I’ve been a longtime virtual fan of babycakes bakery. I’ve read about it, and I’ve seen owner Erin McKenna turning out gorgeous bake goods on Martha. So why haven’t I tried any until now?

I hope there are people out there like me who have a Foodie To Do List that gets longer by the day if not the hour. I know it’s a lame excuse that the location of Babycakes is out of the way. “If I’m down in that ‘hood, I’ll drop by for a treat”. Or, “It’s always dinner that takes me down to that area, I don’t want to spoil my appetite before dinner.”

So, finally the stars were aligned–full moon, too—when we went to the 9th Annual Int’l Pickle Festival on a beautiful Sunday morning. (I’ll tell you all about it

in a separate post) As we strolled away with our pickles and kimchee from the venue, I saw a charming bakery with colorful goods that just screamed “EAT ME. YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO.” Needless to say, I had to investigate. Then, I looked up to see the playfully scrolled name “Babycakes” on the window. So what if we hadn’t eaten lunch yet and still had pickle aftertaste on our tongues? This was a chance encounter not to be ignored. My partner thought I was possessed. I walk calmly into the shop and patiently waited in line for a treat. Or, treats.

“Will they be as good as they look?” “Which ones will give a good sense of their products?” As we stand in line, I looked over the rows of sweet offerings, trying to come up with a strategy. After a quick discussion and much pointing, we decided on a Vanilla Gluten-free Cupcake, Chocolate Gluten-free Cupcake, Red Velvet Cupcake and a Mini Brownies Bite. As we walk away from the shop, I had another brilliant idea. Why not try another item on Foodie To Do List. Cupcakes will have to wait!

My partner thought we were heading to the subway. Yes and no. Rice to Riches is on the way to the subway station. I triumphantly marched into the shop and ordered a Man-made Mascarpone Rice Pudding with Cherries, topped with Pound Cake Croutons. Even the words were delicious.

It’s was rich, creamy, crunchy, and tart. Croutons provided a contrasting texture and cherries a touch of tartness. We shared the solo portion and proved to be the perfect sampling size.

There are many flavors of pudding to choose from, such as The Edge of Rum Raisin, Fluent in French Toast, Coconut Coma, Category ‘5’ Caramel to name a few. As long as you want creamy rich rice pudding, you will find something that suits your mood of the moment. As a remembrance of your indulgence, you get to take the container home. It’s a cool design of bowl, lid, and spoon that comes in red, yellow, or chocolate. I can see myself having a full set of containers in all size, enough for 10 servings. Ah, rice pudding—the essence of comfort food.

We managed to be good for the rest of the day and saved the Babycakes goodies as an after-dinner dessert. They all had great texture, moist crumbs with tasty creamy frosting–perfect sweetness without any artificial aftertaste. Chocolate Cupcakes and Brownie Bite had a deep rich chocolate taste, not the chalky cocoa flatness that’s present in a lot of vegan products. The Red Velvet Cupcake and frosting has a warm homey feel that makes you want more. Even though the Vanilla was our least favorite, it was a job well done. All and all, superb bake goods that don’t make you feel weighed down. It’s a good feeling.