By Erin

Today is my birthday, but since Neil went to such incredible lengths on my belated Valentine’s Day breakfast, I thought I’d spare him having to make me a birthday cake.

I suggested that we instead get a few cupcakes from the new cupcake place on Bank Street – rumored to have several clearly marked vegan varieties daily.

So we suited up the dogs and off we went.

I’d already checked Thimble Cakes out online, so I wasn’t surprised by the loveliness of the shop itself. It really is a fantastic space, whose high ceilings and French decor give it the air of a Parisian loft owned by someone far more stylish than me.

The staff were vey friendly, so much so that I can even forgive one fellow’s tittering assertion that my dogs are “weird looking.”

I was a bit disappointed that the vegan flavours of the day were not more exotic. Chocolate, Vanilla, Banana Vanilla and Chocolate Coconut. I cast a sad eye on the rather more interesting non-vegan offerings like Strawberry Cheesecake. There were a couple of other vegan ones, but they were gluten and sugar free, respectively, which caused me to scowl so hard that I think I unnerved my server a bit. She did come to their defense – but cautiously, possibly fearing I’d make a scene.

So I guess there’s not much else to do now but tell you how the cupcakes were.

They were good. They were really good. In fact, apart from the crunchy sprinkles, which detract from the texture of a cupcake more than they add to its appearance, they were pretty much perfect.

And that’s saying a lot given how fully prepared I was to utterly trash them out of loyalty to Auntie Loo.

But alas, I cannot. The new kid on the block is a true contender for the prize of best vegan cupcake in town.

Not that I’d advise Auntie Loo to start shaking in her saddle shoes, of course…but I smell a cupcake war in the air, and it does smell fine.