Product Reviews / Main Nibbles / Cookies, Cakes & Pastry

Gourmet Cakes & Cupcakes

Enchanting Delights Worth Sending For

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While there may be wonderful bakers your town, the cakes we present in this section are so exceptional, they’re worth sending for. If you have suggestions, comments, or want to tell us about your favorite cakes, we’d love to hear from you. Click here to send us your comments. By the way:

• Torte is the German word for cake, gâteau is a French word. Tortes are generally shorter and wider than cakes. Cakes and tortes are generally hardier creations.
• A gâteau is generally more a delicate confection, light or rich but with fresh decoration such as fruit or whipped cream that makes it perishable.

The cakes of ancient times were very different, more bread-like, often with added nuts and dried fruits and sweetened with honey. According to food historians, the ancient Egyptians were the first to demonstrate advanced baking skills. The word cake dates back to the 13th century, a derivation of an Old Norse word, kaka. Medieval European bakers made fruitcakes and gingerbread. With more reliable ovens, food molds and the availability of refined sugar, early versions of modern cakes—round with boiled icing—were first baked in Europe sometime in the mid-17th century. It was not until the middle of the 19th century that the modern cake appeared, made with refined white flour and baking powder. Buttercream frostings began to replace boiled icings in the early 20th century. And all of the advances led to these delicious products:

Nibble Tip Several small dessert courses add excitement at the end of a dinner party.  Different types of plates contribute to the fun—for example, a scoop of bright sorbet in an egg cup, flan in a brandy snifter, a macedoine of fruits in a Bordeaux glass, coffee mousse in an espresso cup, a fruit smoothie in a shot glass. The only limit is your imagination!

Individual mousse cakes available from Mackenzie Ltd.

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