Sugar might be considered a dietary villain, but we’re not the only ones barracking for the bad guy in Spotswood’s sleepy neighbourhood shopping strip. Candied Bakery’s siren song pulls serious crowds, all keen to load up on a mouthwatering selection of treats, baked goods and some epic shakes.
The daily spread of sweets consists of everything from doughnuts and lamingtons to slices and giant choc chip cookies. You can order whole cakes, or purchase by the slice – flavours include raspberry and coconut, red velvet, carrot and walnut, and flourless orange and almond. Oh, and a slice of apple pie with a properly short pastry is as big as a New York pizza, bulging with cinnamon-spiked stewed apples and crowned with a buttery crumble topping.
There's savoury options, too: Candied’s tasty version of the Philly cheesesteak roll consists of a pillow-soft long white roll (baked in-house), buttered and loaded with glistening caramelised onions, thin strips of hot, grilled beef and a handsome cap of molten cheese – it’s a worthy homage to Philadelphia's beloved street food. Considerably daintier, a slice of savoury tart that flirts with the salty-sweet divide sports fluffy pumpkin cubes, slices of tomato and dabs of goats cheese suspended in a creamy egg centre.
The bare bones of a high-street bakery – concrete floors, brick walls and communal table – get a personality injection via a neon-yellow sign and stools, and floury aprons have been traded in for hot dog print hoodies and t-shirts. It’s a somewhat incongruous, but welcome, addition to this sleepy strip.
For so many glorious, carb-laden years, Candied Bakery has maintained perfect form while juggling the desires of purists stopping in for a classic beef pie in a shiny puff pastry shell and a latte (from Seven Seeds Coffee), with those chasing their next big sugar rush from vanilla slice doughnuts and apple pie shakes (the apple pie is blended straight in).