For birthdays, Freddy's takes the cake.Byline: BEST OF ... by The Register-Guard Is there anything more sumptuous, more delectable, more lovely than a cake from Sweet Life Patisserie pa·tis·se·rie n. A bakery specializing in French pastry. [French pâtisserie, from Old French pastiserie, from pasticier, to make pastry, from *pastitz, ? Studded with fresh flowers, embellished with intricate icing designs, enveloped en·vel·op tr.v. en·vel·oped, en·vel·op·ing, en·vel·ops 1. To enclose or encase completely with or as if with a covering: "Accompanying the darkness, a stillness envelops the city" in silken frosting frosting the slight graying of the haircoat around the face, particularly muzzle, in dogs with aging and as a regular feature of some breeds such as the Belgian shepherd dog. , these objets d'art - hand-crafted at the bustling Monroe Street bakery - invariably in·var·i·a·ble adj. Not changing or subject to change; constant. in·var  i·a·bil draw
gasps of approval.
But in our quest for Verb 1. quest for - go in search of or hunt for; "pursue a hobby" quest after, go after, pursue look for, search, seek - try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of; "The police are searching for clues"; "They are searching for the the best birthday cake, Team Best of ... was not hung up on beauty. Nor did we concern ourselves with such proclamations as "fresh, organic ingredients," "baked from scratch" or "highest quality." With apologies to The Sweet Life and its ilk, we wanted a sugary-sweet, unassuming cake that would feed a crowd without breaking the bank. We've been to more than our share of children's birthday parties of late, and we're mindful of the need to strike a balance between cost, quantity, appearance and taste. And quite frankly, we've acquired a fondness for - how should we put it? - a more prosaic confection con·fec·tion n. A sweetened medicinal compound. Also called electuary. . The last time we tried to scarf a slice of picture-perfect Sweet Life raspberry-poppy seed cake, we found it - ironically - insufficiently sweet and over-the-top rich. Same goes for a recent nibble Half a byte (four bits). (data) nibble - /nib'l/ (US "nybble", by analogy with "bite" -> "byte") Half a byte. Since a byte is nearly always eight bits, a nibble is nearly always four bits (and can therefore be represented by one hex digit). of Metropol chocolate cake. Our favorite birthday cake has far more humble, and far less local, origins. Baked at a Clackamas distribution plant by anonymous employees of the Cincinnati-based Kroger Corp., it travels south down Interstate 5, five times weekly, in a refrigerated re·frig·er·ate tr.v. re·frig·er·at·ed, re·frig·er·at·ing, re·frig·er·ates 1. To cool or chill (a substance). 2. To preserve (food) by chilling. truck with dozens just like it. We've sampled it four or five times now: the Fred Meyer sheet cake. The carrot cake Carrot cake is a sweet spice cake with grated carrot mixed into the batter. The carrot softens in the cooking process, and the cake usually has a soft, dense texture. The carrots themselves enhance the flavour, texture and appearance of the cake. - moist, substantial and flavorful, with a yummy cream cheese frosting - is our favorite. At the Santa Clara Santa Clara, city, Cuba Santa Clara (sän`tä klä`rä), city (1994 est. pop. 217,000), capital of Villa Clara prov., central Cuba. store, where we happened to purchase a carrot cake for a recent birthday extravaganza, the cakes usually fall into the capable hands of either bakery manager Tina Bryson or chief decorator Donna Olson. They apply the frosting and filling, which also come to the store premade, and then unleash their creativity. They hear consistent praise for the quality of their cakes, Olson said, which cost $23.99 for a half-sheet. You could buy 2 1/2 of those for the cost of a single Sweet Life half-sheet. The store offers limited variety - just white, chocolate, banana or carrot cake, with a choice of butter-cream or cream cheese frosting and cherry, fudge, Bavarian cream Bavarian cream n. A dessert of custard, whipped cream, gelatin, and often other flavorings, such as puréed fruit or chocolate. Noun 1. , raspberry or lemon filling. Fred Meyer will happily do custom designs, and can even make edible "picture cakes" from family photographs. A close runner-up for best birthday cake was Costco, which sells tasty, no-frills cakes in three varieties - white, chocolate or carrot - for an unbeatable $14.99 for a half-sheet (the carrot is $2 extra). Market of Choice also makes an excellent cake, with numerous varieties to choose from, but the cost - $39 for a half-sheet - sunk it. This choice pains Team Best of ..., because we're loathe to snub the locals. Don't get us wrong - if it's a crispy cannoli, a flaky pastry or a hand-fashioned cinnamon roll you seek, go with The Sweet Life. Go with Metropol. Go with City Bakery. But when it comes to basic birthday cake, our affections rest with Freddy's. For a different kind of sweet treat, visit the Best of ... archive at: www.registerguard.com/ bestof. BEST BIRTHDAY CAKE Fred Meyer Store locations: Santa Clara, 60 Division Ave.; West Eugene, 333 W. 11th Ave.; Springfield, 650 Q St.; Florence, 4701 Highway 101. Hours: 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Cost: Quarter sheets are $14.99 to $19.99, depending on how fancy you want the decorations; half-sheets are $23.99 to $29.99. CAPTION(S): Donna Olson of Fred Meyer decorates an "over the hill" birthday cake for a 50-year-old man. |
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