We can all agree that the holidays are best spent surrounded by twinkling lights with your favorite sweet treat in hand. There is just something special about Christmas in Birmingham. The spirit of love and creativity is never in short supply in The Magic City. We decided to take a tour of our favorite places to find holiday desserts and we are bringing you with us - YAY! We hope you can take a trip to some of these local wonders and find a treat that puts your heart (and appetite) at ease this holiday season.
CHOCOLATA
Chocolata is an ethereal chocolate shop, beautifully nestled downtown on 2nd Avenue North. Each treat is incredibly special and always starts with the highest quality chocolate made with ingredients from South America. You will immediately feel like you have arrived in a chocolate heaven upon entering this place. The smell of sipping chocolate fills the air and it’s truly something straight out of a fairytale. The bonbons are so beautiful that you hardly want to eat them (but I promise you will).
The holidays are all about sharing with loved ones and the Moonscape Peppermint Bark, Sipping Chocolate, Hot Cocoa, & Bonbon Boxes are great ways to share in the spirit of the season. The Sipping Chocolate is made with whole pieces of dark chocolate and a pinch of spice for a luxurious fireside treat, while the Hot Cocoa mix is prepared with a traditional cocoa powder and has hints of cinnamon. We’ll take one mug of each, please!
Chocolata changes their bonbons seasonally, so no matter when you choose to give this delectable gift a try, they are always such a treat for the recipient. As for the item that is the first to disappear from the candy dish - the Moonscape Peppermint Bark! This holiday treat is made with creamy Ecuadorian white chocolate, crunchy cacao, and festive peppermint for the sweetest Christmas dream.
You absolutely have to see this mystical chocolate shop for yourself to take in the true beauty. We could stare into their chocolate display case for HOURS. You can visit Chocolata’s website to find out more or check out their instagram (@chocolata_bham).
Daughters Baking
We might be a little bias because some of our team has personally used Daughters Baking as their own wedding cake vendor and we cannot get enough of this delightful bakery. Their shop is the epitome of cozy and fits right in-between Brombergs and Oulser’s, in the heart of Mountain Brook Village. Their Holiday Cake Menu is what Christmas wishes are made of: Almond Amaretto Layer Cake and Gingerbread Layer Cake.
Almond Amaretto Cake
The Almond Amaretto Cake is layered with almond cake, amaretto custard, coffee buttercream, and an almond crumb. We love that while this cake is decadent, it is also incredibly light and easy to eat in copious amounts. We obviously had to try it ourselves…for science, you know?
Gingerbread Cake
The Gingerbread Cake pulls on your heart strings because it marries together all of the most nostalgic flavors from your childhood. This masterpiece is layered with gingerbread cake, brown sugar cinnamon buttercream, graham cracker crunch, and salted caramel sauce. This flavor feels like home for the holidays in the best way.
Daughter’s Baking let us know that they will have a SURPRISE limited addition flavor launching on December 15th - eeek! Give them a follow on instagram (@daughtersbaking) to find out what flavor they are gracing us with next. If you need any thoughtful Christmas gift ideas, Daughter’s just premiered the sweetest gift sets now available in store. You will not regret a visit to one of our favorite cake shops in Mountain Brook. We highly recommend snagging a few of these festive cake cups then taking a stroll across the street to Starbucks and enjoying a holiday latte - true Christmas magic.
Last call baking Cooperative
This awe-inspiring micro bakery was born out of a passion for French and Asian cuisine, as well as the love for feeding friends and family. The heart of Last Call is to make all feel invited to bring a chair to the table. At Bustle, we make very frequent stops to The General, located on the beautifully historic Clairmont Avenue. Inside The General you will be able to behold the delicacies of Last Call Baking. These sweet selections are always baked fresh and the menu is constantly changing. We love how the confectionary case is a surprise every morning, so there is always an opportunity to try something new.
The Matcha Chocolate Poundcake is a wonderfully light & moist poundcake, flavored with Japanese ceremonial matcha and dark chocolate. You will feel right at home with this one, while also experiencing the excitement of something new with the matcha flavor. Comfort in a slice.
The Olive Oil Sandwich Loaf is filled with citrus Swiss meringue buttercream and topped with roasted strawberries and fresh herbs. This cake is both decadent and light, while hitting the savory and tangy parts of your taste buds. An absolute citrus dream.
The Black Sesame Mochi Cake was originally sold at Shu Shop and quickly became a fan favorite. This dreamboat is served with a dollop of rosemary whipped cream and fresh herbs. We will take two slices, please!
You can keep up with Last Call’s daily delicacies through their instagram, or pop in to The General and try something for yourself. In October, Chanah Willis, the founder of Last Call, made a HUGE announcement stating that they are in the beginning stages of opening a STORE FRONT here in Birmingham - EEK! Chanah shared their gofundme page in the hopes that as a community we can help make Last Call Baking Co. a forever home in our favorite city. You can visit this link if you would like to spread a little holiday cheer through a generous donation.