Sweet stop in Boulder: Tee and Cakes Coffeehouse & Bakery

Has that sweet tooth of yours been acting up again?  One that the usual muffins and scones at your local coffeehouse can't satisfy? Then maybe it's time to treat yourself to a change of pace at Tee and Cakes, a coffeehouse/cupcake shop on 14^th Street, just off the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder.

 

Tee and Cakes stands out among boutique bakeries in the variety of products and services it provides. Naturally, the gourmet cupcakes are the star of the show, but the shop also offers a wider-than-average variety of coffeehouse pastries, plus breakfast items like bagel and egg sandwiches. They do custom cake orders for weddings and other special occasions. Did I mention they sell clothing? As the shop's name suggests, they have a selection of screen print t-shirts, hoodies, scarves, and even onesies, all featuring cupcake and baking themes (one of the co-owners is a graphic designer). And in case you get a sugar craving on your couch mid-afternoon, or need some goodies for your kid's birthday party, Tee and Cakes delivers.

 

Now to the coffee. On a recent visit, I paired a strawberry milkshake cupcake with a cup of iced drip coffee. Yeah, I know what you’re thinking: could a so-called coffee expert commit such a sacrilege? Guilty. On the occasional hot summer day, I can and do drink iced java. I justify this by calling it the ultimate test of a coffeehouse’s skills and product: can their brew stand up to the watering-down by the ice as it melts? Tee and Cakes passed: their toddy-style Boulder Organic Coffee kept its full-bodied flavor, and even the aftertaste, often ghoulish with cold coffee, was nutty and pleasant. It was a nice complement for the cupcake, which was heavy and spongy in the way store-bought mix cupcakes never are. And though the cake itself was slightly dry, the gooey frosting made up for it. The best part was that it had the right amount of sweetness—I could easily have had another without going into sugar shock. But I decided to save it for next time, when I’ll try the chocolate bacon cupcake.

 

No, I’m not making that up. The combination is striking enough that CBS News did a piece on it, which you can watch on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch .