T'licious Cakes has just brought a bit of Southern hospitality to the Biscayne Corridor. The little shop, which just opened at 7648 Biscayne Blvd., is a confection in itself. Decorated in white and purple stripes, it looks like it should be hosting a group of ladies in pastel hats, converging for afternoon tea.
That would make sense, since owner Trish Robinson's intention is to bring a bit of her beloved New Orleans to Miami both in spirit and flavor. "We are in the South, although we are not traditionally Southern. I'd like to bring a bit of that southern taste and hospitality here to Miami."
Robinson, a NOLA native, fell in love with Miami and moved here after finishing school. "My dad owned a construction company and had an office in Miami. In college, my girlfriends all wanted to come to Miami to get some beach time. When I came here I just fell in love and knew I wanted to stay here. Miami is my home, but New Orleans remains in my heart."
The soul of New Orleans (and a bit of family history) comes through in Robinson's baking. "These are my Grandma's recipes. She never lived outside of New Orleans and these are the cakes that have been in my family forever. They're not only delicious, they're important to me because they're part of my tradition and part of my kids' tradition.
There's also a lot of down home New Orleans decadence in every bite. Robinson points out that her cupcakes are not gluten-free or vegan. "They are butter and sugar and cream. They're traditional cakes and they are delicious."
T'licious cakes offers cupcakes ($3.50), cookies ($3), cookie pops ($2.50), and lollipops ($1-3), all made from scratch. Cupcake flavors include lemon, chocolate, vanilla, carrot, and red velvet with cream cheese icing and chocolate chips. The cupcakes are moist, buttery, but not overly sweet. In the future, Robinson will expand the offerings, possibly to include homemade beignets.
Lollipops are made by hand are come in both traditional swirls for kids and lips for grownups.
Robinson also makes custom cakes and takes custom cupcake and cookie orders. Prices start from about $65 for a simple party cake to $2,000 for an elaborate multi-tiered confectionery dream. In fact, that's the engineer-turned-baker's slogan: "baking delicious dreams."
T'licious also has espresso ($2), American coffee ($1.50), and tea ($1.50), served in lavender china cups. And there's Wi-Fi, which makes it a lovely alternative to chain coffee shops. Robinson is all for advocating Miami take a short break. "Come in, have a cup of tea and sit back and relax a little. It's what we do in the South. I'm encouraging Miamians to do that."
T'licious Cakes is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday and Monday by appointment.
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