Folks, let’s talk cupcakes. Previously, Stuff to Eat in the Suburbs has sung the praises of the baked goods at Susu in Wellesley. While Susu is still one of our favorite bakeries, this Bostonist has to admit that there is another superb suburb cupcake destination. Bread and Chocolate is located at 108 Madison Avenue in Newtonville right across the street from Taste coffee shop. They are a cute little shop with floor to ceiling windows that let in plenty of light, giving the place a bright and cheery atmosphere. Bread and Chocolate serves sweets galore as well as a range of coffees, regular beverages, pre-packed goodies and a smattering of lunch fare. For example, the pesto chicken salad served on a buttery croissant is a delightfully light sandwich with a perfectly subtle flavor.
But the real reason to come to Bread and Chocolate is the sweets. Being a baker herself, this Bostonist can be difficult to please when it comes to bakeries. Cookies and cupcakes need to rise well above the norm in order to receive praise. And everything at Bread and Chocolate stands out. When you enter the shop you are greeted by a huge bakery counter filled with cupcakes, brownies, éclairs, and tarts. The top of the counter is a crowd of cookie packs, t-shirts, knick knacks, and various desserts on display. As you move closer to the register, the eye is drawn to enormous sticky buns that look like mounds of sweet gooey heaven, piles of cookies, and rows of simple sweet caneles. In fact Bread and Chocolate gave this Bostonist her first taste of a canele. These little French pastries have a wonderfully soft baked texture on the outside while the inside is pure dense custardy goodness.
Everything in the shop is worth sampling at least once. The staff is friendly and talkative, and clearly happy to chat with anyone; particularly if you have an appreciation for baking. On one occasion we grabbed three cupcakes to go and the staff further endeared themselves to this Bostonist by recommending that the cupcakes should be brought to room temperature before being consumed in order to ensure that the butter cream icing is at its best. While waiting for two hours to consume these little cakey masterpieces was difficult, we found that the reward was well worth the wait. The butter cream icing is light and creamy and makes the underlying flavor- be it chocolate or coconut - shine while not being overly sweet or cloying. The cupcakes themselves are soft, crumbly, and moist. Each bite is a pleasure, and they are so fresh that even after a couple of days in the fridge they are still stupendous. We highly recommend the coconut lemon curd cupcake, while friends have offered that the chocolate peanut butter cupcakes are the best. In fact, their cupcakes are so good that this Bostonist has requested them for her next birthday cake!
Bread and Chocolate has a very well done website which contains their hours, directions, a simple menu, as well as some video recipes and a size and price chart for ordering cakes. Also, they’re on Facebook, which is delightfully and unusually techno-savvy for a small independent bakery. It is usually easy to park right outside the shop, though they can get crowded at lunch time. Next time you’re in Newton stop by Bread and Chocolate and indulge in one of their signature desserts. Your sweet tooth will thank you.
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