Black Star Pastry and Brewtown Newtown, Newtown

As part of some crazy idea for making the most of my early (5am) start to the day, I decided to go bakery hopping around Newtown on the way home from the airport.
Note to self: question thinking if you ever decide to do this again... especially if trip is followed by a full day of events...

After much research, I decided to limited the list down to two bakeries that I could fit in my busy schedule for the day.

Black Star Pastry

This bakery is located at the end of the road (resembles a cul-de-sac but has a small discreet side lane that runs perpendicular off Australia St) and sits smack bang between some cute shops. There are seats lined outside the bakery for customers to leisurely eat their baked goods and drink coffee.

Due to my early start to the day, I arrived at the bakery just before 7am. Although the bakery opened at 7am, I was still too early to pick up the strawberry and watermelon cake that I ordered (earliest pick-up time is 8am at the Newtown store) so I wandered around the neighbourhood in search for a nearby cafe that was open - sadly, the only thing open that I encountered was a Caltex petrol station (though I did see two people with coffeeeeeee).

After spending some time at the public park around the corner, I decided to wander back to the bakery in hopes of picking my cake sneakily 15min earlier (with success!) and to check out the other cakes/pastries on offer:

Display of Cakes and Mouses

Vast Array of Cookies, Tarts and Brownies

They have a vast selection available and contrary to a review that I read online, there are actually slices of their Strawberry and Watermelon Cake available before 9am!

The Infamous Strawberry and Watermelon Cake

The Strawberry and Watermelon Cake consists of the following layers (from top to bottom):

1. Fresh strawberries coated in a clear glaze, topped by slivered pistachios and dried rose petals
2. Thin layer of cream
3. Almond dacquoise (almond meal cake, soaked in syrup)
4. Rose-scented cream
5. Watermelon
6. Cream
7. Cake

I have no idea how these people came up with the idea of putting real watermelon inside a cake but it works. The cake was good (and looks pretty) but I wouldn't rave about it - it was like a cream overload and is probably over-hyped. However, it sure was an experience to taste.

You can book online via their website for portions of their cakes (minimum of 4 portions, as pictured above) but this requires at least 2 days notice. Otherwise, if you order within 24 hrs (like I did), you will need to ring up to make an phone order or visit the bakery real early (e.g. 7-8am) in order to purchase your cake of choice.

Brewtown Newtown

After navigating the back roads/lanes through Newtown (I think I may have driven in the wrong direction through parts of it... but there were no signs to tell me otherwise aside from the line of cars parked in the opposite direction =P), I finally made it to Brewtown Newtown - famous for their cronuts (i.e. croissant shaped in a donut and deep fried):

(Clockwise from top left) Salted Caramel Popcorn Cruffin; Lychee Rosewater Cronut; Pineapple Pistachio Cronut

Choolate Cruffin; Glazed Cruffin, Cinnamon Cruffin; Passionfruit Cruffin

Some close-ups of the cronut/cruffin:

Lychee Rosewater Cronut

Salted Caramel Popcorn Cruffin

I personally tried the salted caramel popcorn cruffin, as well as the chocolate and cinnamon cronuts - the cronuts win hands-down. Although the cronuts were the equivalent of an edible heart-attack (from all the oil/butter/sugar content), it was all soft and flaky, and just yummy.. *nomnomnom*... On the other hand, I found the cruffin to have a similar texture of a dud croissant from the supermarkets. However, it did have a surprise creamy salted caramel centre inside, and was topped by salted caramel sauce as well as a popcorn brittle with traces of edible gold leaf.

Cronuts are not to be eaten on a regular basis and should come with a health warning - to be avoided by diabetics or health fanatics.