A few cake tibits!

Cakes, Cakes, Cakes! Two new shops that I have heard about.

1. Already opened(apparently in Spotswood) is a take away cup cake shop. Owned by Ariana, formerly of Try this in Yarraville. Let me know if you have been there, I haven't got there yet, but look forward to checking it out. It's across the road from the Duchess of Spotswood.
2. Coming to Yarraville a new cake shop, opening where Recoleta Boutique was. This is exciting I really hope they do something unique.

Whilst we are talking about cakes I have to let it be known that I am a huge fan. It is one of the biggest conflicts in my life. I love to Bake Cakes, I love to Eat Cakes and I love to talk about cakes, so why oh why can it not be a daily indulgence. Because my dear friends cake is the enemy of my body! If I ate Cake everyday I would resemble a Jam Roly Poly. As much as I love cake I do not want to look like one, so these days when I'm going to have cake it has to be pretty dam special.

Making a resurgence in Melbourne this year has been the 'High Tea'. The Hotel Windsor, The Park Hyatt, The Sofitel are all places where you can indulge in all sorts of cake.
Chocolat Gateax, Lemon Tarts, Upside down Cakes, Tortes, Pavlovas, Mousse Cakes, Cheese cakes, Fruit Flans, Roulades, Nut Cakes, Pastries, Muffins, Apple Pie and the Australian Piece de resistance, The Lamington!
Well, have you had enough yet, I'm drooling, my stomach is rumbling and I just wish I had something like this in my fridge, but alas, the sensible Monica doesn't have these sorts of things in her fridge. That's why I have to go out for these and that's why I chose the Hopetoun tea Rooms for my cake indulgence.

Have you been to the Block Arcade in Melbourne it is a lovely arcade to shop in and it has the Hopetoun Tea Rooms. If it's cake you want this is a great place to come and eat it. I had a piece of the latticed Cherry Pie and OH MY it was absoulutely delicious. Not to sweet and not to tart , lovely crumbly/buttery pastry. I would love to work my way through the window display. However(yes, there is almost always a however with me)the cup of tea I had with my cherry pie was the worst cup of tea I have ever, ever, ever had. I sent the first pot back thinking that they must have made a mistake, but no it came back just the same the second time around. I was in shock, Is this not the Hopetoun Tea Rooms where they serve Tea! MMMMMMmmmmmm. Mystified! And the service? Well apparently The Hopetoun Tea rooms have been undergoing some changes, where they want to lift the standards one more notch. As far as the service is concerned I just thought is was appalling, I saw a waitress(very young and inexperienced) drop some cake on the floor and ignore it, I thought she must be coming back to clean it up but she didn't. All the staff are very young and modern which does not match the tea rooms. The Hopetoun tea rooms are from a time gone by. The 1800's, and the rooms are decorated as such(orginal I'm told), this calls for respect and grace and calm, but the young staff had none of this, such a mismatch!
SO! The question is would I go back for just the cake and not bother with the tea! I'm not sure that I would. But you see the window display is JUST so enticing and if I happened to be walking by doing some shopping in the Block Arcade, then maybe, just maybe I would have to pop in for a bit of cake and a glass of water.