Vegan Danish Bakery
Copenhagen Vegan Cafe and Bakery is a joint venture from the folks behind other “Vegandale” projects Doomie’s and Mythology and a pre-existing vegan Danish cafe.
They’ve combined forces to bring traditional Danish treats made without the use of any animal products whatsoever to an atmospheric cafe environment.
Formerly home to Boreal Gelato, the space now drips with chandeliers, done up in a stark pristine white.
Slices of cheesecake ($5.99) have become legendary at the original bakery. With a cherry topping, the filling isn’t quite as rich without real cream cheese but it’s somehow very decadent, silky and creamy.
A chocolate cookie crust and coconut milk whipped cream complete the picture.
Danishes ($6.99) are pricey for what you’re getting, but it’s certainly not something you can obtain anywhere else. These are intended to be homemade versions of danishes ― what a Danish grandmother might offer you if asked for something sweet.
Rather than flaky puff pastry, they’re made with more of a yeast dough, unlayered and more puffy and chewy. If you have time to eat your danish right away, definitely opt to get it warmed up.
Under the fruit topping, there’s a traditional layer of sweet Danish marzipan paste, the outer edges of the treat decorated with icing and crunchy, thinly-sliced nuts.
Cheesecake and danishes come in blueberry and cherry varieties, and there are sometimes also lemon or strawberry danishes too.
Danish pastries hover around $5.99. Substitutions are fairly straightforward, mostly using vegan versions of ingredients originally called for, which mainly means a lot of vegan butter.
Open a bakery cafe in Canada without butter tarts at your peril: thankfully no such risk has been taken here, the mini tarts topped with pecans.
There are also over half-a-dozen rotating varieties of not-so-Danish but prettily-decorated cupcakes.
They do whole cakes too, from 6-inch round varieties to custom 80-piece slabs in varieties like strawberry shortcake, carrot, chocolate, vanilla coconut cream, chocolate cherry, lemon chiffon and triple chocolate mocha.
A trusty Faema espresso machine chugs away in the corner making soy milk lattes ($4.65).
Matcha green tea lattes ($6) are available too. Though I’ve not seen many cafes top a matcha latte with cinnamon, it’s actually not bad, adding an extra comforting layer.
They also do a bang-up brunch service with items like vegan mock tuna sandwiches and Danish pate sandwiches.
Hector Vasquez