Just Ask Restaurant of the Month for November - Cake Cafe

The “Just Ask!” Restaurant of the Month winner for November is Cake Café Dublin

A love of traditional food and recognition of the environmental impact of the business are the driving forces behind Michelle Darmody’s paradise for cake lovers in Dublin. But, for all its predictably pretty flower print table cloths and dainty mismatched china, this charming place is more down to earth than you might think and they have plenty of quality savouries on offer too.

Michelle and her team have been committed to supporting smaller Irish producers since the first day they opened and, as well as having some of them highlighted on the menu, there may be more from the current pool of suppliers named on a daily changing black board menu in the café.

While the range offered is much wider than the name implies, great home baking is the big draw - and everything is freshly baked in the open kitchen, using flours from Odlums and Macroom, free range eggs and Kerrygold butter.

Dairy products come from the renowned cheesemongers Sheridans and speciality producers such as Killowen Farm in Co Wexford, and a relative newcomer, Toonsbridge Dairy in Co Cork. This is a partnership between Toby Simmonds, of the long-established Real Olive Co, and local dairy farmer Johnny Lynch - they produce Ireland’s only genuine mozzarella and ricotta using the milk of Johnny’s herd of water buffalo, which roam the fields of his dairy farm near Macroom...

It’s also nothing but the best when meat and fish products are required at The Cake Café, with Gubbeen Smokehouse in West Cork and the highly regarded Co Fermanagh meat experts, Kettyle Irish Foods, listed among their suppliers, along with The Burren Smokehouse in Co Clare.

“And,” says the owner of The Cake Café, Michelle Darmody, “What we cannot get close to home, we at least source from an Irish company. There is no coffee grown here, for example, but we do source it from Ariosa coffee roasters here in Ireland, while our teas are supplied by tea company Kingfisher Tea of Co Wexford – who do herbal tisanes, flowering teas and fruit infusions as well as a wide range of other speciality teas. In the same way, we may not be able to get Irish olives but we can buy them direct from The Real Olive Company, so that adds value here in Ireland.”

SAMPLE MENU

crumbs!

Welcome to The Cake Café. We use the best possible ingredients supporting small Irish producers to bring you the great quality food.

We bake all our Cakes, Biscuits and Breads in our kitchen. Our Coffee is freshly roasted, ground and expertly prepared and our Teas are carefully sourced and chosen for their flavour. All of our eggs are free range.

We try to do as little damage to the environment as possible, we compost most of our organic waste, use biodegradable cleaning products and keep our plastic usage to a minimum.

The Cake Café also caters for events. Just ask for Michelle or call 01 4789394 for details. We can bake you special cookies or cakes to suit your needs.

We cook with nuts in The Cake Café kitchen. As much as we try our best to keep them out of other foods, there will be nut traces in any thing we make.

Service is not included.

breakfast

Cake Café Toast 2.90

Toast served with Kerrygold butter and our own brown sugar Marmalade.

Egg and Soldiers 5.10

Baked egg served with toasted slices of bread and Kettyle bacon 5.90

Saturday’s Special: Check the board for tasty details!

Scone 2.45
Our scones are made fresh every morning and served with homemade jam and butter.

A Bowl of Granola 4.90
Our very own freshly made Granola served with seasonal fruit Compote and Killowen Natural Yogurt.

Flahavan’s Porridge 4.00
You can choose your Porridge in any one of four ways:
— with cream and seasonal fruit compote.
— with banana and pure Irish honey.
— with orange zest, honey and toasted hazelnuts.
— with raisins (cooked in to be plump and juicy), brown sugar and cinnamon.

Cream Cheese Pancakes! 6.80
Served with cinnamon and honey butter. We make these light and fluffy pancakes by whisking cream cheese into the batter.
During the summer months we serve these with strawberries for an extra 1.00

A glass of Pedro Ximenex with Cashel Blue Cheese & Toast 8.50
afternoon bliss

Afternoon Tea 7.80
Regular Tea or Coffee of your choice served with a selection of miniature cakes.

Afternoon Tea cakes served with a glass of Prosecco 12.50

teas

Fair Trade Tea 2.00

Earl Grey 2.20
This special Earl Grey has a fresh bergamot aroma; it is a careful blend of teas from China and India with a full-bodied and intense flavour.

Darjeeling Castleton 2.40
Located in the south of Darjeeling, this small tea garden is a classic for connoisseurs and lovers of second-flush tea. The taste is aromatic, elegant and soft with a fine sweetness and discreet flower.

Assam Hajua 2.30
A strong rich Assam with a dark and fragrant cup. Excellent with milk.

Ceylon Kenilworth High Grow 2.40
Strikingly beautiful black, pine-needle shaped leaf. Sweetish and full-bodied in taste with an earthy, spicy flavour. The cup is golden brown.

Jasmine 2.30
The basis for this Chinese speciality is a half-oxidised tea to which fresh jasmine blossoms are added during drying. This classic form of flavouring has been known in China for some 1,000 years. This sweet blend still has quite a lot of blossoms, which leave an intense, flowery jasmine taste and scent.

Chai 2.20
Warm, exotic spices from India combine with black tea for this popular blend.

Black Mango 2.30
A mild, spicy China-Ceylon blend is enriched with sweet, dried mango cubes and bright sunflower blossom to create an exotic experience. Black tea, mango cubes, flavouring, sunflower blossoms.

Vanilla Rooibosh 2.20
Rooibosh is an aromatic traditional beverage from the South African red bush, it is gently scented with vanilla.

Orange Rooibosh Eucalyptus 2.40
Combining cool eucalyptus with the sweetness of peach and orange, this tea is refreshing and flavourful. Rooibos, eucalyptus leaves, orange peel, natural flavouring, orange blossoms.

Tea Lotus 4.00
A delicate pink flower sewn into strands of Chinese green tea. This tea brews up light and fruity, with many infusions possible.

Gunpowder Temple of Heaven 2.20
One of the best-known teas from the province of Zheijang. Each single leaf is rolled into a shiny green pearl, reminiscent of gunpowder. Fresh, earthy taste. The cup is deep green in colour.

From the garden...

Chamomile Tea 2.20
Lavender Tea 2.20
Fennel Tea 2.20

Savoury
All of our food is prepared to order

Soup 4.95
Homemade soup prepared to order and served with our own freshly baked brown bread (v)

Savoury Tart of the Day 6.90
The tart of the day is served with green salad. Check the board for details.

Tasty Tapas with an Irish Twist 7.80
This is a selection of nibbles; Irish meats, Irish cheeses, grilled veg, and olives served with bread. If you want a vegetarian option, just ask!

Portuguese Sardines on Toast 6.20
The best quality Portuguese Sardines that have been preserved in olive oil, served up on toast with a sprinkle of black pepper and lemon juice.

Our very own Beans on Toast 6.70
We make our own from scratch with the best cannelli beans — with sausage and tomato — they are served with a slice of buttered toast.
If you want a vegetarian option, just ask!

Gratin of Seasonal Vegetables 8.25
Served with Cake Café Chutney and organic salad.

Cake Café Salad 7.65 — It’s so salady! See the board for details.

Myles’ Luxury Toast of the Day 7.30
It’s daily and toasty and made by Myles — Deluxury! Check the board.

Hot Pot of the Day 8.90 — It’s in a pot, and it’s hot! Mmm...

Sandwiches 5.80 (Take Away 5.60) — All include organic mixed leaves.
— Gubeen Salami, chilli jam and Cais na Rí
— Seasonal Vegetable Sandwich
— Smoked chicken with basil mayonnaise and roasted sweet peppers
— Ryefield Goats Cheese with cranberry relish and chopped hazelnuts

Cake Café BLT 6.45

Side Salad 3.95

Extra Kettyle Bacon 1.25

Extra Beans 3.50

HEY KIDS!

Cheeeeesy Soldiers 3.95
Smoked Chicken on White Bread & Butter 3.95
If you would like anything else, just shout!
(okay, please don’t shout — you just have to ask…)

cakes

A Wedge of Chocolate Biscuit Cake 2.65

Chocolate Cake 4.25
So much more than the sum of its parts.

Hugs and Kisses 4.75
Our home made ginger bread and short cake biscuits served with cinnamon cream and chocolate to sink your kisses into…XOX!

Chocolate Brownies 2.65

Scone with Homemade Jam & Cream 2.45

Cup Cake of the Day 2.55

Lemon Slice 2.45

Carrot Cake 3.90

This cake is dairy free if you ask for it without the icing.

Polenta Cake with Lemon Zest 4.35
This cake is gluten free

Apple & Cinnamon Cake 4.25

Hand Decorated Iced Cookie 1.25

Ooh! Orange Cake 4.25

Coffee Cake 4.25

Shquishy Shponge with Homemade Jam and Cream 4.35

Treacle Tart 4.25

Gingerbread 4.25

Take Away Cakes

Mini Cakes in an Egg-Box… sooo cute! 5.80

We can make whole cakes for take away. Please ask one of our staff for details.

We can do wheat- or dairy-free cakes to order. Just ask!

bread

Take home some lovely Cake Café Bread.
It’s baked every morning with Macroom stone-ground flour, Odlums flour and the dawn chorus…
Brown or White 3.95
Crunchy Seed Bread (the one we use for our sandwiches) 4.50
Just ask!

teas

Sencha Lemon 2.20
The aroma of brewed green tea and tingling fresh lemon compliment one another perfectly. Also lovely cold. One of our most popular teas and great for the green tea novice. Sencha green tea, lemon peel, lemon grass, natural lemon flavour.

Japan Gen Mia 2.40
Sencha with roasted rice grains. Gives a nutty, toasted taste to the fresh flavour of green tea. Sencha, toasted rice.

Liquorice Mint 2.20
Peppermint, liquorice and lemon grass provide an instantly refreshing aroma and naturally sweet flavour. Soothing for the throat. A Kingfisher favourite! Liquorice, apple pieces, peppermint, lemon grass, natural liquorice flavouring.

Cinnamon and Pear 2.20
Fresh, ripe pears and sweet cinnamon create this dessert in a cup! Apple pieces, hibiscus blossoms, rose hips, pineapple, cinnamon pieces, natural pear flavouring, sunflower blossoms.

Moroccan Mint 2.20
Nana: is a large-leafed aromatic mint plant from Morocco which is really refreshing and good to aid digestion. We use this same tea in our lovely mint lemonade.

Moment in Time 2.20
The fruity scent of melissa blossoms combined with aromatic peppermint leaves washes daily stress away. With very low acidity, this tea is perfect for evening. Melissa, chamomile blossoms, peppermint, strawberry and blackcurrant leaves, orange, lavender, rose and heather blossoms.

Tea Roses 2.90
This leaf comes from the south of Anhui, a region located in the northern part of China. The rosette is made by hand, pressed flat and dried. Only the bud and the finest leaves are used. Mu Dan means peony, a flower which in China stands for wealth and success. The taste is a fine fresh note with a sweetness to it, even after multiple brewings.

Pai Mu Tan White Tea 2.60
White tea is tea made from new growth buds and young leaves of the plant Camellia sinensis. Because of its minimal processing, white tea contains more nutrients than black or green teas. Pai Mu Tan has a clear, slightly pale cup, with a fresh aroma, a smooth velvety flavour and delicate jammy notes.

Elderberry Fruit Tisane 2.40
Full, fruity and sweet flavour of elderberries, like a bowl of warm berries and perfect with a dollop of honey. Elderberries, hibiscus blossoms, apple pieces, blueberries and natural elderberry flavouring

Rainy Day Herbal Tisane 2.40
A touch of citrus zest, the sweetness of fruit and the delicate aroma of flowers! This fruit and herbal blend is the perfect tonic for a rainy day. Ingredients: Sultanas, apple pieces, mango cubes (mango, sugar), lemongrass, rose hips, hibiscus, orange peel, carrot peel, nettle, sweet mulberry leaves, freeze-dried tangerine, cornflower blossoms, mallow blossoms, marigold blossoms, rose petals, rose buds, safflowers.

Lapsang Souchong 2.40
A smoked Chinese Black tea. Quite strong, but to those who like it, nothing else can compare.

wine etc

In keeping with our beliefs in locality, we are truly supportive of smaller wine producers of old world. Albeit short, our list is designed so that we can showcase some of the more interesting and quirky wines whilst maintaining a touch of seasonality. See our specials board for more details… Please note that due to availability, vintages may vary. Go raibh maith agat. x

WHITE
Costadoro Bianco, Marche IGT, Italy
g5.20 / b19
Passerina/Tiebbiano/Malvasla
This Pinot Grigio-like assemblage gives
ripe apple and pear flavours. Lush yet dry.
Domaine de Millet,
Vins de Pays Gascogne, France
g5.20 / b23
Sauvignon Blanc
An outstanding wine by one of South
West France’s best female wine makers,
Laurence Deche. Ripe citrus and stone
fruits —absolutely mouthwatering!
RED
Costardoro Rosso, Marche IGT, Italy
Montipulciano/Sangiovese
g5.20 / b19
Ripe cherry and blackberry fruit flavours.
A soft, refreshing.
Domaine de Millet,
Vins de Pays Gascogne, France
g5.20 / b23
Merlot
Aromas of dark cherry and spice. Ripe,
round tannins give a smooth velvety finish.
SPARKLING
San Simone Frizzante,
Valdobladene DOC, Italy
Prosecco
g6.95 / b27.50
Pure summery fun — all year round!
DESSERT
Chateau Jolys Cuvée,
Jean Jurancon A/C, France
Petit Manseng
g5.20 / b26
Ripe with a lovely honeyed feel,
but a nice lick of citrus on the finish.
prosecco cocktails
All 6.95
Mimosa (with orange juice)
Bellini (with seasonal fruit juice)
Kir Royal (with blackcurrant)
Elderflower Fizz (with Cake Café
elderflower cordial)
SHERRY
Fino Valdivia, Bodega Valdivia, Jerez,
Spain NV g4.75
A stylish dry Sherry with flavor of almondlike
nuttiness. A cool classic as an aperitif or
simply had with a bowl of Olives, Sardines
on Toast or our Tapas. Bringing a touch of
the Med to our Daintree oasis. Tray Chic!
Bodega Valdivia Pedro XImenez,
Spain NV g4.95
An impossibly unctuous offering of sweet
sherry from Spain. Bursting with raisin,
toffee, liquorice and prunes. A dark horse
of a dessert disguised in a glass. Saddles
up equally well with our homemade
Brownies, Ginger Cake or Cashel Blue.
Madeira
Blandy’s Rainwater, Madeira,
Portugal NV g4.75
A fabulous offering of medium dry
Madeira. Rich with soft fruits and
nuttiness. Finishing with a hint of spice.
It’s the lover of our Orange Drizzle Cake.
But is also having an affair with
Polenta Cake. Imagine!
Sticky
Château La Caussade, Sainte-croix-dumont,
Bordeaux, France, 2007 g5.50
Honeyed sweet wine from Bordeaux.
This is a lusciously sweet wine made from
Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc grapes.
Stylish and elegant, it shows intense
aromas and flavours of crystallised fruits,
lime, vanilla and almond. A glass of this
alongside our Lemon Slices, Polenta Cake
or Victoria Sponge. Perhaps even some
Treacle Tart — Ooh I say!

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VIEW ALL JUST ASK RESTAURANT OF THE MONTH WINNERS

“Just Ask!” is a public awareness campaign that aims to encourage consumers when eating out to look for information on where the food (particularly meat) on their plate comes from, and encourages chefs to provide this information on their menus. The programme supports both large and smaller artisan suppliers, encouraging both Irish diners and visitors from abroad to support restaurants that are in turn supporting their suppliers.

Here at Georgina Campbell Guides we have always been avid supporters of the ‘eat local’ concept, and we always enjoy reading menus that have a real sense of place. The dining experience is greatly enriched by knowing that the food on your plate is inspired by the produce and traditions of the area, and sourced nearby – and we would love to see more chefs sharing that precious information with their guests. 

If you are a visitor to the area, learning a little about local food and the people who produce it adds a special extra dimension to the visit – and, for residents, it reinforces a natural pride in the good things of their locality and makes a meal all the more enjoyable.

So, we are delighted by the high standard of menus that continue to be submitted for our ' “Just Ask!” Restaurant of the Month Competition', menus that really speak of the best of Irish foods – and the dedication of both the people who make them, and the chefs who select them to create wonderful dishes with real Irish flavour for our enjoyment.