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Restaurant Reviews

First Take: Cake Bar in Trinity Groves

This new dine-in or take-out shop boasts some seriously delicious Southern-style confections.
By Lauryn Bodden |
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Cake Bar joined the fleet of culinary entrepreneurs at Trinity Groves yesterday. Baker Tracy German offers 16 southern-style cakes with classics like Italian Cream, Carrot Cake and Red Velvet alongside more bold items like Pina Colada and Key Lime.

Upon entering the old-fashioned blue and white shop, you immediately become overwhelmed by the number of layered cakes lined across the central block of counter space and displayed amongst the refrigerated glass cases. Basically, German’s cakes are the Zoolander of the confectionery world, meaning they are “really, really, ridiculously good looking.” Vibrant with color and polished with whipped frosting, you’ll find yourself staring wide-eyed at the sliced-open creations.

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German comes from Georgia with a culinary arts background in Seattle. After selling cakes by word-of-mouth from her home for over a decade, she took Mike Babb’s (Babb Bros BBQ) up on his suggestion and bombarded the people of Trinity Groves with her slices until she got a meeting. German and her staff will tell you, “these are the cakes we grew up with” and they want you to get the feeling of just that.

You can get a cake slice for $4.50 or pair it with ice cream for $6. My biggest regret was forgoing the ice cream. For my first take-away I selected the Strawberry, Chocolate and Hummingbird along with a Peanut Butter Chocolate cupcake. The Chocolate, or should I say ‘Death By Chocolate’ resembles the one Bruce Bogtrotter finished off in the movie Matilda. Rich and moist with enough dark chocolate to put you in a coma, this is the perfect bite if you have a cacao addiction. The Hummingbird sticks to tradition with toasted pecans, pineapple, banana and cream cheese frosting that reflects a hint of hidden cinnamon. I enjoyed this one the most. From the bright red complexion to the ornate fruit slices garnishing the top, I was especially excited about the Strawberry. However, don’t judge a book by its cover. It didn’t deliver on the strawberry flavor and reflected more of just a regular yellow cake with somewhat of a gummy bite. Lastly, the cupcake delivered with its smooth peanut butter frosting and buttery chocolate cake. I think it’s the perfect size treat, but my companion said he could keep popping them until his pants button does the same.

I enjoyed scanning the assorted jams, jellies, and sauces from The Jelly Queens of Austin. Spreads like Black Garlic Rosemary and Raspberry Chipotle would make a great addition to your piece of zucchini bread. The shop offers these as well as pound cake, quick breads, cookies, ice cream (vanilla, chocolate, butter pecan), and coffee. Breads include vanilla, lemon, chocolate, maple bacon, cream cheese, banana nut, and seasonal offerings of sweet potato and pumpkin. You can get these at $2.99 for a slice, $5.99 for half the loaf or take it all at $8.99.

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Be sure to take a gander at the menu painted on the outer wall of the shop before entering, because there’s not much space to loiter once inside. Tables are limited and you might bump elbows with the customer next to you. (Remember the Zoolander center for ants?) However, you won’t really care once you start munching.

My final verdict: I dropped about $17 while there, which seems fair the amount I got. The shop will likely become a destination for late-night dessert, claiming you made that birthday cake yourself, Hump Day pick-me-ups because you deserve it, and post-breakup emotional eating. You might as well completely ruin your diet and pair your slice with a handful of Kate Weiser Chocolates, which resides just steps away next door.

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