WORDS: Kate O’Neill
Tucked away behind a black gate on a little lane off Camden Street is The Cake Café. Don’t let the unassuming façade fool you though, as this place is the definition of a hidden gem. I was lucky enough to visit the cafe on one of Dublin’s sunnier days, and as a result the tables in the narrow courtyard provided a perfect place to sit, shaded by the various trees and vines they have planted there. The cafe is no doubt small, with the courtyard only providing room for around six or seven tables, and the inside five more, with most of the room being taken up by the open kitchen and counter which displays the freshly baked produce. Its size, however only adds to its boundless charm. The owners of the cafe have put in a level of attention to detail that really pays off; each table is covered with an individual pastel coloured tablecloth, and the crockery is a higgledy mix of white, patterned and brightly coloured china of all different shapes and sizes. The walls surrounding the courtyard are also worth having a look at, each one having been decorated in its own quirky and artistic manner. My personal favourite was a stack of books that had been stuck to the wall, but there were also coloured mosaics, cutlery, and interesting buttons and papers.
The menu looks plain and unsophisticated, but offers a wide range homemade soups, salads and sandwiches, made from various different types of breads, all baked fresh on site. I ordered the soup of the day, pea and mint, which came in a large pottery bowl, and served with a generous soft and fragrant slice of brown bread. The soup was extremely flavoursome but its texture was thin, a contrast to the more common, and more enjoyable chunkier versions I had in the past. Due to the size of the portion, the meal was also extremely affordable, costing less than a fiver for a large bowl, and further bread for nothing, had I wanted more.
To follow the main, I ordered an exotic sounding sencha green tea, although the choice of teas was extensive, taking up two whole pages in the back of the menu. To accompany the tea, I had to try what the cafe had named itself after: the cakes. Between my friends and I, we ordered a slice of chocolate cake, a brownie, a vanilla cupcake and an orange biscuit to try. All four were delicious, soft, flavoursome but not sickly, and quite clearly fresh. The biscuit in particular was lovely, as it had an excellent crunch, and the hit of orange from both the smell and the taste made it the real favourite of the selection. Had I not been so full after my meal, I would have loved to try some of the pies, quiches and tarts available on display in order to try how the cafe works with pastry, but from sight alone, these too looked like they were of an excellent standard.
The cakes were all reasonably priced at around €2.50 per slice, meaning that my meal including the tea came in at around €10 – perfect for a student looking for a tasty and freshly cooked light afternoon meal.
