Maribelle Express

MARIBELLE EXPRESS
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
Wednesday, 23 October 2002
By Kristen Cook

You always hear about the seven deadly sins. Well, there's actually an eighth - it's called Maribelle Express.

Anything that tastes as luscious and decadent as the bakery's orange butter cake just has to be a sin. Tangy orange zest zings up a moist, dense but not heavy, yellow butter cake. Tucked into the middle - thin slices of fresh strawberry paired with cream cheese filling. A generous coat of so-airy-it-almost-floats buttercream icing covers the whole divine package.

Serve this at a dinner party and guests will drop to their knees, kissing your feet. What's so amazing is that you know a stunning amount of butter had to be involved to make something this good, yet the cake tastes so light. The white chocolate cake shares the same moist texture and delicate taste as the orange butter, but layers mocha fudge with red raspberry filling. Another perfect flavor combination.

Most cakes cost $28 for an 8-inch, two-layer cake - which sounds expensive only if you've never eaten a Maribelle cake. And the bakery does say the cake should feed 15-20 people. We're assuming that's 15-20 people who have undergone gastric bypass surgery so they really can't eat more than a tablespoon at a time because anyone else will find it hard to resist a big slab of cake ... and then seconds.

You can also pick up 6-inch layer cakes for $18, or cookie and brownies packs ($3). Stick with the cake. We were nonplussed by the crumbly, dry chocolate-chip cookies. Kinda stale.

Maribelle Express is the to-go arm of Maribelle Cakery & Pastisserie, which specializes in wedding cakes. The takeout option means you don't need a special occasion to pop in and get a cake. Stop and try one. You'll be back. Again and again.