I've passed by this place many times but never bothered to go in. I think it was mainly the somewhat gawdy, pink exterior that deterred me away. But I've heard some really good reviews about this place, so I decided to pay a visit. That and it was my birthday, and the shop's website said that they'll email me a coupon for a free birthday cupcake. :)
Well, I guess they were having some technical difficulties, because I never got the coupon. But I went anyway; even if I didn't get a free cupcake, I can still check on their other pastries.
Wow. Such fancy decor! But just glancing at the pastries, I was starting to wonder if this shop is like one of those 'gorgeous-on-the-outside-but-dull-and-uninteresting-personality (or lack thereof) on-the-inside' girls?
Case in point. When I asked about the flavor of the ladybug and the flower cupcakes, the cashier said that they're both the same, vanilla flavored, just decorated differently.
I got a cupcake and an eclair. Usually those are the two pastries to sample when assessing the overall quality of a pastry shop. If the cupcake is good, then chances are, the rest of their cakes are good. Eclairs can be tedious/difficult to prepare, so if they have both the choux and the cream filling nailed, then the rest of their stuff is pretty legit.
Back at home, I carefully cut the cupcake...wow... So moist and fine-textured! And the frosting, although was an American buttercream, was soft, smooth and not grainy at all. It was the typical old-fashioned cupcake that people grew up on, the way grandma used to make...yes, this cupcake was very good.
The eclair was OK, in my opinion. The glaze was too sugary, the choux was mediocre, and the cream was awfully buttery for a pastry cream. I wonder if they whipped butter into the pastry cream?
So Mrs. Backer's is a great place for old-fashioned, classical pastries. Their cakes are very good--but if you're like me, and love to try out new flavors, this place will quickly become boring.
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