It’s a Los Angeles paradox that there are so many phenomenal bakeries in a city where people are obsessed with being fit and healthy. And yet the bakeries flourish and are often graced with lines down the block – somebody’s eating this stuff, and they’re lucky! Here are a few spots you shouldn’t miss if you’re going to LA, and even if you aren’t, there is inspiration here.

One of my favorite places was Duff’s Cake Mix, a do-it-yourself cake-making emporium where you can choose a pre-made and frosted cake, pick from a wide variety of colored frostings, candies, doodads and other decorative items, and decorate a cake right there on the premises. If it sounds like a fun idea for kids, you should have seen the adults there getting very serious about how their cakes were looking.

Duff cake mix colors

Duff sign

Duff cake in a jar

Duff cakes waiting to be decorated by you!

Then there was Republique, a bakery and restaurant that originally built by Charlie Chaplin as his personal office space – and his idea of office space must have been a Gothic cathedral. You can get everything from eggs, greens, and baguette to kimchee fried short ribs for breakfast, as well as a delectable assortment of bombolini and other pastries.

Cookies at Republique

Teabreads at Republique

Republique interior

We loaded up on elegant French pastries at Bouchon, swung by Joan’s on Third to ogle the amazing meringues, tea breads, and muffins, and picked up cheesecake at Sweet Lady Jane, home of the most feminine and beautiful cakes. There’s also a great ice cream shop called Carmela, which I include in this category because they make their own waffle cones, and they were so delicious – it completely changed the nature of the ice cream that was in it. Something to try another day!

A few photos to whet your appetite…

Bouchon pastry case

Bouchon chocolate and lemon tarts

Joan’s poptarts

Joan’s peanut butter and jelly bars

Joan’s French muffin

Joan’s peanut butter and dark chocolate bar

Sweet Lady Jane Berry Cake

Sweet Lady Jane trifle

Carmela’s homemade waffle cones

As an added bonus, here is a recipe for a light and fluffy blueberry muffin from my friend and former White House Social Secretary (and current LA resident!), Jeremy Bernard.  He got this recipe from his trainer, who used these muffins as a reward after a couple of tough weeks of training.  Once you taste them, you’ll see why they were worth a few extra bench presses!

Blueberry Muffins by Jeremy Bernard

Serves: makes 12 standard-sized muffins

Prep time: 10 minutes plus 15 minutes for baking