What is the hype about Cairo and cupcakes? Are post-revolution Cairenes comforting themselves in times of uncertainty by indulging in sugary bundles of joy? Or maybe it’s a lifestyle thing, like going out to the shops to find a pretty accessory in the right colour and right shape, only to guzzle it down after exclaiming how beautiful it is.
One thing is for sure, Nola Cupcakes are more than just graceful works of art. A family business run by Laila and Adel Sedky, they are definitely about great taste too. Recently opening their second branch in the leafy suburb of Maadi, they make a dainty addition to all the new dessert and bakeries popping up on Road 9.
The branding of the store is retro and sleek with a ubiquitous vivid turquoise appearing in the shop, packaging and bags. A decorative display of teacups and a large cake stand in the window entice you inside.
Entering Nola is like transforming into a child again. The fresh baked smells and colourful display arouse all your senses, and it's not humanly possible to contain your excitement. Ornate china plates adorn the wall and a dark wooden glass counter top extends the length of the shop, maybe inspired by the historic department store Fortnum and Mason in London.
The staff are smartly dressed in black uniforms complete with a trendy Nola hat. They are helpful and patient enough to point out all names and flavours and, if you’re lucky, offer you a free sample of their latest creation.
Lavishly iced cakes vary from the popular red velvet, cream cheese on a moist base, to cookie dough, which actually incorporates a whole cookie broken on top. Also, inventions like Nutella Twix, tiramisu and other cupcakes will keep you gawping. Prices range from 8.50LE to 13LE per cake and will come in stylishly ornate boxes, great for a gift.
Each cake is fluffy and light and has just the right amount of creamy topping or buttery icing. But we did find the icing on the cookie dough to be too sweet, instead preferring the creamy texture on the red velvet and the gooey fruity topping of the blueberry. For a treat, try the chocolate peanut butter flavour; a light sponge with a concoction of flavours guaranteed to tantalise your taste buds.
If you suffer from any allergies then try the allergen free selection. Nola also helps support the local causes by offering a line of cupcakes where 100% of the proceeds go directly to a chosen charity or project.
Nola is a boutique for cupcakes with the choice of free delivery if you’re feeling like a lazy Marie Antoinette. They are great to give as gifts and small enough to polish off yourself without over-indulging. But at the time of writing, the only thing lacking in the Maadi branch was seating; a must if you are to enjoy your dessert with a cup of tea.
Cairo 360 Rating
User Rating
84, Road 9
Maadi, Cairo, Egypt.
Maadi, Cairo, Egypt.
Address
Bakeries & Patisseries
Type
0223803949
Telephone
Visit Website
Website
Nola: Cupcakes Slowly Taking Over Maadi
Published On:
14/06/2012
More Photos
Comments
Near By
Intrigued by the catchy sign and brightly-lit entrance, I first stepped into this newly opened juice bar on Maadi's Road 9 with high hopes, feeling parched and looking forward to something refreshing. ‘Serving juice in a different and new way,’ Dan is reminiscent of chain juice franchises elsewhere such as Jamba Juice, who pride themselves on bringing smoothies to mall-goers in the States. The storefront is neon, immaculate and shiny, with the menu displayed over the counter fast-food style. Te two very friendly servers clad in uniform polo shirts, also a la fast food style. They were patient as my friends and I stared aghast at the choices. We had come to try something a little different, expecting something like...juice. But what was this? Did I want Tropical Smooth, Energy Juice, or Super Cool? Was kiwi, passion fruit and mango really a wise combination? Did I need protein powder with my juice? Should I choose from the classic or oriental menu sections? After many long and suspense-filled moments, we each made our selections, one of us even giving up and simply ordering two juices to make the process easier. With the servers’ inning smile—they realy were good sports—our bill was tallied up...and that was the moment we realised what is so very different about Dan. My Maximum Energy (apple, mango, and passion fruit) was a staggering albeit delicious 24.75LE. Our total for five juices and smoothies was well over 100LE, which made us all giggle a little sheepishly, considering the fruit stand down the street costs a mere fraction of this. Dan does use fresh and delicious ingredients, and clearly imports its products, as everything on the menu from raspberries to tangerines were available. Unfortunately, it’s only a take-out juice bar, with no place to sit, relax and enjoy your beverage, which would have been lovely. Still, Dan serves up a mean fruit cocktail, and might be making quite the splash on the beverage scene. Since the fateful night of our discovery, I've been dreaming of those refreshing fruit juice concoctions, but my pocket tells me no.
Related Review
With an abundance of cake shops, bakeries and cafés in Cairo, we really are spoilt for choice. Carousel has managed to bring the sugary craze all the way to Heliopolis, opening up on El Horreya Street, close to one of our favourite tea-time destinations, Dukes.
In adopting gimmicks, dining venues in the city come in all shapes and sizes, but at first glance, Carousel has managed to distinguish itself with bright lights, vibrant colours and wonderful window displays of imaginative cakes.
Fun, custom-made cakes can be made in two-three days; you can either present your own design or choose one of the one's previously made. At the time of our visit, a pastel pink and white three-tier cake sat proudly in the window, topped with a tiara – perfect for every little princess.
Several brightly-coloured tables display their offerings of various chocolate cookies (10LE), brownies (10LE) and a multitude of cupcakes (15LE), whilst a large refrigerator chills eight-serving cakes (130LE), cheesecake (170LE), éclair buns (10LE), chocolate volcano cakes (20LE) and small boxes of truffles, complete with sugary sprinkles (20LE).
Watching us torn between all the different choices, the friendly shop assistant supplied us with a truffle to try. Although they were textured more like cake pops than truffles as we know them, they were absolutely delicious; cold, sticky and chocolatey with a hint of almond flavouring. However, we went on to choose a couple of cupcakes, a Twix brownie, and an M&M cookie.
Amongst the chocolate, strawberry cream, peanut butter and coffee cupcakes, we noticed the practically mandatory Oreo cupcake alongside a white chocolate one. Considering we arrived late in the day, the sponge of both cupcakes tasted surprisingly fresh, whilst the creamy toppings were fluffy and sweet. Unfortunately, the Oreo taste was a little too subtle, leaving the creation a little bland. The same applied to the white chocolate cupcake; the creamy topping tasted more like fresh cream than white chocolate, but was delectable nonetheless.
Twix fans, unfortunately, maw well be disappointed with the Twix brownie; no caramel was detected whatsoever, but the bulk of the giant slice was a thick, sticky chocolate fudge cake, sitting on top of a thin, crunchy biscuit base. The M&M cookie fared the best, with crunchy biscuit sides, a gooey middle and plenty of M&Ms. Overall, had we not felt ever so slightly misled with some of the offerings, we would have little to complain about.
It's very early days for Carousel but should the quality remain high, and the prices stay reasonable, it certainly has the potential to compete with existing cake giants to become a must-have dinner party accessory – particularly as their take-away boxes are so pretty.
Vote
Loading...
Win! Free One-Month Membership at Oxygen Gym!
