Address: 1258 Eglinton Ave E, Mississauga ON
Website: http://www.irenescelebritycakes.ca/
Style: Italian, European
Price: $$
The Great Zeppola Challenge!!!: chapter 4
Since we don't have a bronze medal yet. ;) Actually, this came as an unexpected purchase several days following the original challenge, and otherwise, Longo's would have received the last prize, but seeing as we had four, there was some selection.
Although I've had Irene's on my list for some time, I was hesitant about visiting, mostly because the name gave me ideas of a more commercial place just doing wedding cakes. So, in some ways, I was wrong, but in the end they're more caterers than anything else, making those icing-heavy cakes that I've never been fond of, though they also make Italian pastries and other goodies. Anyways, it was the brother that popped in here before some sort of soccer tournament and brought back zeppole ($2.99, I believe) and macarons($1-something?) for the trying!
In terms of authenticity, these guys did a pretty poor job. In place of cherries, they put dabs of cherry jam on top; the sourness and taste at least proved they got the right amarena cherries... on the outside. The inside, on the other hand, was slathered with sweet, bright red cherry marmalade in addition to the not-too overwhelming amount of cream. The dough wasn't the greatest either and didn't have that "puff" feel to it. The outside was too soft/soggy and one brother likened the experience to eating a honey cruller jam sandwich. O.o Um, yeah. Me, I was skeptical, I'll say that, but in taste it was good and managed to beat Longo's towering ring of whip-fix by a pretty long shot. In the end, taste will beat authenticity (and pasticcerie will always beat supermarkets) any day! ;) 
Surprisingly enough for an Italian pastry shop, their French macarons were probably better than the zeppole! I guess I didn't expect that, but they were really tasty, not to mention super fresh. A little too airy, perhaps, but they had great texture: hard on the outside and soft and chewy on the outside with lighter, not too overbearing fillings. I can't exactly figure out what the flavour was supposed to be (mine was the peach/pink-coloured one), but it tasted good!So, in the end, Irene's did manage to impress and prove to the Cake Tour that they're... not just cakes. ;D
And with that, the Great Zeppola Challenge draws to an end... at least for this year, since, to be quite honest with you, I'm a little zeppole'd out!! x__x
The Bronze Zeppola -3rd place! The Great Zeppola Challenge 2013-
Rating: **1/2
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