Vanilla Cakes and Lounge, Oakleigh by Bureaucrat

I've previously declared my love for Nikos Cakes.  If you've been to Eaton Mall in Oakleigh, it's hard to miss that Nikos Cakes is located at one end of the mall, while Vanilla Cakes and Lounge is located on the other end.  Both are big cake shops.  Both are popular.  And both have loyal patrons.  

While I love Nikos, I couldn't resist the siren call that was coming from Vanilla Cakes and Lounge.  And with a smidge of betrayal in my tummy, I decided to give Vanilla a go - hoping that it wouldn't be better than Nikos.  So whose cakes reign supreme?  Read on! 

One of the first things I noted about Vanilla Cakes and Lounge is that they offer an impressive range of cakes, pastries and biscuits.  However, they do differ in the range with Nikos Cakes.  One of the most notable differences is that they have Ek Mek, which is short for Ekmek Kataifi.  This cake was new to me and, boy, these are the times that I love a new experience!  

This delicious Greek cake is simply divine.  It's comprised of three layers: the bottom is crunchy layer of kataifi pastry (sort of like thin noodles) that's drenched in syrup; the middle is a wobbly custard; and the top layer is this heavenly pillowy meringue.  It's decadent yet light-as-air.  It's definitely wicked as you could easily eat a lot of this and not realise just how rich this cake truly is.

The strawberry mousse cake was also yummy but nowhere as delicious as the Ek Mek.  The strawberry mousse was smooth but I found the jammy layer a bit too sweet for my liking.

Similarly, the chocolate cake (rich and moist) was also pretty good but the frosting was a bit too sweet for me.  

The cannoli was pretty good - definitely of the better ones I've had.  A crisp pastry shell that's lined with chocolate. The ricotta filling was lovely and smooth.

Verdict

We loved it.

Cheap eats.

Overall

So whose cakes reign supreme?  Well, it's a tie!  I do love the Ek Mek (which Nikos, as far as I can tell, doesn't have) but the rest of the cakes were very good it's not enough to make me a Vanilla-only fan.  Also, Vanilla doesn't have the scrumptious loukoumada (Greek doughnuts) that's available at Nikos.  So I guess the practical solution for me is to buy my cakes from both shops (ah, the hardships of life!).

Other notable things about Vanilla is that they offer a very good range of gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan cakes, pastries and biscuits.

Find it at

Vanilla Cakes and Lounge
17-21 Eaton Mall
Oakleigh VIC 3166
Phone: (03) 9568 3358