It’s that time of year again. February. Valentine’s Day. And I suppose that month when we muse on the meaning of love. So what is love? Apparently this was the most searched-for question on Google in 2012. Some answers may be the more practical such as chemistry (boring, you might say, or realistic?), or what the ancients preached, such as eros or agape. But the answer that doesn’t crop up, and that should, is Peggy Porschen’s cupcakes.
I normally get lost whenever I am wandering around the Belgravia/Chelsea area of London. I don’t know why. But it was obviously fate that today would be a good day, as I arrived at my destination unscathed by the masses of white-mansion-house-lined-streets, and even felt so at ease, I window-shopped for a while. And then I found Peggy Porschen, perfectly situated on the corner of Ebury Street, so that everyone from all directions can see it. And so they should. Peggy is an award-winning cake designer, specialising in creating spectacular cakes for weddings, birthdays, and me. There is also a Cake Academy just opposite the shop.
There is plenty of seating outside, and I don’t doubt that in the summer, it is full of incredibly happy people enjoying tea and cupcakes. Today, however, it was an indoor job, and as the blackboard outside the front door proclaimed, they could cure the “Winter Blues” with their Salted Caramel cupcake. That didn’t sound too bad to me.
The shop is a wondrous pastel creation. The décor feels very much like a beautifully-decorated British summerhouse encased within the pages of Country Living, or some such magazine – all pinks, blues, purples, with tin jelly moulds made into hanging lights, a plethora of cake stands, dusted champagne truffles in stacked boxes, glass jars containing wondrous teas such as caramel and gingerbread blends (inspired by the flavours in Peggy’s kitchen), and bunting. It’s not really, on first appearances, the place for a macho man. But wait, here one is! It seems that men are in tune with what it is that their female friends require, and in this instance, it’s a Cookies and Cream Cupcake for her, and a Blueberry Cupcake for him…
I bagged myself a little white cast-iron table by a window so that I could see the passers-by, and in general just have a nosey. I was also nicely situated next to a large, elaborate cake in the shape of a birdcage. And I also made sure that I directly faced the cake counter. I wanted to look, and admire.
Here at Peggy Porschen, you can either have an individual cupcake, or you can have a giant slice from one of their whole layer cakes. They also have plenty of cookies, and I was incredibly tempted by their Rocky Road slice. There are plenty of cake flavours, such as Red Velvet (so popular at the moment, you would be utterly mad not to provide this), Cookies and Cream, Banoffee, and Strawberry and Champagne. There was also a winter edition Gingerbread cupcake when I was there.
The staff here are clearly passionate about what they make, create and sell. Rather than telling you plainly what each cake is (which we can all decipher from a label, anyway), they describe the cakes using what can only be called poetic language. When you hear their magical words, they draw you in, and you just want to buy everything.
It was a brisk Winter’s day, and although my fingers were at first too cold to make any notes, my brain was thankfully as active as ever, and certainly able to make an exceptional cake choice. It seems that, subconsciously, the sign outside the shop worked. I chose one of the Salted Caramel cupcakes (I’ve become slightly addicted to this combination over the winter months, even investing in a box of salted caramel fudge from a local chocolate shop to see me through the festive period).
It incorporated a light, fluffy vanilla sponge (or chiffon sponge, according to the lady behind the counter), with a caramel cream cheese frosting, and a dark chocolate decoration on top. As soon as my fork went through the frosting, I knew it was going to be a perfect cupcake. So many frostings can just be too sugary, but this was like a dream. The entire taste combination was subtle, but leaving an almost ever-lasting taste – the perfect memory of a mouthful of heaven. By the time I got towards the middle of the cupcake, there was a very nice surprise in the form of a salted caramel centre, which, unlike most, was not too sickly. It was just the right consistency, and there was just the right amount of it. The broken chocolate top was a good, bitter offset to the sweet caramel and fragrant vanilla. I felt like I had been transported back to my childhood. The taste of the cake was of proper baking and proper ingredients, made with love in a well-loved kitchen.
Something of note was that there were several French people in here. It is always a good sign, if they deign to voluntarily put English baking past their lips. If it’s good enough for them, then it’s certainly good enough for me. And did it chase away the “Winter Blues”? It did. And did I discover what love is? Well, I certainly fell in love with another bakery in London, and I will love sharing this cupcake parlour with my mother next time she is down to visit.
Peggy Porschen Parlour
116 Ebury Street,
Belgravia,
London.
SW1W 9QQ
020 7730 1316
Cherry on the Cake 