The other day, I daydreamed that I was in a scene of Sofia Coppola’s “Marie Antoinette” with my feet kicked up in a plush chair and surrounded by tea cakes, petit fours and other confectionaries. I made that gluttonous moment come true tonight when I paid a visit to Layer Cake Bakery, a 6-month-old patisserie in Irvine.
As soon as I walked in, co-owner Liz Karnaga introduced me to the bakery’s popular layer cakes and desserts displayed in a glass case and cookie jars. After a moment, I decided I had to try more than one of these creations, including a slice of the bakery’s best-selling red velvet cake ($3.75), a fruit tart ($4.95), an almond tart ($4.95), mini apple pie ($3.95), a few apricot thumbprints ($1 each) and croissants ($1.85 each).
I would’ve bought each dessert but the thought of squeezing into a bridesmaid dress for a wedding this weekend stopped me. The jars above were a great touch to the display and added an old-school European feel to the place.
The red velvet cake (also available in an individual petit-cake size for $4.75) was moist, buttery and so red that it made my tongue turn a different color. The cream cheese frosting was rich and sweet, the sugar almost shriveling the roof of my mouth.
My favorite was the almond tart with a marzipan-like filling topped with sliced almonds. The first thing I usually look for in a bakery is a pastry or cookie topped with almonds, a sure sign that the bakery can make basic, traditional treats in addition to the more elaborate creations. The tart topped with strawberries, tangerines and blueberries also reached my favorite list.
Liz and her sister Ehrline’s baking story goes back to their bloodline. Their grandmother owned a neighborhood bakery where her daughter (the Karnaga sisters’ mother) met a man (the sisters’ father) who delivered fresh bread.
“We have this romantic idea of bakeries,” Liz said. The siblings accrued family recipes and ideas from places they visited throughout the world. They even ate cake for breakfast as young girls. Their love for baking and food eventually culminated in Layer Cake.
The bakery is tucked away in a shopping center and can be hard to locate. But once found, the interior is pleasing and decorated with Gerbera daisies, wooden tables and neutral creme-and-green colors. The bakery reminds me of many cafes in Singapore, Korea and Japan that tend to attract yuppie crowds who can afford the near $4 a pop slices of cake. Their menu is extensive, chock full of made-from-scratch cakes with chocolate and yellow buttermilk bases, cupcakes, tartlets, cookies, custards and pastries. It also includes soups and sandwiches for lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays.
Layer Cake Bakery
4250 Barranca Parkway
Irvine, CA
949.786.0220
My favorites are the coconut cake and cinnamon rolls (watch out Cinnabon!). Cinnabon smothers their rolls with sugar, these folks put just enough for a well balanced taste. Mmmm… if only they had donuts. Homer Simpson would be a frequent visitor! Btw, the phone number is incorrent. It should be 949-786-0223.
I found their red velvet cake to be too dry and pricing was a little high for my small piece. I also tried their cookies and she was very nice to include a free english biscuit as well. Overall a nice place but nothing that screams for me to go back and visit again.
Their macaroons are disgusting.