In the battle of sweet vs savory, sweet wins every time for me. Cookies, cakes, pies, chocolate…. you name it, chances are I’ll want it. It’s probably why I have the teeth and gums of a 90 year old. But perhaps it’s why I have the vim and vigor of someone in their early 20s.
I had my fair share of sweet treats this past year, and picking my top 4 desserts of 2024 was no easy task. But I buckled down and did it and have been craving carrot cake ever since…
Let’s dive into my top 4 desserts of 2024!
4. Polish Meringue Cake (tort bezowy) in Warsaw
I had no idea tort bezowy was a thing until traveling around Poland. It’s a layered meringue cake that’s filled with cream and all types of add-ins ranging from fresh raspberries to thick caramel. It’s like a pavlova sandwich— pavlova just so happens to be one of Jeremy’s favorite desserts, so we may have had a couple servings…
I failed as a foodie and didn’t save where this slice was from, but it was the best we tried. The meringue was light and airy with a perfect clean crunch that beautifully complemented the cream and caramel. At the same bakery, we also got a slice with cranberries. The tartness of both the preserves and whole cranberries balanced out the sweetness of the meringue, and I’m drooling a bit just thinking about it.
3. Tiramisu Tres Leches from Tres Leches Cafe
Tres Leches is my dessert of choice at the moment. It’s simply cake soaked in condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whole milk. Hence, tres leches. A good tres leches is moist, yet light, without being cloyingly sweet— the type of dessert you can eat 5 servings of and still feel like you have room for more. (Learn about the history of it HERE!)
Tres Leches Cafe is an NYC spot dedicated to this sinfully delicious dessert. The small store in the East Village is what you call “no-frills.” (AKA totally unaesthetic in a sea of ultra-instagramable dessert shops in the neighborhood.) It has florescent lights, no decor, and only a couple bar stools by the window. But the tres leches makes up for the lack of ambiance.
While there are many types of tres leches to choose from, we couldn’t say no to the tiramisu tres leches. It had the moistness and cake-factor of a tres leches with the coffee, rum, and cocoa flavors of a tiramisu. AKA pure flavor genius.
2. Marble Cheesecake from Omonia Next Store
Omonia Next Door is an old school Greek bakery in Astoria that’s been a neighborhood institution since 1977. They have all types of treats on offer, including a overwhelming amount of cheesecake options ranging from baklava cheesecake to carrot cake cheesecake. We went with the marble, and it changed my cheesecake standards forever.
The consistency was thick and creamy, with a texture that gave my mouth a deep hug. Swirls of caramel and chocolate added different pops of flavors, making it easily one of the best desserts of 2024 for The Frugal Foodies.
1. Our Wedding Cake from Billy’s Bakery
Jeremy and I might have had a courthouse wedding, but the knot can’t be officially tied if cake is not involved. Rather than a fancy pants 3 tier number that’s covered in flowers and tastes like cardboard, we went with our all time favorite cake in the city: the carrot cake from Billy’s Bakery.
This cake is ultra moist and loaded with warm notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. There is plenty of carrot, just enough nuts, and no raisins. And the cream cheese frosting is thick and sweet.
We have celebrated many momentous occasions and mile markers will this carrot cake. And there was no competition against it for my “best dessert of 2024” award.
Cheers to our top 4 desserts of 2024!
Get the scoop on my top desserts of 2023 HERE!
