Cupcake lovers know it is quite difficult to come across the perfect cupcake. For me, cupcakes are often overrated. In my city of Toronto every cupcake store seems to sell the same type – they’re pretty, but with no discernible flavour and they usually have a generic icing, using food dye to change the colour. I find that most do not use butter or real cream, instead, making the icing with shortening.
That all changed while taking a stroll on St. Denis in Montreal and I happened upon a cute little place called Simplement D Liche cupcakes – what a cute name. The beautifully-designed, bright, little shop may just have the best tasting cupcakes I have ever had.
I do love Sprinkles – only I don’t think they use the best quality ingredients.
D Liche was founded by Robert Plante and Ken Lee, this dynamic duo not only make the most delicious cupcakes, they also make cakes for any occasion, wedding cakes, birthday cakes, cake pops, amazing rice krispies squares with Nutella or fruit loops. They will also make custom cupcakes for parties or corporate affairs. They are passionate about their product. They use no food colouring. For instance instead of red dye they use beet juice. They use all natural ingredients like real butter and cream. They are not overly sweet, and they are moist and full of intense flavour. They offer a daily assortment of flavours, usually 8-12 varieties, with over 50 flavours to choose from. They focus on seasonal ingredients like key lime, that tasted surprisingly like key lime pie, peanut butter chocolate chip, carrot, maple bacon, red velvet, Nutella banana, strawberry champagne and triple chocolate. The triple chocolate was off the charts delicious. It was moist, dense, intense in flavour and incredibly rich. It was not your average cupcake, surpassing the many previous versions I have tried. They use Belgian chocolate and the finest cocoa. The good thing is they offer mini size, regular and extra large. We tried a box of six mini’s and didn’t even make it out of the store before we devoured all of them. They offer coffee and tea and you can relax and sit down at the communal marble table and enjoy your goodies. Normally they have seating outside as well, but because of road construction they had to temporarily close it. The place is so yummy that even Martha Stewart recently visited.
They also sell cupcake accessories and themed kits. I am told they make the best tasting cronuts filled with custard, but unfortunately, I didn’t have the room to try them.
The owners are very conscious of the health risks of refined sugar, so they cut a lot of this out of their recipes and use mostly organic ingredients. They also have gluten-free choices.
D Liche doesn’t cut corners and it shows, they have really hit a home run with their product. The cupcake “bar” has been raised.
Highly recommended.
Happy Noshing,
Shanea
1 Comment
Your point of view caught my eye and was very interesting. Thanks. I have a question for you.