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L.A. Holiday Desserts: Christmas Sweets To Go
Photo by Julie Wolfson/LAist
Can't be hassled with slaving over an oven to make treats for all those holiday parties you're gonna hit up? L.A. has many wonderful dessert shops to save the day. Take your pick. Will it be cute peppermint cupcakes, a personalized gingerbread house or how's about a Yule log cake?
Crumbshas gone over the top with holiday joy by creating several impressive holiday cupcakes ($3.75 each or 12 mini cupcakes $18). White Hot Chocolate is made with vanilla cake and white chocolate mousse and frosted with vanilla cream cheese frosting, topped with mini marshallows, and, if that's not enough it's drizzled with white chocolate and decorated with mini white chocolate chips. The Candy Cane one is vanilla cake with green-colored vanilla cream cheese filling and topped with vanilla cream cheese frosting and crushed peppermints. For something that seems a lot simpler in comparison and perfect to go with Christmas Day coffee, Gingerbread is apple spiced cake with cinnamon cream cheese filling and frosting edged with crumbled ginger cookies. For eggnog in a cupcake, try Crumbs' Eggnog -- vanilla cake filled with vanilla cream cheese frosting and frosted with eggnog cream cheese frosting, drizzled with white chocolate and edged with white sprinkles.
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Joan's on Third in Mid-City West doesn't really have any holiday-specific flavors but yummy cupcakes ($3 each) adorned with sugared Christmas decorations. Available in the following flavors: chocolate, vanilla, coconut, chocolate coconut, vanilla with chocolate frosting, spice with maple frosting, pumpkin, carrot. You really can't go wrong with Joan's.
Leyna's Kitchen has the perfect goodies that not only up a party's specialness but make great gifts as well. The pink peppermint cupcakes are made of vanilla cake infused with peppermint candy and white chocolate, filled with vanilla peppermint cream and frosted with fluffy peppermint cream. The mint dream ones are a chocolate mint cake filled with chocolate mint fudge and frosted with chocolate mint cream. The pink peppermint stick cupcake is the same as the pink peppermint one except topped with a chocolate-dipped soft peppermint stick. Mmm, refreshing! Each cupcake is $5 and they're only sold by the dozen (one flavor per dozen) but they're soo worth it. Plus if you want to really make them special for your party, you can order cupcake toppers with a special holiday message. Turnaround time is about three to four days.
Sprinkles in Beverly Hills is offering its seasonal sinful trio ($3.25 each/$36 a dozen) through Christmas Eve. Chocolate Peppermint is Belgian dark chocolate cake with bittersweet chocolate-peppermint frosting and topped with crushed peppermint candies. Eggnog Spice is made of spice cake with eggnog cream cheese frosting. Vanilla-Peppermint is made of delicious Madagascar bourbon vanilla cake with vanilla-peppermint frosting and topped with crushed peppermint candies.
Susie Cakes in Brentwood is doing up its spiced gingerbread cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and chocolate peppermint ones with candy cane topping ($3 each). If you want something to go all out holiday festive, there are also gingerbread men, a traditional rolled Yule log cake and egg nog cheesecake with sour cream topping as well as a gingerbread house that you can get personalized with a family name.
Susina Bakery in West Hollywood has a couple of buche de noels (serves 6-8 $45, serves 10-12 $65) to choose from. Mmm, the vanilla rum log is made of vanilla sponge cake brushed with rum, filled with chocolate mouse and topped with meringue mushrooms and almond paste decorations. The chocolate coffee one sounds perfect for after dinner with its chocolate sponge cake brushed with coffee liqueur, filled with whipped cream and covered with chocolate mousse, meringue mushrooms and almond paste decorations. Or you can order some tarts: quince, cranberry, apple, cranberry orange or chocolate hazelnut (8-inch $28, 10-inch $42, 12-inch $58).
Santa Monica's Vanilla Bake Shop has Gingerbread Spice and Chocolate Peppermint cupcakes and cupcake babies. For the party, grab a box of 2 dozen babies for $44 or 1 dozen cupcakes for $44 (24-hour notice required). You can have them dressed up in festive decor, just request it.
Julie Wolfson contributed to this story.
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