Crixa Cakes - A Berkeley Treat

I'm kicking myself for not having known about this place when I lived in Berkeley. Although, it would have been a very dangerous discovery. I'm somewhat thankful to have the perilous Bay Bridge standing between myself and Crixa Cakes. 

Crixa Cakes are beautiful, but I've grown to be wary of beautiful pastries. Too many times I've suffered the disappointment of biting into a stunning piece of cake only to find that it is dry and flavorless. Crixa Cakes is particularly special because their pastries are both gorgeous AND delicious. Not an easy feat.

I arrived around 4:30 pm and the selection was still pretty decent. The decision making process was a tough one, but I went with a slice of Tiramisu and a natural velvet cupcake. My fellow pastry lover had the Jamaican rum chocolate mousse cake and a mango tea.

The Tiramisu: Espresso soaked sponge cake with brandied mascarpone cream, dusted with cocoa. This cake was rich, but that didn't stop me from finishing it in about 30 seconds. The mascarpone cream was incredible and layered in the perfect ratio to the cake. 

The Jamaican Rum Chocolate Mousse Cake: Two layers of chocolate sponge cake soaked with fragrant Jamaican rum and two layers of bittersweet chocolate mousse. I tend to steer clear of alcoholic desserts because they are usually too strong, but the rum level in the cake was just right. Enough to taste, not so much as to make you feel as though you just took a shot. 

The Natural Velvet Cupcake: Velvety chocolate cupcake with vanilla buttercream frosting. If ever a cake were described as "velvet", this would be the one. Rich, yet smooth. And complimented perfectly by the rosette of vanilla buttercream on top.

I am already looking forward to my next trip to Crixa Cakes, and the more time I spend on the website, the longer my to-try list becomes....black forest cake, Budapest coffee cake, carmela, chocolate orange mousse cake, fresh ginger cake, lemon cream cake....