Slip into Budapest’s newest cake shop for some beautiful and tasty cake and ice cream art, plus special coffees; definitely a standout performer in this highly-competitive area.
Balázs Damniczki began preparing his special ice creams and cakes in Székesfehérvar in 1993 and has never looked back. His Budapest shop at Hercegprimás 17 opened in May 2016 and has been a consistent draw for sweet-lovers from all over town.
Budapest’s newest cake shop
Damniczki Cukrászda offers an amazing selection of ice creams and cakes, each one a mouth-watering treat that tingles the taste buds. Ice creams include award winners Raspberry with Red Wine (wow!) and Gyömbéres Maláta (ginger malt) (Yum!), both of which I got to taste; I can hardly wait to get back for more. There are also such favorites as Vörösboros Málna (red wine and raspberry), Tonkaramell and Mákos Guba, each a treat in themselves.
But for me it was the cakes that are the standouts. Everything is made with farm-fresh ingredients and offered with the flair of a true confectionary artist: texture, consistency, colors, decorations, presentation and, of course, taste.
Gábor pointed me toward the best of the best and I was able to taste the Szarvas Gombás, a heart-shaped Chocolate Mousse with White Truffles (which are only found in Hungary) which must be tasted to be believed. It’s a thin chocolate outer crust with mousse inside and is perfect for a mid-afternoon winter snack. It was accompanied by hot lemonade, a drink I have never had; it turned out to be much smoother than its summer cold counterpart, with less lip-pursing sourness and more soft warmth.
My second cake was an Epres Karamell (strawberry caramel), which was presented as a red ball. Its subtle flavor, glazed red outside with mousse inside, is meant for a sunny spring day.
And Damniczki also offers specially-trained baristas like Anna who prepare the best of today’s coffees, including Arabica and Honduran. This area is scheduled to expand soon.
Damniczki Cukrászda is modern yet cozy. The front area is well-lighted, while the back and loft areas are more subdued and the chairs are surprisingly comfortable. The décor of glass, wood, mirrors and modern equipment, coupled with minimalist art, all add up to a nice place to be. Even the Halloween bats were a fun addition for the season.