Ted's Bakery P***, I mean Cakes

OK, most of the local people here are familar with the famous pies that come from Ted's Bakery over on the north shore. These days, most of the local markets carry a selection of their pies in their bakery section...you can even find them at some Long's Drugs. Ted's pies are usually two layer...blueberry/cream, chocolate/cream, haupia/cream, chocolate/haupia, strawberry/cream, etc....anyway, you get the picture. They're really good but lots of calories. Local people usually pick them up for gift giving, potlucks or when visiting. Anyway, my story begins a couple of months ago when I attended a party a work. I eyed a huge sheet cake and found out that the boss had ordered it. It was a monster cake with two huge chocolate layers and great looking white frosting on it. I got served an immense piece...it filled one of those small paper dessert sized plates...for some reason the people at work think I starve and always try to fatten me up but that's another story... I bit into the cake and expected a simple buttercream frosting. To my surprise and delight...it was a marshmallow frosting and I love this type of frosting!...makes me think of my childhood when most cakes were made like that. These days, it's so rare to find marshmallow frosting being used, it's always buttercream...sigh. Back in my single days, I used to frequent a bakery named "Cakeland" in Kaimuki and their cakes were awesome and always with a marshmallow frosting. A friend of mine used to work there as a decorator and he even gave me some cakes free. A great memory. Anyway, eventually after asking around, I found out that the cake for the party had come from Ted's and it had been a special order. A month or so later, we had another party and this time it was a dream cake. Once again, monster sized but oh so good! Very moist chocolate cake layers and great frosting with chocolate curls. I was impressed by the quality of the cake...I mean, you always hear about the pies...so what gives? I knew that the next time I went out to that side of the island, I had to stop by.

Finally I had my opportunity. I've also heard that the food is good too but I was on a mission. I walked in (with the wife and kids following me), took a look at the single slices in the cooler and headed straight to the case with the whole cakes. Not a lot of variety...I noticed dream cake, carrot cake, chantilly, coconut haupia. Went to the register, paid $13 or so for a "small" chantilly cake. I know some of the other cakes were listed for $15. (Sorry, forgot to measure it but it was big...the label says-3 lb. 5 oz.) The cashier casually handed me a bag and told me to help myself to a pie from the case. I thought...wow, self service...haha!

Did some research and found out that local style chantilly cake is pretty much a Hawaii thing. Here it's a chocolate cake with a maple colored buttercream frosting and mac nuts and sometimes coconut. Here's a link to a nice older article from the Star Bulletin with a recipe for local style chantilly cake.
The cake lasted for close to a week...with all those calories, we ate these tiny slivers daily. My youngest hates nuts so she would take off the frosting (which I think is the best part!). The thing that stands out is the moistness of the cake...seems that it's pretty consistent with all of the cakes there. Guess I gotta try the regular food too...there's always a lot of people eating whenever I go. Next time, I think I'll try the Coconut Haupia.

If you're going there, you just gotta look for the sign (and the people eating outside) when you're in the Sunset Beach area...can't miss it. And try the cakes!!

Ted's Bakery, 59-024 Kamehameha Highway, Sunset Beach.