Cook - Bliss & Co. Cupcakes and Desserts

(Clockwise from top left hand corner: lemon cream, vanilla classic, Valencia, island dream, strawberry bliss, caramel bliss)

I discovered Bliss & Co. Cupcakes and Desserts after reading some reviews on Skyscraper Page and I was instantly intrigued to see a bakery in Chinatown that doesn't serve egg tarts and BBQ pork buns. I looked on Chowhound for some more information and I learned that it's located in Chinatown on Centre Street and 3rd Avenue near U & Me but you will need to go down some stairs so it might be difficult to find. It's run by two Chinese ladies from Edmonton and I think it's an excellent idea to bring some modern establishments to Chinatown that can hopefully bring some more life to the streets. They have some very traditional cupcakes but also some very interesting flavour combinations and it's great to see an alternative to Crave. My cousins told me that the cupcakes are frosted right in front of you and they also serve other baked goods including pies, cakes, and cream puffs.

The cakes are very delicious and extremely moist, while the frosting is delicate without too much butter so you can definitely taste the different flavours. I truly believe these cupcakes are better than Crave since I find that it is not overly sweet and the frosting to cake ratio is much better. Lemon cream features a fresh lemon cupcake with a tart and sweet lemon frosting. The vanilla classic cupcake is just like its name with a classic vanilla frosting with vanilla bean seeds throughout. Valencia is a unique twist with a chocolate cupcake topped with Valencia orange frosting. It's not my favourite because I'm not a fan of the chocolate and orange combination, but I do love the frosting and it definitely tastes like creamsicle. Island dream features shredded coconut baked right into the cake with a frosting that tastes like cream cheese and some more coconut. Strawberry bliss is similar to Crave's princess cupcake with a vanilla cupcake and strawberry purée frosting. Finally, the caramel bliss cupcake was my favourite with a rich chocolate cupcake, caramel frosting, and a drizzle of some more caramel. Overall, the cupcakes were delicious and I will certainly visit Bliss & Co. again, but next time I will try the chocolate bliss cupcake.

Anyways, next time you're in Chinatown, remember to visit Bliss & Co. and help your local Chinese businesses!! I included their business card but unfortunately, their website doesn't appear to be operational yet.