Cake For Breakfast at Rebel

Who wouldn’t want cake for breakfast? #yeg #yegfood #yegeats #brunch #foodporn

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Apr 15, 2018 at 12:39pm PDT

This multi-layered confetti cake is always on Rebel's dessert menu, but on weekends it is also part of the brunch menu as "Cake for Breakfast." My response? If eating cake for breakfast is wrong, I don't want to be right! I especially liked the Fruit Loops in the icing and on the plate. It was missing the fruit pebbles and glass of milk, but I could not finish this as it was. I also learned the hard way not to try to pull the sparkler out of the cake immediately after it goes out. Ouch! This was a memorable experience for several reasons!

Just Desserts: Mixed Berry Frangipane Cake at Block 1912

This is Saturday. Cappuccino and a mixed berry frangipane. #yeg #yegfood #yegeats #foodporn

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Feb 17, 2018 at 12:24pm PST

Saturday afternoons at Block 1912 are precious, when I have a moment to catch my breath. This past weekend I paired a mixed berry frangipane cake with my cappuccino. The cake had a crispy bottom, with a moist centre layered with fruit. Of course, the top was covered with fresh fruit. The result was not too heavy and very satisfying (and delicious).

Just Desserts: Pumpkin Spice Cake at Block 1912

Coffee and pumpkin spice cake. I have been told I am the first to try it. #yeg #pumpkinspice #yegfood #dessert #coffee #yegcoffee

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Oct 25, 2017 at 3:27pm PDT

It's that time of year when pumpkin spice takes over the drinks and desserts of many coffee shops. I had a piece of pumpkin spice cake recently at Block 1912 and was apparently the first to try it. I am sure I was not the last. The cake was light and fluffy, with the pumpkin spice flavour coming from the icing between the layers. This was a really interesting and light alternative to pumpkin pie.

Just Desserts: Savarin Cake at La Mademoiselle

Savarin cake and Americano #yegfood

A photo posted by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Jul 18, 2016 at 1:16pm PDT

A friend of mine is absolutely in love with La Mademoiselle Marvelous Pastries and Cafe, and treated me to coffee and dessert there a few weeks ago. After trying it for myself, I can see why he is enamoured with the place. First of all, the Americano I had was incredible, and I could not get over how adorable the cup and spoon were. My Savarin cake was the best rum cake I have ever had, moist and soaking with boozy flavour. The cream in the middle and on top added a richness that almost overcame me. This was definitely a splurge of decadence that is well worth seeking the place out.

Just Desserts: Chocolate Toffee Torte and Corn Loaf at Block 1912

Chocolate toffee torte and corn loaf. #yegfood

A photo posted by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Apr 6, 2016 at 1:59pm PDT

While having coffee and dessert at Block 1912 a couple of weeks ago, I opted for something lighter - a small loaf of corn bread, which was heated for me. It had just the right amount of sweetness, and quite a buttery finish - I am not sure if butter was added to the exterior when it was heated, but it was definitely there. I tried a forkful of the chocolate coffee torte at the other side of the table, and found it rich with a definite taste of caramel amidst the sea of chocolate.

Just Desserts: Chocolate Stout Cake and Triple-Berry Mousse Cake at Block 912

After a few weeks of renovations, Block 1912 is open again. I was there this past week for an after-dinner espresso and dessert. My triple-berry mousse cake was moist, with an outer layer of chocolate ganache, a top layer of thick, rich mousse, and several layers of berry-infused cake. I also tried the chocolate stout cake, which was rich and chocolatey, but did not taste much from stout. "Maybe it's just the shape you turn into if you eat too much of it," said the witty person who had actually ordered it.

Just Desserts: Sicilian Cassata Cake at Block 1912

When I am in the mood for a sweet treat on a Saturday afternoon, I usually head to Block 1912 like I did today. To go with my coffee, I had a piece of Sicilian Cassata cake. Block 1912's take on this dessert, which is an Italian fruitcake, is to have a top layer of chocolate cake between two layers of ganache. Underneath the chocolate ganache sandwich is a thick layer of cheesecake mixed with chocolate chips (just in case the top layer did not provide enough chocolate) and preserved fruits. The bottom, thin layer is an intense lemon cake. The mixture of the sweet chocolate, creamy cheesecake, and almost sour lemon is quite the taste bud combination. And, like most of the desserts at Block 1912, I could not finish it.

Just Desserts: Pumpkin Mousse Cake at Block 1912

Before going to see one of my favourite bands at Blues On Whyte, I decided I needed some coffee and dessert to keep me going throughout what was going to be a late evening. I headed a few doors down to Block 1912 for coffee and a piece of pumpkin mousse cake. The top of the cake was fluffy mousse, with a thin layer of moise spiced cake underneath. Delicate sprinkles of dark chocolate enrobed the outer layer. The mousse part itself did not taste much from pumpkin - one had to scoop up the mousse and cake together for the full flavour experience. This was one of the lighter desserts I have had here, as far as a cake can go, and made a good after-dinner treat.

Just Desserts: Lemon Cake at the Italian Centre

Since I am quite frequently in the McCauley neighbourhood, I stop in to the Italian Centre often. Usually I just have a latte or espresso. Last week I had a major craving for dessert, and had a slice of the lemon cake with my cappuccino. The cake was moist and sweet, and the lemon flavour resonated.

Just Desserts: Carrot Cake at Zocalo

A friend of mine needed some photos taken for her social media profile, and figured a good way to get me to do a favour for her was to get me coffee and dessert at Zocalo. She knows me well. I had a slice of carrot cake because it is her favourite, and I wanted to try it for myself. The cake was moist and full of fruit and nuts, covered in a decadent cream cheese icing. I can definitely see why she is such a big fan.

Just Desserts: Chocolate Pecan Chocolate Cake Muffin at Cafe Leva

A coffee meeting at Cafe Leva turned into a coffee and treat meeting. I enjoyed what I thought at first was just a chocolate muffin with pecans, but was actually a dense piece of chocolate cake that was almost solid chocolate within. It was also sold to me as vegan, but I found it hard to believe, it was so rich. It was like eating a chocolate bar shaped into a muffin. I was on a sugar high for the rest of the afternoon. And that, my friends, is a good thing.

Just Desserts: Chocolate Brownie Mousse Cake

There are times when you need chocolate. Then, there are times when you really need chocolate. If you ever find yourself feeling like the latter, head to Block 1912 and order a piece of chocolate brownie mousse cake. It features a thick layer of rich mousse atop a base of brownie. It is one of the riches pieces of cake I ever have eaten. It is actually more of a confection than a cake. Goes very well with coffee.

Riverside Bistro

I spent most of the weekend at a conference at the Shaw Conference Centre, and needed a break. So, I headed next door to the Courtyard at Marriott for an early even snack in the Riverside Bistro. I ordered a Thai chicken flatbread, which took a while to arrive. My extremely friendly and attentive server (I would go back again just on service alone) brought me a garlic bread stick to help me pass the time. It was tasty, but would have been better warm.

Finally, the main attractive arrived, and it was good. Lots of chicken, creamy bocconcini cheese, red Thai sauce, and red peppers. The bread was also much more flavourful than typical flatbread, which tends to be bland. It cost around $14 which is on the higher end, but not unreasonable, for a gourmet, personal-sized pizza.

I decided to have dessert, and had a piece of Death by Chocolate cake. Despite the beautiful presentation, it did not live up to its name. It was rather dry, did not strike me as being overly fresh, and overall did not justify the $8 price tag.

Dessert at Block 1912

Dessert at Block 1912 #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

Black Forest is my favourite kind of cake. Most bakeries I have encountered do not make it properly. They make a plain, dry chocolate layer cake with whipped cream and a cherry on top. That is not Black Forest - that is a chocolate layer cake. Black Forest has cherries and cherry liquor or syrup incorporated in the cake itself, as well as the middle layer of cream. Thank you, Block 1912, for knowing how to make a Black Forest cake properly and for giving me such pleasure with your moist, dreamy layers, rich whipped cream, and decadent chocolate shavings.

Returning for Dessert at Block 1912

Dessert at Block 1912 #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

A cup of coffee and delicious dessert can be a perfect nightcap, or evening-cap as it was in this case.

My Chocolate Marquise is one of the most decadent desserts I have ever had. The rich outer later of ganache, the rich, firm mousse on the inside, the thing layers of cake in the middle and bottom - all of this combined to something with incredible flavour and texture.

The other dessert of choice was a three layer chocolate torte with white, milk, and dark layers. It got more rich the further down I went, and the chocolate shavings on top added an element of decadence.

Both desserts paired well with Block 1912's excellent coffee.

Chocolate Lava Cake

Chocolate molten lava cake #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

So, after a very ample steak dinner, I decided to give dessert a go. The Chocolate Lava Cake caught my eye, being a lover of chocolate.

The cake was warm and very rich. It did not explode with chocolate sauce as other lava cakes I have had, which was a bit of a surprise, but the accompanying ice cream and fruit sauce kept things moist and added layers of flavour. The fresh fruit pieces were also delicious.

Taste of Edmonton 2012: Chocolate Lava Cake with Raspberry Sorbet from Hong Kong Bakery

Taste of Edmonton 2012, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

No visit to Taste of Edmonton would be complete without dessert. This one was almost too cute to eat! Hong Kong Bakery's Chocolate Lava Cake was made in the shape of a mouse, the raspberry sorbet being the head, chocolate discs and pieces being the eyes and ears, and a cookie stick as a tail. The chocolate, pudding-filled cake was heated in a microwave before being plated and dusted lightly with icing sugar. Very decadent and delicious.

Chocolate Molten Lava Cake at Chili's

Chocolate Molten Lava Cake, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

As we were celebrating a milestone birthday, after Sunday supper at Chili's we decided to splurge on dessert.

This cake is huge, extremely rich, and bursting with both liquid chocolate and ice cream. It is easily shareable, and afterwards I wish I had. We're talking major food coma here.

Fudge Cake

Fudge Cake, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I saved my chocolates from my Festive Special at Swiss Chalet, because I wanted to leave room for dessert - just barely! Swiss Chalet has many dessert selections for less than five dollars. I had a slice of fudge cake. The best part for me was the layers of fudge in between the layers of chocolate cake. I really need to hit the gym some time soon!