It all started with a photo in Time Out Los Angeles – a photo of Cake Monkey’s Chocolate Malt Cake, so sexy that my husband couldn’t get it out of his mind. The very next day, we happened to be in the neighborhood and dropped into Cake Monkey. Coincidence? I think not.

Cake Monkey occupies a tiny pink storefront on Beverly Blvd., across the street from CBS Studios, near The Grove. They specialize in recreations of nostalgic American treats like Ding Dongs, Hostess Cupcakes and Pop Tarts, but also carry croissants, cookies and mini cakes. Looking at the display, I just wanted to get one of everything.

The mini cakes are adorable, about 3 inches in height, and cost $7.50 each.

They even carry gluten-free and vegan desserts. The gluten-free version of the Summer Camp Chocolate Chip Cookies (carmelized rice krispies, marshmallow & dark chocolate) looked even more enticing than its gluten-filled counterpart and was calling my name (and almost made it home with me).

We decided to buy two cakes. The Chocolate Caramel Cake (chocolate brown butter cake with caramel, sea salt, dark chocolate buttercream and carmelized Rice Krispies) was good,  though a little salty.

Our other choice, the Chocolate Malt Cake, was a winner -four layers, alternating vanilla and chocolate cake layers, with chocolate malt buttercream, decorated with salted caramel pearls. The cake and frosting were both light, not too sweet and totally dreamy.

The mini cakes are a little on the pricey side – probably a good thing. Otherwise, I might be tempted to include them as part of my regular diet, a different one for every day of the week. Oh, and I just saw that Eater LA said that Cake Monkey has one of the best babkas in Los Angeles. Guess I’ll just have to come back and pick up more sweets. Darn.

Location – 7807 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles 90036
Website – http://cakemonkey.com
Kid-Friendly – Yes!
Kid’s Menu – No
Vegetarian/Vegan Friendly –Yes
Gluten-Free Options – Yes