Baked Goods
She Takes The Cake
"I've been baking so long that I just started emailing two years ago," says Adrienne Weinberg, owner of She Takes the Cake bakery café. "It's such a far cry from baking to computers."
It sounds like she baked for ten years straight, emerging from her kitchen a couple of years ago to brave new Internet technology. In this sense, the absence of a website is reassuring because these must be some fine tuned recipes - except the carrot cake. "The carrot cake is a work in progress," she says. It's labeled "tropical carrot cake," and decorated accordingly, a tempting variation of "regular" carrot cake. It looks good to me, especially for a work in progress.
The décor inside She Takes the Cake is straight up bakery café: soothing pastels. There are enough comfortable chairs and food magazines to keep you occupied (and comfortable) for a couple hours, and Adrienne insists they'll let you stay. "I love it when people come by with computers or kids," she says, pointing out a basket of toys. They also have a big television mounted on the wall, tuned to the food network and muted, so it looks like the host is cooking in time to the piano jazz coming from the bakery stereo.
The display case is beautiful. On top is a plate of huge cookies with little pools of melted chocolate, indicating they were just pulled out of the oven. Lemon squares are bigger than usual with a hint of coconut, rivaling my (formerly) favourite lemon squares in Toronto. All the miniature pies are square shaped and tied with a colour appropriate raffia ribbon - nice touch. The crust recipe is Adrienn's mom's.
Most importantly, there is a disproportionate amount of dulce de leche treats in the fridge. I ask Adrienne about the milky, Latin American sauce. "Well, we met in 1985," she says. For a moment I think she's talking about dulce de leche, and I appreciate the personification. But it turns out she's referring to her husband, Michael, who is sitting at a nearby table with his laptop. (He is trying to find pictures of pupcakes - cupcakes decorated like puppies in various seasonal and holiday garb - to show us because there is none in the store today.) Years back, Michael did some work in Buenos Aires, which is where and when Adrienne got interested in dulce de leche. It became her first official product in 2000 when she began supplying jars of it to Pusateri's.
Aside from the Chilean bakery near my house, my experience with dulce de leche has been limited. I also don't usually care much for cheesecake (aside from my mum's chocolate cheesecake). Evidently, nor did the guy from Pusateri's who initially told Adrienne "the world doesn't need more cheesecake," when she pitched a dulce de leche cheesecake to him. He changed his mind once he tried it. My cheesecake apathy is similarly shaken once I try it. It's a rich, smooth and delicious treat (and at $3.50 a square, a great price I might add) with a thick layer of dulce de leche on top, drizzled with chocolate. It is one of the most indulgent and immediately addictive pastries I've ever had. Also offered are dulce de leche hearts and killer alfajores.
Customers can request fair trade/organic espresso beans for a bit more money. For now, all the beans are from Classic, but Adrienne is excited about bringing in coffee from Zaza. She also shows me (and lets me smell) much of the tea selection from Tea in the Sahara. "Everyone that comes in here for a cup of tea is happy," she says. Alyssa (the photographer!) is definitely happy with her iced white tea garnished with assorted citrus. It's washing down her homemade mac and cheese with Gruyere and sharp cheddar - comfort food to the max.
She Takes the Cake offers plenty of lunch options including homemade pizza (which looked incredible but wasn't done in time for me to try some), sandwiches (including turkey with homemade cranberry sauce) and bagels from Gryfes ($2.50 with cream cheese). Apparently the Dundas West crowd is crazy for Gryfes bagels. "They go like water." I'm jealous of this bagel-loving crowd. If only I consumed as much bagel as water in a day.
I take a box of sweets home with me, which makes for a fantastic afternoon of intermittent snacking. The chocolate and walnut cookie is somehow even better after being in the fridge, the pools of chocolate hardened into sweet and solid cocoa, the butter refreshing. The flourless chocolate truffle (inspired by her friend's celiac son) is creamy and rich. I feel like Adrienne, shut up in my kitchen with baked goods. The only difference is I have (and love) the Internet, and I couldn't stay here for ten years, even if I wanted to.
Photos by Alyssa Bistonath.
Discussion
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I wish Adrienne all the best!!
Also, the service was patchy (I think the owner was there and intrusive instead of helpful...).
THere are other bakeries in the area that I would rather go to.
smell the fucking roses dude.
As an event planner, part of my job is to do extensive research on services that I use and I'm actually disappointed, I hadn't found her sooner. When I found her, I met with her to discuss my vision ideas for my clients and instantly, I had a connection with her and her design team. Hospitable is not even the word to describe to this team.
After the my one meeting with her, I took a leap of faith by convincing my clients to use her services without even trying her cakes and since then, it's been non-stop prompt and efficient communication via phone and email and in person contact with this store. My clients and I have nothing but praise for her.
And her cakes! OMG!!!! Her cakes are spectacular! I actually had to order a small one just for myself. What she's done with cakes is what I have yet to see others do and it's because of what she does, that makes SHE TAKES THE CAKE so unique.
The one thing that brings me back to a company is their customer service. I first met Adrienne in May of this year; she was creating a cake for my birthday. I must say, I’m a difficult person to please. As a result, she exceeded my expectations. My guests absolutely loved my three tiered liquored cake. The way she added my favourite colour (purple) and incorporated colourful butterflies and flowers was extraordinary. I’ve used her for two other events and my guests absolutely LOVED the cake(s). Her team are extremely creative, they made suggestions that I wouldn’t have ever thought of. I have to make a special mention for the cake her team created for one of my best friends. A Rolex watch, it was stunning with all of the details that the design needed. She made that cake earlier this month and my guests are still ranting and raving about the cake; especially my best friend.
I know everyone is entitled to their opinion and they have their individual experiences. The above negative comments are a bit extreme. I am very glad that I took a chance with Adrienne & the “she takes the cake” team because I have yet to be disappointed. I will be using her for every event that I will be hosting and/or attending.
Her variety of flavours, mixtures, colours, designs and most of all customer service is worth every penny.
She not only takes the cake, she takes your taste buds on an amazing journey to sugary dessert heaven.
~~~~~~SHE TAKES THE CAKE~~~~~~
The one thing that brings me back to a company is their customer service. I first met Adrienne in May of this year; she was creating a cake for my birthday. I must say, I’m a difficult person to please. As a result, she exceeded my expectations. My guests absolutely loved my three tiered liquored cake. The way she added my favourite colour (purple) and incorporated colourful butterflies and flowers was extraordinary. I’ve used her for two other events and my guests absolutely LOVED the cake(s). Her team are extremely creative, they made suggestions that I wouldn’t have ever thought of. I have to make a special mention for the cake her team created for one of my best friends. A Rolex watch, it was stunning with all of the details that the design needed. She made that cake earlier this month and my guests are still ranting and raving about the cake; especially my best friend.
I know everyone is entitled to their opinion and they have their individual experiences. The above negative comments are a bit extreme. I am very glad that I took a chance with Adrienne & the “she takes the cake” team because I have yet to be disappointed. I will be using her for every event that I will be hosting and/or attending.
Her variety of flavours, mixtures, colours, designs and most of all customer service is worth every penny.
She not only takes the cake, she takes your taste buds on an amazing journey to sugary dessert heaven.
~~~~~~SHE TAKES THE CAKE~~~~~~
How anyone has the nerve to criticise her Retail operation which was closed when this was posted as Michael mentioned is beyond me.
SHE does more than TAKES THE CAKE, she is an amazing woman who has struggled to build a buisiness out of something that she enjoys and we are the ones that benefit in the end!
I'm listing a few websites for anyone to visit. I've recommended all these places to corporate companies and small business and clients that want cakes and pastries for private events such as birthdays and anniversaries: so take a look at the following websites call them up. You'll definitely be treated with respect and you will have professional service unlike Adrienne who cares more about the money than the cakes she makes.
www.dessertlady.ca
www.thecakeboutique.ca
www.yummystuff.ca
www.katiescakes.com
www.labamboche.ca
www.lpksculinarygroove.com
thesweetescapedistillery.com
One Ontario Ministry of Labour officer I met has said "She is one bad apple." I think Adrienne's business only survives because she is constantly taking advantage of people by not paying them and that is probably the only reason she is able to stay open because the food and service is inconsistent and there are many better bakeries out there.
The kitchen is very dirty and disorganized and it is a toxic environment to work in. Andrienne and her husband Michael fight all the time in front of the employees which is very stressful. I'm relieved I no longer work there but wonder if I'll ever received the money I'm owed. Please avoid purchasing items from this bakery. Perhaps the real name should be SHE STEALS THE CAKE.
As previously mentioned "She Steals the Cake" more reflects the better name for this store. Don't buy there, go there or phone there, they are untrustworthy and theives, not to mention law breakers (they have a court order against them and still refuse to pay)