Food & Drink

Slices of life

How do you say 'Happy Birthday' to the 4-year-old bug enthusiast or 40-year-old foodie? Readers tell us

By Kitty Crider
AMERICAN-STATESMAN FOOD EDITOR
Tuesday, August 08, 2006

In the game of life, one birthday cake no longer fits all. With so many scenarios, opinions and needs demanding special consideration, the contemporary birthday list might read like this:

• The kiddo cake — where the frosting and/or theme matter more than the flavor. And woe be to you if you get it wrong.

• The artful edible — where the cake's design rules. In fact, the recipient might blow out the candles, smile and never take a bite. A low-carb holdout.

• The foodie fave — where it is all about flavor and real butter and cream. Score big here and you can get away with an inexpensive gift.

• The office cake — where value counts because you have to feed a lot of folks. But don't count on them chipping in on the cost.

• The game saver — where you totally forgot the birthday and you need results fast. Hustle and you can pull this off with amazingly good results.

Because Austin is rich with bakers, the American-Statesman asked readers for their favorite places to purchase birthday cakes. We heard from 200 people recommending three dozen places, many sending photos from their parties. The cakes — from balloons to bugs, edible tequila bottles to Bundts — go far beyond the typical round or rectangular offering. But that's no surprise. This is Austin.

Nor do locals stay with yellow, white or chocolate layers. The cakes today encompass such flavors as strawberries and cream, coconut, Italian cream (both white and chocolate), lemon rosemary, triple chocolate, carrot, tres leches and white with raspberry. Prices can be the equivalent of lunch or as high as dinner for two at a top restaurant. A number of places sell their cakes by the slice, and it is helpful to sample before purchase.

So who takes the cake? The 10 bakers featured here all received five or more recommendations from our birthday-partying readers. And, while we know a half-dozen places staged write-in campaigns, we think you will find this a helpful collection of cakes for all those flickering candles to come. We've made scenario suggestions for them, but many would fit multiple occasions.

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Want more cake?

While the cakes pictured garnered the most praise, here are some others that received at least two recommendations each from American-Statesman readers:

Sweetish Hill Bakery, 1120 W. Sixth St., 472-1347

Madcakes, 3808 Spicewood Springs Road, 795-9285

Quack's 43rd Street Bakery, 411 E. 43rd St., 453-3399

Russell's Bakery & Coffee Bar, 3339 Hancock Drive, 419-7877

Randalls Food and Pharmacy, multiple locations

Bakerman's Bakery, 120 E. Seventh St., 476-0060

Chantilly Bakery Cafe, 4032 S. Lamar Blvd., 916-0404

1886 Cafe and Bakery, Driskill Hotel, 116 Sixth St., 391-7066

Central Market, multiple locations

Whole Foods Market, multiple locations

The Kitchen Door, multiple locations

kcrider@statesman.com; 445-3656