Such Sweet Cakery

One of the secrets of The Pink Tarha ladies is having keen eyes. While passing through roads and streets in Riyadh, we need to be able to see unusual sights like new stores and restaurants that weren't there before. Or signs that suddenly sprouted out of nowhere... or uhmn, came from somewhere but took us by surprise. Such a sign is Cakery Shop in Dabab Street. I thought I was already observant but apparently, I still need more practice in this craft as it's one of our friends who noticed it first. "Hey, there's something new in Dabab! Have you seen it?" (Lucky us, our friends tell us first of their discoveries. We have informers all around! Chos. Kidding.)

Cake beckoning!

Unique displays

Welcome to Cakery!

The first word that came to my mind when Eyecandy and I stepped into Cakery Shop is charming. Every thing is so cute. I love that their store is spacious enough to wish that they incorporate more tables and chairs for ladies to enjoy desserts and chit chat. With chairs as lovely as these, who wouldn't want to wish for more?

Won't you have a tea with me?

Pastel blue and pink accents

I WANT THIS SET!!!

The shop has lovely displays of table settings and jars of candies and marshmallows. (I love marshmallows!) They also have mugs that look so dainty I can easily break one or two by merely touching them. (I didn't touch any, I swear!) 

They have a rack of imported candies which I nearly didn't notice because the cakes  took my full attention. Oh goodness, their cakes! They're not called the "Cakery" for nothing. Their huge cakes on display took my breath away. The details were exquisite and the designs were done in good taste. My respect for cakes went up notches higher. (Admittedly, the cakes are taller than me so I had to look up and, in my mind, salute the creatives who did such stunning creations.)

Roses and pearls and gems... glam!

Gosh those flowers look real!

There's one cake that caught my attention and this I had to say (promise you won't tell), I wanted to steal it from its case just because it's so simple yet so gorgeous. (The truth is, I didn't want to take it... without the cake glass holder and cover. Haha!) The light yellow layers looked like they were fluttering in a soft breeze. It's surreal, almost magical. Don't worry, I still have my values intact and I didn't try to steal it.

I love you!

Now the Rose Cakes were a different story. You know how fairy tales are more untrue now that we're older? Staring at this cake, I was transported to the castle of Snow White and Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. The cakes are just the kind that princesses would eat don't you think? (Except for Sleeping Beauty... this is the cake she missed because she slept through most of the tale. :P) The endless petals  and swirling of icing that covers the entire cake is art in itself. I would love to learn how to do this!

<3

Oh-so-pink!

Which one will you choose today?

Can anything be more cuter in cake land?

The other character cakes were fun! Like Psy of the Gangnam Style phenomenon! Cool details. I can imagine you dancing with him. (Because I cannot imagine myself dancing Gangnam Style... no really, really! I can't! Don't force me, please! Haha!)

Psy looks out of place in this daintiness but he's popular! ^.^

Wooow, such skill!

Of course, no matter how wonderful the design of a cake is, it's always what it tastes like that wins us over. I took home a slice of their German Chocolate cake and a slice of Red Velvet with Nutella. The former is chock full of nuts and I'm not a fan of nuts (I must be nuts to order it then, lol... I want something different). Nevertheless, it was okay for me. The cake base was moist and the chocolate was not overpowering. It was the red velvet that got my attention and my family's attention. I only had two bites and reserved the rest for later but when I saw the box, the slice was gone. What happened?! Haha. The Nutella in between the layers of red velvet cake made it interesting. It's not overly sweet. It's indulgent.

Yummy!

Eyecandy and I ordered a few cupcakes. Actually, I ordered just one, the strawberry mint. The combination piqued my interest. Being a lover of anything + mint, I had to try it. (Disclaimer: I mishandled the cupcakes that's why the icing were ruined. We were walking in Dabab going to Burger Fuel and I didn't notice I was swaying the plastic of cupcake boxes like I was walking on sunshine!) 

Dramatizing the cupcakes whose icing I ruined. LOL.

The cupcakes look better in the store, of course.

Haven't seen enough cupcakes?

What would you have for today?

The strawberry mint was my favorite of the bunch because it has a mild strawberry flavor that reminded us of strawberry milkshake. The mint was missing in action though. E, who's not a fan of sour in her pastries, surprisingly liked the lemon flavor. The flavor was mild too. The one with the coconut also lacked the coconut flavor. It just has a few tiny coconut shavings and that's it. All in all, the cake base of these cupcakes is the reason why they're delicious. They're just the right kind of moist and not too sweet. Never mind some of the flavors because honestly, we couldn't find it in there (hello mint, hello coconut!). 

Cakery also offers breads, tarts, cake pops, cookies, and jams.

Layers of sweetness

From cakes to tarts to cake pops.

Cheesecakes, mousse, and cake pops

Every thing looks delectable!

Jam with some jams!

So, looking for the next cake place? If this entry wouldn't encourage you to visit it, I don't know what will. I used all the adjectives I could muster, people! Haha! And all the beautiful photos I took are here! Haha! Seriously, I would pass by Cakery Shop again... even if just to stare and marvel at their many tiered cakes! Have a lovely day! ~ Sundrenched

Cakery Shop

Dabab Street, Suleimania

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

T: +966-1-4650005

W: http://cakery-shop.com

E: info@cakeryshop.com

FB: www.facebook.com/cakeryshop

Twitter: @cakeryshop

Cecile's Dolce Vita

We cannot deny our love for cupcakes. Sometimes, we don't understand it either and there are some people who don't get the concept of cupcakes. They're like small cakes poured in small cups right? No, my dear. They're more than that. 

To illustrate our point better, let us introduce you to the charming and gorgeous (yes!) Ms. Cecile Bautista Perez who is a self-proclaimed fan of The Pink Tarha. She effortlessly turned us into a fan of her newest baking venture, Dolce Cecilia, by letting us taste her cupcakes. Because that's what she bakes and she bakes it really well. Our taste buds are satisfied!

Gorgeous cupcakes!

We first had a sampling of Ms. Cecile's cupcakes in Eyecandy's birthday party. I tell you, I nearly stood near the dessert table beside the cupcake stands all night long... if only I didn't arrive late. Haha! Her cupcakes have that taste which reminds us of cupcakes in the Philippines. It's not too dense, not too heavy. During E's birthday, I was immediately smitten with the icing of Dolce Cecilia's cupcakes. They're not too sweet and overpowering. The softness of the cake came through without having to wade in and out of fluffy icing and fudge. It's so simple that it's a no-brainer to finish a cupcake in two huge bites. 

Good Lord, help me choose!

Chocolate? Red velvet?

How summer can these colors be?!

I've eaten her cupcakes in several occasions (the latest being The Pink Tarha Mornings 2 which I will write about very soon). The cupcakes' taste and texture weren't consistent from one event to the other but they're still good. The red velvet, in particular, is moist but it doesn't taste like any of the red velvets I've tried in the city. But then again, you know how red velvets are... they're always open to interpretation. :)

At The Pink Tarha Mornings 2.

What a spread! Guess which one I took first?

Cecile started her love affair with her oven (yes, she is having an affair!) 3 years ago after resigning from her regular job in the hospital. Baking became her stress reliever and boredom buster. She summoned her inner Martha Stewart by surfing the net and watching the Food Network to start whipping up some delicious dishes for her family. When her friends started placing orders and insisted on paying, she realized the potential of baking and cooking and capitalized on it. Now, Cecile is one of the known Filipina homemakers of Riyadh. Indeed, for Ms. Cecile and her Dolce Cecilia business, life is sweet! 

Oh, and savory too. Because apart from her favorite moist chocolate cupcakes, she also offers mouthwatering savory dishes. Her bestsellers include Baked Macaroni, and Kani and Tamago Maki. 

Dolce gusto!

Lolli cakes!

Dolce Cecilia also offers to-die-for cake pops in various designs and toppings. So if you have a design or theme in mind, this is the best way to serve dessert to your guests. The Pink Tarha were mesmerized at the outer layer first of her cake pops before we got hooked with the balls of cakes inside. Amazing proportion, just the right size! And guess what'll be perfect as gifts and give-aways this coming holiday (or just any occasion you can think of)? Molded chocolates, of course! Oh, and her nibblers of lemon bars and ube bars are new and perfect for events and gatherings. 

Perfect for gifts and give-aways!

So what are you waiting for? Find out why we're so hooked in cupcakes. And cake pops. And bars. And maki. Here's the price list for Dolce Cecilia:

Contact numbers are below.

Live the sweet life! Live with Dolce Cecilia. ~ Sundrenched

(PS. Thank you to our friend and 'ate' Jennie Duero-Ebora for introducing Ms. Cecile to us. She was responsible for forcing Ms. Cecile to attend the first Pink Tarha Mornings workshop. Haha!)

Dolce Cecilia
Ms. Cecile Bautista Perez
T: +966-50-8716437
F: https://www.facebook.com/dolce.cecilia

Munch Bunch

At this point, we're no longer looking for new cupcake stores in Riyadh. There's an abundance of it now that shops and their branches are spreading like crazy. We're ready to call Thalateen Street as the cupcake haven because there's Golden Brown, A Cup of Cake, Cakelicious, and a soon-to-open Sugar Sprinkles in that street! Imagine that, all cupcake stores we reviewed in one street! Neat! Only one cupcake reason can make us all giddy and upbeat about cupcakes again... the opening of the cupcake store that launched our cupcake dreams. 

Looking at Munch Bakery's website made us envious of Jeddah. It's been getting good reviews in Jeddahfood.com so how come it hasn't branched out? That was our question years ago. How can we not wish for it to spread their baking goodies to the Kingdom's capital?

And so, another wish granted as Munch Bakery opened its doors for the Riyadh people in Tahlia St, in between Pizza Roma and Cafe Roma. And because we have low emotional quotients (as you know by now), we went on their opening week. We arrived around 5:00 in the afternoon. It was love at first sight. I mean with a store front like this, wouldn't you be enticed too?

Lo and behold.

The window displays are amazing! They're currently showcasing the Smurfs. Cute! Errr yes, we're aware that you're not seeing what we're talking about because the windows are closed. Hahaha. We took this shot as we were leaving the store and they're closing for the 6pm prayer.

You're welcome!

Sweet, and everything nice

The inside counts more than the outside so here's what's in store for you in the store. :)

CUPCAKES!!!

A wide array of it. We got dizzy with the flavors. What did we try? Why, every one of them, of course! :) "Get me one of each, please." I told the server and he wasn't surprised at all. I bought a box of 15 mini cupcakes for SR35. A mini cupcake is SR3 each. (Was the box discounted? Or did I hear them wrong? Hehe, not paying attention kasi!) So anyway, look at the choices:

Chocolate, vanilla, strawberry... choices, choices!

I was adamant to try the Red Velvet, Blue Velvet, and Carrot Cupcakes. They're my go-to flavors and they usually seal the deal for me. If I don't like a store's velvet cupcakes, I won't like it anymore. (Prejudiced much?! Hehe.) So I took one bite at the red velvet (when we were already having an Iftar dinner at Ketchup, which is another story btw) and said, "Hmmmm..." trying to put the taste into words. My vocabulary escaped me. It was delicious but it's not extraordinary. The icing is the one giving it a taste... which is just plain sweet. Where's cream cheese? :P Maybe I should've gobbled everything in one go since it's a small cupcake. The other flavors were nice. The Orange Kiss was a revelation; zesty and sweet at the same time. We like carrot the most. 

Cupcakes, with dollops of cream in between, are also available in glass:

Cupcake in a Glass, SR8 each

Munch doesn't just carry cupcakes. They have cake pops (SR5 each), pies, tarts, and cookies (SR5 each).

BAKED GOODIES!

I like the cheesecake pop. It has a jelly bean on top and the cheesecake is covered with white chocolate. Excuse me, where did my heart go? This is love at first bite. I also like their blue velvet cake pop. It's moist and yummy. The cookies and brownies were alright too.

And the cakes, OMG, the cakes!!! Munch does a very good job designing their cakes. Whatever you want, they'll execute it. The level of creativity and craftmanship eh to the highest level naman talaga! Look!

A huge and tall wedding cake! Cute ng topper!

Smurf cake. Karir!

Smurf tower cake on display

Spongebob! This character is pretty popular with the kids here.

Small round and rectangle cakes with special designs go for SR300 up. I, particularly love the cake with roses. I can make it personal by buying my own fresh roses or they can make roses out of fondant icing. (Ehermn, birthday alert!)

Aside from the baked goodies, Munch also transported a corner of Willy Wonka's chocolate and candy factory inside their store. Eyecandy and I ogled like kids. We went to each display table and oohed and ahhed.

Candy corner

So cutie patootie!

I let out a shriek (barely audible, I promise!) when I saw Jelly Belly (tiny box is SR3 each) and Nerds (SR10). I'm a nerd Nerds fan!

Is this like Harry Potter's Every-Flavor Jelly Beans? Hehe.

Gumballs in every color (SR30)

Mints in sosyal packaging, SR15

They also have their own line of gum, mints, and sour patch. They even have popcorn. A large tin is SR80. Mahalia!

And they carry the following merchandise:

You think they can accommodate THE PINK TARHA and print it in the bags too? :P

Pouches in Saudi riyals design

Heart ceramics... perfect gift to the "sweet heart"

Adorable pouches

See, going to Munch Bakery is not just about the cupcakes. It's also about feeding the inner child in you. Except of course when you're a child then there's no need to feed your inner child because you're still one, wut?! Stuff inside the Munch Bakery really warms your heart and makes you smile. There's a glass panel where you can watch how they bake the cupcakes and decorate the cakes. The servers are also friendly. 

They also have a promo now where you check if there's a sticker hidden in your cupcake box. I found one alright. So see you in Munch Bakery because I'm claiming my prize: a box of 6 cupcakes! Woot!

Munch Bakery

Abdullah Al Hamdan Street, Olaya

Riyadh, KSA

T: 9200150109 

www.munchbakery.com

So, is our search for cupcakes over? Nah..... we have low EQs remember?