Bake Sale on the Kingsway tries to create that neighbourhood bake sale feel. The shop is minimally decorated with counters of goodies and an open bakery in the back. Neighbourhood mom Stacey Holden opened Bake Sale back in 2004 and her staff fills me in on the idea behind the shop.

"She was on several committees for her kids and doing a lot of baking," one woman tells me. "And I guess the idea came up to make a business out of it."

That business is based on natural, homemade recipes where everything is baked fresh from scratch. Stacey has used some handed-down family recipes, as well as others she developed though trial and error.

Bake Sale offers everything you'd expect to see at a neighbourhood bake sale; cookies, tarts, (cup)cakes, and squares. The cupcakes are available in regular sizes ($2.75) and minis ($1.10) and the fudge (dubbed "Grandma's Fudge") is gluten-free ($2.85). Also, for summer, Bake Sale has added Kawartha ice cream to its offerings, charging $3.00 a scoop.

The woman behind the counter suggests I try a cupcake, considering it's a Bake Sale favourite and also "really yummy." I select a chocolate/chocolate and begin to peel away the paper, nibbling at the moist chocolate cake and taking in the incredibly rich chocolate buttercream. I had opted for a mini, but the richness of the cake and frosting was enough to satiate my chocolate craving for that day.

There's no seating in the shop, but the counter of candies by the front entrance was enough to stall my departure. All of my recess favourites were there! Baby Bottle Pops, Ring Pops, Nerds, and yes--even Bubble Tape. Ah yes, memories of pulling out strand after stand of super sweet, super thin gum. These are the nostalgic candies of our time--not our parents. And while you won't see pink and purple Nerds at most neighbourhood bake sales, at this Bake Sale they seem to fit right in.

Photos by Jesse Milns