Need cake recommendations quick!

[ilovecake]

I am having my 40th birthday party, at my house, and since I love cake I want to have an array of delicious cake selections. I am not that into fruit filling, but I do want a range of choices - and I am so frustrated sometimes in the bay area everything is so fancy - there is a down side to that! For example I also want to buy some petit fours, and maybe some cupcakes - but I don't seem to be able to find anything that isn't ridiculously expensive or precious. So please, help with:
-good cake recommendations, high end, low end
-petit fours
-cupcakes
Thank you!

[YSZ]

Hey ilc,
where are you located and how far are you willing to travel? If you can make it to the South Bay, I think The Prolific Oven in Palo Alto would satisfy you. The East Bay hosts/boasts Sweet Adeline (all-American), Crixa (Eastern European creamy), Neldam's (I would only go for the whipped cream frosting) and Betty's (cupcakes and more). SF has Tartine and Citizen Cake. Those are just a few and I'm sure the Hounds know more.

I wouldn't recommend Costco or Safeway personally. I haven't liked the cakes I've had from those places, achingly sweet frosting and uninspired cake.

Enjoy your taste tests!

[sweet ginger]

You might look into Sweet Things in Tiburon if it's geographically convienient for you. They advertise as selling "American-style desserts", if that's what you mean by not wanting something too fancy or precious. I've had many great items from there in the past- old-fashioned style layer cakes, some delicious deep chocolate mini-cupcakes, a really good, not-too-sweet tiramisu cake.

[soft tofu]

For cake, sort of medium range Schubert's on Clement or Delessio's (Broderick/Fell or Market locations) - especially if you pick the smaller cakes which might serve 6-8 since you're offering a variety of sweets.

[Janet]

Costco does great cupcakes and cakes. Safeway also does cakes. Safeway did my son's wedding cake and it was beautiful and tasty. Petit fours are rarely tasty, but at the Village Market (Broadway Terrace in Oakland) I have had pretty tasty ones. But not cheap.