Sweet Obsession in Kitsilano offers fine desserts and delicious cakes since 1993. Their passion for quality ingredients ensures their regulars keep coming back for all their special occasions and when a day calls to treat yo’ self. After my first visit, I can confidently say that I loved all of the cakes I tried and they’re definitely worth a visit.
When I asked what makes Sweet Obsessions different from other dessert shops, the manager beamed and said, “A woman picked up a cake for her daughter’s wedding yesterday. She said it’s the same cake she got from us for her wedding more than two decades ago.” In other words, Sweet Obsessions has become part of some family’s traditions.
Interior
Most of the interior space is occupied by cakes, baked snack packs and the coffee bar. There are a few tables available but they were filled-up for the duration of our visit. Luckily, there were a few tables outside and it was warm enough to eat on their patio.
Menu
The menu offer options for any time of the day. While most of their guests are from foot traffic, many of their regulars make a habit of visiting them as a weekly routine or for their special occasions.
Their cakes are all made in-house and most take nearly 24-hours to prepare. They are busiest on Valentine’s Day and on Mother’s Day. If you’re planning to order a cake, make sure to pre-order…or there may not be any left.
Here’s what we tried:
St. Honore
This cake’s description reads like a list of things I love: puff pastry, choux balls filled with vanilla pastry cream & chocolate mousse, drizzled with dark chocolate. It’s impressive to look at and it’s delicious in every way!
Triple Chocolate Mousse
This is one of their most popular cakes. It has layers of dark, mocha and white chocolate mousse. Even though it’s a mousse cake, each layer is rich in flavour and very decadent.
Fruit Tart
Chocolate brushed pastry, filled with chocolate mousse, custard cream & topped with fresh fruit. The custard cream is perfect, but pastry shell is my favourite part of this dessert.
Passion Fruit Flan
Featuring passion fruit custard in a pastry shell. It’s light and fruity, better yet the candied citrus peel is made in-house!
Beverages: Mango smoothie and Matcha tea
I really love mango and I really love matcha, so I chose both.
The matcha tea wasn’t too sweet and was a delightful pairing while eating cakes.
Smoothies come in four flavours: raspberry, mango, strawberry, blueberry. It was a refreshing drink after eating the decadent desserts.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve read this far, I’ll share their secret. I loved the various crusts in all their cakes; each were slightly different but all had the perfect texture and taste. I asked what makes it delicious and the answer is, unsurprisingly, butter. Knowing it’s much more than that, I pressed for more information. I learned that in addition to the quantity they use, not all butter is created equal. Sweet Obsession uses New Zealand butter which boasts higher butterfat content than those readily available in Canada.
Sweet Obsession is a destination spot–it’s not located on a shopping street or on a major intersection–but they’ve been open for over 26 years. There are two owners: one is a passionate baker and one is a stickler for good customer service. In speaking to the manager, I also learned that most of their kitchen crew have been together for nearly two decades! The result is a shop that prides itself in the quality of its food and keeps their guests craving for their cakes again and again.
Address:
2611 W 16th Ave, Vancouver, BC
Website:
http://www.sweetobsession.ca
