadent. One Philadelphia bakery dreamed up this ultimate fall dessert: pumpkin and apple pies baked in chocolate and vanilla cake, fused together and surrounded by buttercream icing.

This oversize creation weighs in at a whopping 15 pounds and measures more than a foot tall. And at 1,800 calories a slice, it's not for the faint of heart.

And when a couple of spies--a buddy and myself--found ourselves wandering around Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market a week or so ago, you'd better believe we made a beeline to Flying Monkey for a slice of this sweet manna.

Now, this cake is not cheap. It's $8 a slice. But the purchase price is practically worth it for the pomp and circumstance of serving a slice all alone. Here's what you can expect if you decide to make the investment:

The first thing you'll notice as you come up to the bakery case is that this cake is huge. It's over a foot tall--just think about that. This means that if you were standing next to it, it would probably come closer to the height of your knee than the height of your ankle. 

The next thing is that it's heavy. This was clear by the way the employee braced herself to hoist the cake up to the counter to cut and serve. Over 15 pounds--that's a lot of cake, friends.

Once sitting at counter level, a big knife-slash-mini machete will be taken out to cut your slice. First, they will score the cake into marked-out slices.

Since the cake is kept cold (they recommend letting it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before eating), they will run a mini blowtorch over the knife (the kind used for creme brulee) to warm it so that it can cleanly and smoothly cut through the mass of cake.

They will repeat the torching to cut the other side of your wedge, and then they will delicately extract it and place it in a box, if you're taking it to go. This takeaway box is about the size of one that you'd get for an entire Chinese takeaway meal, by the way.

Now, you could wait half an hour to dig in, as they suggest. But when faced with the heady scent of buttercream, our resistance was futile--we grabbed some forks right away for a taste.

Sometimes, when a dessert like this exists, it's more for the shock value, and can disappoint in the taste department. But not this cake.

Every element could have stood on its own--moist, rich, flavorful cakes giving decadent, buttery pies a bear hug, and every last inch of it enveloped in a buttery frosting swaddling. 

After our few initial bites, we hit the road, walking around Philadelphia clutching our takeaway container with the care that one might assign a newborn baby...a newborn baby that you occasionally pause to take bites of, that is.

Furtive forkfuls were eaten at random all around town, and somehow, by the next morning, waking up in our hotel, this is all that was left. Now, this cake was advertised as serving four per slice, so I suppose I'm equal parts ashamed and proud to show you this.

In the morning light, it seemed like it could have been a mistake. But oh, it felt so right the night before.

Want a slice of this pie-and-cake mashup? You can get it at Philadelphia's Flying Monkey Patisserie; find them online here, and check 'em out on Twitter here.

Cake Byte: Chimney Cakes Opens in Chicago

Images from the Chimney Island Yelp pageHow to stay warm during the cold Chicago winter? Well. You could hunker down by a fireplace...or you could hit up newly-opened Chimney Cake Island!

Per CakeSpy reader Amy:

A bakery selling something called 'chimney cakes' opened up around the corner from me recently. Chimney Cake Island. I couldn't find any mention of the chimney cake on your site so I thought I'd pass the word along. Apparently chimney cakes are Romanian (?). I plan to stop into the shop this weekend.

Well, Amy, you are right about the cakes being associated with Eastern Europe. As I found out on that handy-dandy site Wikipedia,

Kürtőskalács or kürtős kalács is a Hungarian pastry also known as chimney cake or stove cake or Hungarian wedding cake. It is baked on a tapered cylindrical spit over an open fire. Originally from Transylvania, it is famous as Hungary's oldest pastry. Kürtőskalács is sold in bakeries, pastry shops and even street vendors are selling them on street corners, carnivals and fairs.

Kürtőskalács consists of a thin yeast pastry ribbon wound around a wooden cylinder, heavily sprinkled with sugar, thus becoming a helix shaped cylindrical pastry or a pastry roll that sometimes tapers very slightly towards the end. The pastry is baked on a hand-turned, tapered, wooden spit, rolled slowly on the wooden cylinder above an open fire. The dough is yeast-raised, flavored with sweet spices, the most common being cinnamon, topped with walnuts or almonds, and sugar. The sugar is caramelized on the kürtöskalács surface, creating a sweet, crispy crust.

In Chicago? Please report back with your thoughts on this intriguing new bakery! Find them online at chimneycakeisland.com!

Cake Byte: Cake Pops by Stick & Pop, NYC

Cake Pop Wants to know where its face went.Dear Stick&Pop,

I don't want to be to forward, because I just met you, but I think I love you. But no, I don't want to break up my marriage. Because you see, Mr. CakeSpy loves you too.

What we propose is that you leave NYC and move to Seattle, live in our spare bedroom, and instead of paying rent, give us an endless supply of your delicious cake pops.

Please, consider it.

Love, 

CakeSpy&Co.

- - - - - - - -

OK, so the preceding is a slight dramatization of actual events. We haven't invited the owners of Stick & Pop to live with us--yet.

But after each bite of their delicious pops, we're coming closer and closer. Not convinced? Well, read their bio and you might come a few steps closer:

French Culinary Institute graduate, Jacki Caponigro, and design professional, Christy Nyberg, launched Stick&Pop in New York in the Fall of this year. The pair has crafted a menu of 12 delightfully creative flavors that are as fun to look at as they are enjoyable to eat.

The eye-catching flavor, Darling (marble cake dipped in white chocolate and covered in sugar sprinkles), made a splash as The Savoy Hotel re-opened in New York—the treats were covered in gold and silver sprinkles to announce the occasion.

The diversity of flavors on the menu though, show that Stick&Pop is not relying on the novelty of a new “food-on-a-stick” but instead putting flavor and creativity at the helm. Johnny Cakes, for example, is peanut butter cake dipped in dark chocolate covered in pretzel and sea-salt and Griswald is essentially a S’more on a stick.

These cake pops are hands down some of the best I've ever tasted. The interior cake is decadently moist and buttery, and the candy coating is firm but not to the point of cracking and hurting the roof of your mouth--and each is so adorably decorated that you can't help but fall in love a little bit, just looking at the packaging.

Favorites so far? The "Darling" (marble cake, rolled in white chocolate and coated in sprinkles); the "Birthday Cake" (buttery cake coated in dark chocolate, with sprinkles); and of course, the "Johnnycake" (peanut butter cake coated in dark chocolate, with pretzel coating).

Seriously, I don't know what else to say other than these pops are a good investment. Lucky you if you live in NYC and can access them easily; even if you're not, they're worth the splurge for a special event.

Find out more at stickandpop.com.