When in Worcester… Eat Orange and Almond Cake?

 

Date: 8/12/12

Background: Since me and my housemates departed in June, we have spent far too little time together due to our very busy schedules, all across the country now! So coming close to Christmas we decided it was about time we saw each other! We headed to Worcester in the morning to see our Sarah, and went for coffee and cake in a quaint little coffee shop.

What: Orange and Almond Cake

Where: The Boston Tea Party Coffee Shop, Worcester

How Much?: £2.50

What was Good: It was lovely and moist, as you would expect from a cake with ground almonds. Ground almonds are an amazing ingredients really, because you are able to make a delicious cake, which in theory could be gluten free! But I like it most for the texture and consistency, light and moist. The flavour was really delicate really, not zesty and strong like some orange cakes, but there was definitely a citrusy presence. On top of the cake was a layer of toasted sliced almonds, which also added a nice nutty depth and crunch to the whole cake.

And the Coffee Shop itself was really quirky, with mismatched vintage/2nd hand chairs, tarnished old chairs and tables, funny and bizarre decorations, and a really nice selection of drinks, cakes, pastries and main meals, which looked really homely and welcoming!

What was Bad: HOWEVER, I was somewhat disappointed by this cake for two reasons. One was that the burnished edges of the cake tasted burnt, and burnt cake tastes bitter, which really spoilt the overall taste. Secondly, the topping of the cake, above the layer of sliced almonds, was a really strange jelly kind of chewy, tacky, substance which tasted like marmalade. It was very sickly, and had the texture of a firmly set Turkish delight. I do not like Turkish delight, and I definitely did not like this strange accompaniment! Very disappointing Boston Tea Party!

Would I Buy It Again?: No, for the reason that I really did not like the random chewy orangeness!

Waffle-O-Meter:

You Can Never Have Enough Muffin!

 

Date: 13/11/12

Background: I had a somewhat not entirely interesting mandatory training session for 6 hours at work… And the only thing that got me through the day was the knowledge that a delicious pud was waiting for me just across the road for when I had finished!

What: Cherry and Almond Muffin

Where: Costa Coffee Shop, Queen Elizabeth Hospital- Birmingham

How Much?: £1.75

What was Good: It took so much willpower to not buy another Gingerbread Muffin I cannot even explain. But I NEED to try the whole delicious range of cakes and other sweet treats that Costa has to offer, so I chose upon the golden brown Cherry and Almond Muffin, garnished with sugar dusted toasted almonds. Classic case of eating with my eyes again!! The cake itself was slightly sweet, and had an aromatic hint of almonds within it. And what little sticky cherry jam there was in the heart, was very flavourful and intense!

What was Bad: I was entirely underwhelmed I am afraid! Apart from the jammy centre, there was no taste of cherry within the cake itself, and equally so with the almonds, there was only an aromatic after note! I mean don’t get me wrong, the texture was lovely, soft, light and  airy. Just the texture you would want from a muffin, but I was very sad about the muffin-y experience of today. I wanted a flavour sensation and ended up with a generic sponge flavoured sponge with some jam.

Would I Go Again: I most definitely WILL be returning to Costa! There are too many treats in store for me to sink my sweet tooth into! I just will not be having this muffin again!

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