Sweet of the Week: Cake at Toni Patisserie

In a cutesy cupcake-happy world, the tradition of ordering big ol' slices of cake has fallen on hard times. Sure, people still eat cake on their birthdays, and maybe occasionally we'll sample some slices throughout the year on days we weren't born (what an outlandish thought!). But on the whole, bakeries have shifted towards cupcakes and other daintier items to appease the masses, likely because a hefty slice of cake seems like such a taboo thing to eat anyplace beside your refrigerator door late at night when no one is looking. I'm thankful for places like Toni Patisserie bringing cake back (like Sexy Back, but with cake). Rather than concentrate on cupcakes, the crowd-pleaser at this darling Loop cafe is the cake, sold by the coma-inducing slice.

After a recent lunch at Toni Patisserie, I finished on an uber sweet note: two slices of cake and a plate of cookies. It wasn't just me eating lunch, so stop damning me with your thoughts. The real scene-stealer was the white chocolate mousse cake, apparently a big deal and a longstanding tradition of Toni's namesake proprietor. I can see why, with it's soft-as-silk consistency, generous layers of fluffy mousse, and buttery white chocolate flavor. It has a really classic look to it too, which is endearing as hell. I could easily see this cake being sold decades ago from a vintage Americana restaurant of some sort. The raspberries on top and smattering of raspberry sauce on the plate were a nice, albeit slightly cliched, touch. It's thick, it's rich, it's pure cakey comfort. The other slice was equally delicious, but more in a straightforward way. It had a denser consistency, with a thicker buttercream. It practically screams "eat me on your birthday" as you shovel forkfuls into your mouth.

(Cake binge at Toni Patisserie)