It’s way the heck out by the Fraser River but the new market in town is sure worth the trek. ‘Inspired by traditional farmers markets’, the new (just popped up this past month) Bakers Market is the place to load up on the larder’s more indulgent provisions…you know, for when all the kale has been sorted out.

We checked it out a this past weekend. The waffles and flourless chocolate cake by Backer were the first items to get nervous as we entered the nondescript warehouse space in South Vancouver. ‘Simply Beautiful Baking’ is the Backer company slogan, and it pretty much summed up what we saw and sampled. Not only were we drawn in by the elegant packaging and tasty looking baked goods, but Backers’ Claude Goergen also had freshly brewed coffee on hand, the perfect place to start the tour. Goergen also supplies Strathcona’s Wilder Snail with a lot of their baked goods. Yes, those muffins.

Next, on to vegan cupcakes from the Vegan Vixen. Who knew vegan could taste so good? We took home two Key Lime, one chocolate mint and one cherry. They were later disappeared.

Then it was on to sample the goods at Cookievonster, Sweet Naturally and Yaletown Brownies. All first rate.

We’ll definitely be returning to pick up some more Luau cookies from Yummy – a sandwich of two crisp cookies loaded with macadamia nuts and chewy bits of pineapple held together with a lovely vanilla icing. It would have been perfect with tea if we’d been able to wait until we got home – but we finished it before we even made it to the parking lot.

But the absolute favourite score of the day was the Earl Grey cupcake from Pink Penguin. It was moist, simple and topped with a healthy dollop of not-too-sweet icing. Pitch-perfect. Like tea.

Check after the leap for some of the shots we took. This is serious baking porn…

Now that we know where it is (and more importantly how to get there), we intend to hit the Baker’s Market again this weekend. You should too. Just be sure to take your GPS.

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Michelle Sproule grew up in Kitsilano and attended Bond University in Australia and the University of Victoria before receiving her graduate degree in Library Sciences from The University of Toronto. She lives by the beach in Vancouver and enjoys wandering aimlessly through the city’s shops and streets with her best friend – a beat up, sticky, grimy, and uncooperative camera.

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