I went on a sweet-tooth adventure, visiting restaurants and bakeries that specialize in desserts with an unexpected twist.
There is nothing ordinary about Patty's Cakes in Fullerton. Patty Gomez and her son, co-owner Phillip Gomez, serve over 21 different flavors of cake balls and cupcakes.
Unique combinations include the "Lemon Colada" sprinkled with fresh coconut or the "Chocolate Caramel Salty" cupcake.
The star of the shop, however, is the "Elvis" - a handcrafted concoction of moist banana cake, whipped peanut butter mousse frosting and crowned with real bacon.
Patty Gomez said the tribute to Elvis' favorite sandwich has been pretty well-received, and it's all about the topper.
"[The bacon] has been just touched with brown sugar so that it just melts in your mouth," she said.
First-time customer Joanne drove to Patty's from nearby Anaheim and couldn't resist taking a bite out of her Elvis cupcake immediately.
In downtown Los Angeles, Nickel Diner has taken an ordinary glazed donut and made it extraordinary.
The popularity of the "Maple Glazed Bacon Donut," created by pastry chef Emily Acevedo, has reached cult-like status.
"I think our donut has a lot of love put into it. It's like a three-day process, hand-rolled, handmade," said Acevedo.
The dessert menu is pretty large and a whole lot of fun. For example, the "Cher Cupcake" is topped with a mouthwatering surprise, and they stuff their warm homemade-style Pop-Tarts with fresh seasonal jam.
"Most of this stuff is all stuff from your childhood that you've had, that you enjoy," said Nickel Diner co-owner Kristen Trattner.
The Ding Dong we grew up with is now smothered in chocolate ganache, while the "Salt-Peanut Chocolate Cake" is infused with potato chips!
"We named it after Dizzy Gillespie, so it's got a little bit of jazz funk to it," said Trattner.
Three friends who met in design school recently opened D'odici Desserts in Pasadena, where they produce sweet and edible works of art.
Their elegant and rich designer cakes are a combination of cheesecake and a soufflé. Flavors include apricot, blueberry, chocolate raisin and salted caramel. The creamy, yet fluffy, cake is as delectable as it looks.
"We do use all natural ingredients, and just like our design philosophy, simplicity is the best," said co-founder Alexia Seo.
See photos of the unique desserts at these three local eateries.
