Food in Melbourne: Acland Street cakes

We had a few days in Melbourne last week, always something I look forward to, especially at this time of the year when the city's looking its festive cakes. And something I never miss out on when I'm in Melbourne--and something that never disappoints!--is a visit to those wonderful Central European cake shops in Acland St in St Kilda. It's such a droolworthy little block, with gorgeous cream cakes, pastries, strudels, seed cake and more all trying to catch your eye at once :)
After gazing in at every window, we chose the Le Bon cake shop, because just at that moment we really fancied creamy, nutty cakes, and they had so many to choose from it makes the head spin! Because  much prefer coffee to chocolate when it comes to cream cakes, I had a coffee butter cream cake, decorated with almonds whilst David had a hazelnut and almond layered cake with butter cream icing. They were both divine--super fresh moist crumb, luscious butter cream, crunchy toasted nuts. All washed down with a cup of excellent coffee!
The cream cakes in Le Bon seemed to be a specialty there--but their fruit tarts looked a little wonky--not quite what they should be! Meanwhile the poppy seed cakes and strudel in the Monarch cake shop looked great too--and other shops seemed to have their own specialties as well. But that'll be for another time.

We had a few days in Melbourne last week, always something I look forward to, especially at this time of the year when the city's looking its festive cakes. And something I never miss out on when I'm in Melbourne--and something that never disappoints!--is a visit to those wonderful Central European cake shops in Acland St in St Kilda. It's such a droolworthy little block, with gorgeous cream cakes, pastries, strudels, seed cake and more all trying to catch your eye at once :)
After gazing in at every window, we chose the Le Bon cake shop, because just at that moment we really fancied creamy, nutty cakes, and they had so many to choose from it makes the head spin! Because  much prefer coffee to chocolate when it comes to cream cakes, I had a coffee butter cream cake, decorated with almonds whilst David had a hazelnut and almond layered cake with butter cream icing. They were both divine--super fresh moist crumb, luscious butter cream, crunchy toasted nuts. All washed down with a cup of excellent coffee!
The cream cakes in Le Bon seemed to be a specialty there--but their fruit tarts looked a little wonky--not quite what they should be! Meanwhile the poppy seed cakes and strudel in the Monarch cake shop looked great too--and other shops seemed to have their own specialties as well. But that'll be for another time.