Crail Harbour Gallery and Tearoom

I love the East Neuk of Fife. It's such a wonderfully scenic place. Both my daughters went to St Andrews University and it is, of course, the home of Taran Guitars where Rory Dowling makes some beautiful acoustic musical instruments (mostly guitars)

A shortish walk down the hill from the free car park near the tourist information office is Crail Harbour gallery and Tea Rooms. Selling art/crafty type things - perfect if you're one of those with a seaside themed bathroom - it also has seating inside and out.

On a nice day, sitting at one of the 5 tables outside in the small rear courtyard, overlooking the chicken run with a view to the Isle of May, there is nowhere better to have a cup of tea and a cake (main meals are also provided - with dressed crab a specialty).

What is decidedly NOT a specialty is the coffee and walnut cake I was served on my last visit. Now, fair's fair - it's homebaked (I assume) and the view makes up for a lot, and it was quite tasty... but whoever iced the cake clearly needs to go to Specsavers - they very nearly missed. That can be the only excuse for the parsimonious portion of coffee fondant icing both on top and in the filling. The Creme Fraiche, slice of lemon and (baby) strawberry simply weren't compensation enough.

Other cakes I have had there have been grand. This offering was a real disappointment.

Price: £3.95

Walnut Garnish: yes

Walnut in sponge: no

Sponge: 6/10

Icing: 1/10

Filling: hardly any - more of a scrape.

Shona's Home Baking, Hamilton, Scotland.

My friend Shona will never know how very close she came to toppling my Mum's cake as the gold standard...

There are a number of reasons for this:

She made it  for me despite the fact that:
1. She doesn't like coffee cake
2. She is allergic to walnuts

And it was magnificent! Added to the fact that I only had one slice, her husband only had one slice and she (for the reasons stated above) had none - so I got to bring the rest home with me :)

The sponge was perfectly moist and just solid enough to support the abundant icing. If the icing had been just a little bit more 'dense' then I'm afraid my Mum's efforts would be history. Shona's sponge allied to mum's icing would be the PERFECT CAKE.

That is not a claim I make lightly. But it is true.

Price: FREE (and produced at personal risk to the health of the baker!)

Walnut Garnish: yes
Walnut in sponge: yes
Sponge: 10/10
Icing: 9/10
Filling: yes - and plenty of it. Only just managed to fit the cake in the tin.

BB's Cafe, Boundary Mill

A trip out to Boundary Mill should never be undertaken lightly. It almost always involved buying stuff that you don't want, doesn't suit you and you only bought because, at the time, it seemed ridiculously good value for money.

The same cannot be said for the saddest offering of coffee cake available at BB's Cafe.

There is nothing I can say in its favour. I shall let the photograph tell its own story and allow you to reach your own conclusions (which, if they are in any way favourable towards this cake, are entirely wrong and you should be ashamed of yourself).

Price: £2.95

Walnut Garnish: no
Walnut in sponge: no
Sponge: 5/10
Icing: 1/10
Filling: hardly any - more of a scrape.