We very much enjoyed Seattle.

Our first stop was the recommendation of an adamant Seattle foodie we met in a camera shop. He was quasi offended when we said we’d never heard of Tom Douglas (Seattle’s top chef) so we made penance by straightway heading to Tom Douglas’ Dahlia bakery (sorry, no pictures). This teensy little joint had more charm than B. Obama  and a line around the corner. We opted for the lemon huckleberry cupcake, and, well, it was kind of a let down. The cake was dry, the frosting tasted like someone forgot the sugar and for $2.95, we hoped for so much more. Obviously, the people in line were there for a reason, we probably just picked something not great. And don’t worry Tom Douglas! We ate at the Dahlia Lounge before dessert and it was THE best halibut we’ve ever had.

Stop 2 took us off the beaten path to a place called Simply Desserts. It was a small, not well-lit cafe where our order was pushed across the counter on dixie paper plates. There was nothing wowie about Simply Desserts except, well, their desserts. We had German Chocolate cake and Pumpkin Orange cake and both were unbelievably good. They had everything we look for in a cake….moist, well constructed, complementing flavors, no Crisco. It’s no wonder this place has a full dining room and a local following since 1980.

And lastly, Trophy Cupcakes. We ordered one of everything just cause that’s how we roll.  Their buttercream base is used in all their non-chocolate frostings and is so good. Our favorite was the Hummingbird (banana with chocolate chips and cream cheese buttercream) and their Chocolate Vanilla. Their branding is really whimsical and playful so it’s obvious why this place is ALWAYS busy and quite famous. The cake was perfectly moist, the frosting wasn’t too sweet or almondy, and the cupcakes are expertly decorated. This stop was a total joy.