Cleveland's Newest Food Truck - Traveling Treats

When I was a kid, I lived in a city that outlawed ice cream trucks, so I missed out on childhood exuberance caused by hearing the clanging of an ice cream truck's bell or its olde time music. ("do your ears hang low" is my personal favorite)

But I think I've found the adult equivalent of an ice cream truck - the Cakes Plus Traveling Treat van!

As an east sider - I'd never heard of Cakes Plus, but Diana Dumitru has been making her tasty treats since 1999.  (if not longer, since she had a shop in the old arcade before that)  You might also know her from Ultimate Brownies fame. (Yes, those Ultimate Brownies.  The ones that are to die for!)

Let's get down to the nitty gritty, though.  How does this traveling treats concept work?  Similar to Dim and Den Sum - Cleveland's only other food truck - Cakes Plus has a facebook page that shows upcoming stops, so you can figure out where to go to get some of Cakes Plus' delicious goodies.

Yesterday I located the Traveling Treats-mobile in Mayfield Village.  I literally felt like a kid in a candy store.  There were SO many amazing sounding desserts on the menu - everything from Ultimate Brownies - including vegan Ultimate Brownies - to cupcakes (yes, there were vegan cupcakes, too!) to cheesecake.  I could have ordered one of everything on the menu, but I stuck to a vegan brownie and a carrot cake cupcake.  A lunch of champions, right?

  

So how were my goodies?  Let me just say, the next time the Traveling Treats van comes to my neighborhood, I'm going to need a shopping bag when I make my purchases.  The vegan brownie was one of THE best brownies I've ever eaten - hands down.  And that's counting all the non-vegan brownies I've had in my lifetime. And the carrot cake cupcake...amazingly moist and delicious.  The frosting wasn't too sugary or crunchy or any of the other things I tend to not like about cupcakes.  I could have eaten a dozen.

Clevelanders - I encourage you to check out Cakes Plus' facebook page to find out when this treat-mobile is coming to a neighborhood near you. (or if you're so inclined, you can order some Ultimate Brownies and have them shipped to you! or you can even contact Diana to have a cake or other baked good made for a special occasion)  It's ok to indulge in some gluttony if you're supporting a local business, right?