When searched on Google, the first link that pops up after entering “History of Cake Eaters” is the Wikipedia page for Edina,Minnesota. But what is a cake eater? The general consensus among Edina residents is that inhabitants are called cake eaters because the city appears wealthy, not because we, well, eat a lot of cake. However, after visiting a few of the city’s best bakeries, we deem that theory debatable (with substantial evidence in our expanded stomachs).
Sweet Retreat Cupcake Boutique: Sophomore Sarah Nealon and I sampled the Monkey Business and the seasonal Apple Pie cupcake. Both, in our opinions, were swoon-worthy and devoured within mere seconds. The Monkey Business cupcake had almost equal amounts of moist yellow cake and rich chocolate frosting, and the Apple Pie cupcake was filled with a homemade apple pie filling and topped with cinnamon buttercream. Drooling? That’s okay, we were too. Both are priced at $3, and you can special order a mini cupcake in any flavor for $1.50. Sweet Retreat Cupcake Boutique is located at 5013 France Avenue South inEdina. The bakery is open from 10:00 a.m. until 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, but because cupcakes go fast, your best bet is to come in earlier or call before to guarantee your favorite flavor.
Franklin Street Bakery: Although tempted by the vast assortment of cookies, bars, breads, and popular ganache cupcakes ($3.99), we decided to sample the Cupcake Kabob, a delicious concoction that can be purchased for $2.99. It was made up of three mini chocolate cupcakes stuffed with a fluffy white filling, covered in chocolate icing, and then stuck on a stick. Franklin Street Bakery is located at3904 Sunnyside Road and open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Queen of Cakes: The Teeny Cakes, starting at $4.00, are scrumptious and a perfect treat for birthdays or everyday cravings. At the store, Teeny Cakes are available in chocolate or white, but upon special order, the three-inch diameter cakes are available in any Queen of Cakes flavor upon special order. Sophomore Cara Sierks explains her adoration for the treat, “Teeny cakes have all of the flavor of a full cake packed into a teeny portion. They’re good to give as birthday gifts because they’re inexpensive and delicious.” Next door, TJ’s of Edina was selling slices of chocolate cake from Queen of Cakes. We found the slice to be a bit dry, but for $4.83 the frosting was delectable. Queen of Cakes, at 7104 Amundson Avenue inEdina, is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Patrick’s Bakery & Café: The warm red walls, lined with black and white French photographs, frame glass display boxes stuffed with an assortment of pastries. With the help of a friendly employee, we decided on the Sarah Cake for $4.95, one of the most popular dessert items on the menu. The cake, roughly the same size as a Teeny Cake from Queen of Cakes, was as delicious as it looked. The Sarah Cake was covered in a dark chocolate glaze and filled with pistachio crème brulee between a layer of dark chocolate mousse and almond sponge. Patrick’s Bakery & Café, a spacious restaurant and bakery in Southdale Square at 2928 West 66th St is open Sunday through Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Thursday though Saturday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Patisserie Margo: Patisserie Margo employee and EHS Junior Lauren Groffsky explains her favorite treat, “My favorite cake would have to be the flourless chocolate cake, one of our most popular cakes. It’s super creamy and rich, and the chocolate tastes really good with the raspberry.” The coconut cupcake we purchased was a bit dry for out liking, but we found that the cherry chocolate chip, pumpkin, and banana chocolate chip muffins were close to perfect. Each muffin oozed with warmth and fluffiness and was topped with a golden, crunchy top for $2.15. Patisserie Margo, located at 5133 Gus Young Lane, is open Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Wuollet Bakery: We rushed in during the midst of closing time, so the manager granted us a free chocolate, carrot, and red velvet cupcake. The lightly spiced, moist carrot cupcake was our favorite, which was surprising, as it has a vegetable in the title. Red velvet and chocolate were close seconds, although both cakes were a bit too dense for our liking. However, the customer service was exceptional, and we would gladly visit again. Wuollet Bakery, located at3608 West 50th Street, is open Monday through Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
By the end of the day, we walked away with full stomachs and pounding sugar headaches. The best treats, in our opinion, were the Monkey Business and Apple Pie cupcakes from Sweet Retreat and the Sarah Cake from Patrick’s Bakery and Café, with the Cupcake Kabob from Franklin Street Bakery, the Carrot Cake Cupcake from Wuollet Bakery, and the Teeny Cake from Queen of Cakes following close behind. Although the Patisserie Margo cupcake was nothing to write home about, the muffins practically deserved their own article. Either way, what you should take away from this article is simple. Edina, have your cake and eat it, too.
