Flowers Bakery Café (14300 Layhill Rd., Silver Spring; 301-438-6087) doesn’t make things easy for the first-timer. It’s nestled in the corner of a Silver Spring strip mall and completely obscured by a gas station.
But the homey, European-style shop does a brisk business, turning out dependable versions of classic cakes, pastries, and cookies. One sweet worth trying: the marble mousse cake. Under its dramatic feather-boa shavings of white and dark chocolate are layers of chocolate and yellow cake alternated with silky dark- and white-chocolate mousses.
Also notable is the Italian rum cake, which isn’t as boozy as the name suggests. It’s also not very cakey, looking more like a napoleon and tasting more like crème brûlée.
Not everything’s a winner: The rugalach can be doughy and skimpy on filling, and the Kahlúa cheesecake, which lacks any hint of alcohol or coffee flavors, is reminiscent of a grown-up Devil Dog.
Still, this is a corner bakery that anyone would be happy to have on the corner.
This article appeared in the July, 2008 issue of The Washingtonian.
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