Chef Anthony Rose may be a culinary whiz, but for picking the best birthday cakes, we called in the experts: his niece and nephew, Charlie and Riley. These pint-sized pros know how to have their cake and eat it too!
Overall winner: SMARTIE EXPLOSION COOKIE CAKE
Anthony: “I really like this soft cookie; this is my kind of cake!” Riley: “The smarties on the outside are delicious!” Foxies Bakery 669 Mount Pleasant Rd., $55
Charlie’s top pick: COOKIES & CREAM CAKE
Anthony: “This is Oreo all the way through which is amazing.” Riley: “The Oreo cookie is a little mushy but this is my favourite icing.”
Bobbette & Belle 1121 Queen St. E., $75
Riley’s top pick: MOM’S CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE
Anthony: “I love chocolate on chocolate on chocolate cake! Visually it’s beautiful.” Charlie: “I like the icing but I don’t really like
the cake part.” Phipps Bakery 420 Eglinton Ave. W., $29.99
THE BIRTHDAY EXPERIENCE CAKE
Anthony: “The sprinkles on the inside are amazing and the cake is moist too.” Charlie: “The icing is very sugary but I like the cake.” Short & Sweet Bakeshop 1945 Avenue Rd., $80
JACKED UP BIRTHDAY CAKE DONUT CAKE
Anthony: “This is beautiful! The doughnut itself is really good and fresh.” Riley: “I haven’t tried a cream filled doughnut because I’m picky but this is really good.” The Rolling Pin 1970 Avenue Rd., $60
CLASSIC BIRTHDAY CAKE
Anthony: “It’s light and not as dense as some of the other cakes; it’s really balanced — I’m a big fan.” Charlie: “I really like the cake but I find it a little bit too sweet.” Manal Bashir 12 Centre St., Vaughan., $33
