Slabs of sludge

Finally--someone agrees with me about the Costco birthday cake. The LA Times published a review of three cakes, in response to Saveur’s listing it as one of the ‘’favorite restaurants, food, drink, people, places, and things" from around the world’. While it still is a great place for toilet paper or to feed your favorite fraternity, I have to take issue with sheet cakes that bring to mind the negative connotations of the word “slab” and a list of ingredients that brings to mind “sludge.” There are so many great local bakeries, why not celebrate the birthday boy or girl with something more individual? Since I was a kid I have always loved the Gingerbell (now Borrachinis) cakes, but the other night I had the best birthday sheet cake from Seattle’s Magnolia Bakery aka Upper Crust Bakery on McGraw. The cake had nice flavor and crumb, and the frosting was not a thick layer of goop, but was instead a justifiable thickness of fluffy cream, sugar and flavoring. Support your local bakery!