Cupcakes, that taste like cupcakes!

Those were the words of my sister's friend, who has a gluten intolerance. Does that stop her from eating gluten all the time? No. When she comes over for dinner, however, I like to make sure she can eat whatever we are having without guilt and/or stomach pains.

Thimblecakes
369 Bank St, Ottawa
Open every day from 11-7

Back to the cupcakes at hand. Yes, I realize I talk a lot about cupcakes. However, in my defense, when I have to find a gluten-free dessert on the fly, cupcakes are the first thing that come to my mind. I first turned to a bakery that I know cooks gluten-free goods - Auntie Loo's. However, on a Sunday, they were only open til 2, and it was already close to 4. I thought hard and remembered that someone mentioned that Thimblecakes did gluten-free cupcakes. We ordered a strawberry cheesecake, vanilla bean buttercream, a chocolate mint, a chocolate chocolate, a lemon banana (gluten-free) and a mini chocolate chocolate. All six cupcakes came to a little more than $17.

Expensive? Definitely. Maybe not something I would be able to buy everyday. Delicious? Darn right they were. I really liked the flavours, and my whole dinner party felt that none of the icing was cloying or too sweet. However, I think the best part for me was the praise of our gluten-free guest, that her cupcake was the first gluten-friendly cupcake that tasted like a REAL CUPCAKE. And sometimes making your guests feel welcome and comfortable is worth the extra cost.

-K