Readers' Pick: At a mid-season get together of ours attended by some local baseball fans, a butter-pecan ice-cream cake from the Santa Barbara Ice Creamery was a big hit. It was swallowed up as quickly as Jonah was by the whale, and we were soon left with only crumbs. Priced from $9 for a mini to $31 for a party size, which serves between 16 and 24, they are all-natural, dense cakes combined with the cool treat of ice cream. A real pleasure in Tucson's hot season, which seems to be most of the time now.
Of Mythic Proportions: Lutz's Swiss Bakery, 5418 E. Pima St. Our favorite Lutz custom cake is the Black Forest, made with alternating layers of brandy-soaked chocolate cake and flavorful cherry filling. A Valkyrie army of maraschino cherries stands atop whipped cream frosting in the midst of a chocolate-shaving forest. We think the quality of life in America would be vastly improved if more cakes were served at the family dinner table. Stop by this old-fashioned bakery and take home one of the many beautiful selections. Custom cakes of almost any style, flavor and size can also be ordered for a specialty party.
