Thursday, September 29, 2011

How many marks does Denmark get?

Taste of Denmark- small local co-op bakery located in Downtown Oakland has been a local favorite for over 60 years.  It used to be called Neldams but changed ownership about a year ago.  I took notice of the establishment recently and decided to explore my European taste buds. 

Taste of Denmark is not super expensive but is not super cheap either.   It is filled with danishes, croissants, cakes, breads and pies with a small section for sit down eating.  Not only can you eat there, you can peer into a large window revealing the kitchen, that way you know you are not getting a weird cake made in some other kitchen.  It is kind of like stepping to the 1960s.   I never existed during that time but from my movie watching experiences, I feel like it is a cross of The Sandlot, New York and old black and white photos of the South (like the famous civil rights picture taken at Woolworth's lunch counter).  There is free parking across the street which is shared with another establishment.  But parking has never been an issue.  

I chose 2 kinds of cake with my mother- Raspberry filled mille-feuille with a chocolate frosting and a strawberry shortcake. 

The cake got a little ruffled during transport.  No biggie.
The raspberry mille-feuille cake was filled with a light whipped cream with a hint of cream cheese layered with mille-feuille and raspberry jam.  But between each light puff pastry you could taste the powdered sugar. There was perfect amount of mille-feuille.  Sometimes when there is too much, it makes the cake too flaky and dry.  The top was frosted with a rich milk chocolate and a swirly design of a pink chocolaty berry frosting.  It's not that faint pink color a baby’s room is painted-it was HOT pink.  WOOW. Hot pink on a cake, you know that's not natural.  The cake was definitely not a taste of Denmark.  I have never been to Denmark (yet) but it was American sweet. Those who have traveled abroad know America is just crazy for sugar. I have no idea why but the majority of cakes and cookies in America are piercing knives to my teeth.  I feel like a cavity would form while chewing.  I think I could have done with out the chocolate frosting since it tasted like straight Hershey’s chocolate bar, cocoa powder and powdered sugar. I think that there are too many layers of flavor for that cake. This can easily be shared between 2 or 3 people if coffee is served. 

Again, ruffled and my strawberry fell off. But I stuck that sucker right back on!
I also bought the strawberry shortcake. A classic to most people, but so different. It had a soft yet firm sponge cake. Not overpoweringly sweet. As you might have noticed, I absolutely love cake and anything sold in a bakery. The aroma of the sponge cake, chocolate, whipped frosting, fruit, cookies, and coffee is just overwhelming for me that I often walk out of bakeries empty handed since I simply cannot make a decision. Occasionally and most of the time, cake with fresh fruit and whipped cream the ratio is not to my liking. I like fruit but not too much cream (since I am lactose and in reality I am not a fan of milk-though I an addicted to all cheeses, except asiago cheese).  The top layer of cake is soft but the bottom layer of cake has been moistened and soaked in a sweet milk concoction of delish- similar to the tres leches cake.  The strawberries were fresh and big and chunky, which is always a plus.
Fresh.

Sorry my pictures are utter crap right now. I am just trying to get the idea across so you have some idea of what I am talking about.  I often get overly excited and impatient- I just want to dive right in (often my problem in cooking since I can't wait for things to cool and sample while cooking out of the pot).  

So after comparing the 2 cakes today, I am leaning toward the strawberry shortcake. Call me classic but cake is made to be simple.  Not overly done with food coloring, decorations that taste like chemicals, plastic decorations, drowning in whipped topping. It is a cake- one where you are to stop and enjoy that moment whether it may be at your house, job, and local cafe.  A hundred years ago, I don’t think that bakers made cake with all the preservative, food coloring, hydrogenated oil crap we put in our cakes today.

Taste of Denmark gets 3.5 out of 5 marks from me.  Has anybody been there and are there any recommendations?

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