Sugar Butter Flour The founder earned raves for the imaginative desserts she made as pastry chef for David Kinch’s Manresa as well as his previous restaurant. After the entrepreneurial bug bit, she launched the first location of this now two-site, high-end patisserie, eventually turning the operation over to like-minded owners, Mojgan and Kevin Zahedi, who also specialize in flawless European-style desserts including cakes, cupcake, pastries, cookies, individual desserts and chocolates. Gorgeous wedding and specialty cakes are a highlight, but Sugar Butter Flour is a first-class patisserie worth visiting for any number of sweets—which aren’t overly sweet here. Patrons rave over the macarons, memorable carrot cake, other cake flavors and killer cheesecake. Don’t pass up singlesize desserts like wondrous flourless raspberry cake wrapped in chocolate or key lime mousse cake. Informative cake decorating classes are now offered for those hoping to become passable home pastry chefs. • 669 S. Bernardo Ave., Sunnyvale; 408/732- 8597. 1875 S. Bascom Ave. (The Pruneyard), Campbell; 408/371-5485. sugarbutterflour.com Bijan Bakery Around since 1986, this family operation offers cakes, cookies, pastries and light meals in two locations, focused on French desserts that sometimes have a Persian bent. Wedding and special event cakes are a specialty, but the display counters at both shops are bursting with enticing edibles such as fan-favorites raspberry chocolate mousse cup, princess cake and flaky, multilayer Napoleon cake. The bakery makes sure its cakes are moist and the frosting not too heavily applied. Bijan Bakery also has a way with mousse, offering pastries made from thin layers of chiffon cake filled with mousse in 10 flavor choices including mango, guava, pistachio, wild cherry and hazelnut. Many other temptations are available, including chocolate-covered strawberries, tarts, cheesecakes and old-fashioned apple strudel. • 170 S. Market St. #110, San Jose; 408/971-8000. 41 Saratoga Ave., San Jose; 408/247-4888. bijanbakery. October/November 2015 65 com n BRIDES AND BIRTHDAYS Studio Cake Founded by a former NASA engineer, this is the place for the ultimate in custom specialty cakes —not just the usual tiers found elsewhere but just about any shape a customer can think of. Imagine a tray of sushi made of cake, a cake-based globe, a cake baby carriage with wrapped presents, an edible Scrabble game, and, of course, edible animals—donkeys, sharks, even Shrek—to delight kids at birthday parties. Maestros of fondant and “cake carving,” the team here doesn’t just produce eye-popping desserts but they also taste great. They developed a white-chocolatebased fondant recipe that is a world away from the usual oily stuff, and the cake flavors now include more than two dozen kinds, like chocolate decadence, almond orchard and lemon blueberry twist. This custom-cake shop is open by appointment, but layer cakes and cupcakes can be ordered for those who want something delicious and simple. • 104 Gilbert Ave., Menlo Park; 650/326-1019; studiocake.com Satura Cakes Another example of the artistry being shown by some Frenchtrained Asian chefs, Satura Cakes was started by a Chinese pastry chef who had been the top guy at Japan’s leading wedding cake producer. The spotless little store offers gorgeous-looking cakes, cookies, pastries, macarons and more with a French-Asian bent, but wedding cakes are a specialty. The cloying sweetness that is a frequent flaw in American desserts won’t be found in these treats. Patrons rave about the strawberry shortcake, a frosted cake that captures the essence of this dessert, along with lusciously rich kouign amann, a creamy mango coconut mousse and some interestingly flavored cakes like choco-misu. Macaron fanatics flock in here for tasty iterations like salted caramel and passionfruit/ mango. • 200 Main St., Los Altos; 650/948-3300; saturacakes.com CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE CAKE SUGAR BUTTER FLOUR STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE SATURA CAKES
South Bay Accent - Oct/Nov 2015
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