This Day Calls For Cake!

There are certain occasions that call for cake. I have two such occasions: today is my birthday and I am celebrating my 2 year blogiversary!

My blog turned 2 years old on April 22nd and I was so busy (presumably eating sweets) that I completely missed it. Since I’m having cake already I might as well celebrate these two birthdays at once. It has been an incredible 2 years of Let Me Eat Cake and I am happy to have been able to share some sweetness. There was a bit of a break from the blog during a busy period full of ube cupcake consumption, but I hope you are all out there still getting your fill of cake!

In keeping with the theme of cake, I recently had a chance to sit down with the cake man himself, Duff Goldman, at the LA Times Festival of Books. You may know Duff from the Food Network show Ace of Cakes. He is also the owner of Charm City Cakes in Baltimore. Duff just announce that Charm City Cakes is moving west and will be opening in Santa Monica in July. He chose the location because “It is close to the beach, central to other parts of Los Angeles and major freeways.” The shop is closed to the public, but you can call or order online for your very own Charm City Cake. Of Charm City’s flavors, Duff says his faves are pumpkin chocolate chip and cardamom pistachio.

Duff is new to LA, having lived here for only two weeks, but he is already finding some memorable sweets around the city. I asked him what his favorite LA dessert is so far. His answer: Animal’s bacon chocolate crunch bar. He says he loves the “three different layers of chocolate… It is really really really good.” We agree, Duff. Who doesn’t love bacon and chocolate?

But, his favorite dessert of all time (would you guess?) is sorbet. Duff explained to me that he “loves to order sorbet for dessert when I go out to eat at a restaurant.” He says, “sorbets tell a lot about a chef by how they turn the sorbet, at what point it freezes, the ingredients they use.” Duff thinks sorbet, which is a simple dessert like crème brulee, is a good test of a chef’s skills. Simple perfection – we love it.

If this didn’t make you hungry for cake I don’t know what will. I don’t know about you, but I’d love to get my hands on some Charm City cardamom pistachio cake right about now.