Dessert Mon May 11 2009

Flower Shopping Made Easy

The queasy period of spring, when we don't know if a heat wave or a blizzard is waiting around the corner, has ended. I put away my winter boots just this past week. It felt great. So great, in fact, that I decided to pick up some annuals for my porch.

I made it to Adams and Sons, a Humboldt Park garden supply that is housed in a deceivingly small building--as I wandered around (for way too long) checking out row after row of plants and gadgets, I got hungry and realized that Tipsycake was only a few doors south. And that it was open. I took a break from my overwhelming petunia shopping.

When the bakery opened a few years ago, Tipsycake was known for its Lamingtons, an Australian treat that is a square of white cake with a layer of raspberry jam and coated with chocolate and flaked coconut. Perhaps they're the answer to our Hostess Sno-Balls: reportedly they're as common as donuts Down Under. For good reason, a pile of Lamingtons still dominates Tipsycake's daily offerings: they're awesome. I was concerned that the chocolate would have a Ding Dong-esqe waxy coating, and instead it was a blessedly thin layer of (real) chocolate glaze. The flavors are not overwhelming but it made me wish I could seven more of these, even if they don't look like the delight they actually are.

I went back to the flower place and was able to figure out the color scheme for my potted impatiens in seconds. I credit the cake.

— Robyn Nisi / Comments (0)