Edinburgh Cake Awards 2013

Edinburgh Cake Award – Best Newcomer: Lovecrumbs, 155 West Port

A double act established in 2012 by two young women, the panel* was impressed by Lovecrumbs’ range, originality and focus on sugar. 

Coconut cake; violet & passionfruit cake

The cakes are fresh and delicious and they live in a wardrobe. The tea is high quality and the offer of a thermos of boiling top up water a welcome touch. The whole place made the panel want to up sticks and move to Edinburgh.

Edinburgh Cake Award – Best Cake: Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43 High Street

A well established venue incorporating the15^th century John Knox House, the cafe produces excellent new material, like this gluten free plum and cinnamon cake the panel ate.

The friendly staff also mentioned the hidden garden behind the Scottish Storytelling Centre, a quiet haven right off the Royal Mile.

The ‘star’ status of Mimi’s Bakehouse in Leith makes it ineligible for this prize but special mention goes to its newly opened takeaway at 250 Canongate. The panel doesn’t really like cupcakes but was impressed with its combination of Luca’s ice cream with Mimi’s cake. So impressed that the panel scoffed it before taking a photo.

Edinburgh Cake Award – Panel Prize: The Square, North St Andrew Street

A word-of-mouth hit, The Square does a great carrot cake and fantastic peanut butter brownies. It provides a perfect sugar hit if you’re hovering about waiting for the next show at The Stand.

Thanks to Edinburgh cake reviewer Cake Quest Edinburgh whose top picks also include two of last year’s winners, Falko and The Chocolate Tree in Morningside.

The panel burned off cake calories by simply spending all day running from one venue to another. These are all the acts seen in the last two weeks – special mention goes to everyone who used confectionery in their act:

Alternative Comedy Memorial Society (Cadbury’s Roses; may vary according to bill); Beta Males; Birthday Girls (mini Chupa Chups); BLAM!; Bridget Christie; Do the Right Thing Podcast; Each of Us; Gravity Boots; Hannah Gadsby; Jigsaw; Johnny Vegas; Liam Williams; Lucy Porter; Markus Birdman; Michael Legge; Multi-Levelled Morons (Twix); Paul Currie (cornflakes & milk – DON’T sit at the front); Pajama Men; Phil Ellis; Richard Gadd (large sponge cake used to horrific effect); Red Bastard; Richard Herring Edinburgh Fringe Podcast (small bag of Haribo); Sally Ann Hayward; Sarah Millican; Seymour Mace (marshmallows); Simon Munnery; Susan Calman; Tony Law; Vladimir McTavish & Keir McAllister; Zoe Lyons

*it’s just me