When you think about fine pastries at Walt Disney World, you probably think of Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie in Epcot’s France, where napoleons and eclairs seem right at home. Or Amorette’s Patisserie, where everything is perfectly crafted into a work of art. But Trolley Car Café, the last bastion of pastries in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, has introduced new pastries that will transport you to France via Hollywood Boulevard.
We spotted these new pastries this afternoon, and we had to share them with you ASAP. In addition to the usual brownies, cookies, and cupcakes available at Trolley Car, guests can now select from a Raspberry Napoleon, an Apple Almond Tart, Latte Cake, and a Chocolate Pecan Tart. You can see why we weren’t able to pick just one…
The Raspberry Napoleon is a fantastic combination of sweet, tart raspberry buttercream and perfectly crispy puff pastry.
This one impresses from first glance, the ribbon of pink buttercream really standing out and the vertical plating being really unusual.
The pastry itself is packed with flaky layer upon flaky layer, and the buttercream in between those flakey layers is relatively thin. But that’s okay, because the large amount of frosting on top more than compensates.
The garnish is simple on the Raspberry Napoleon: a powdered sugar-dusted fresh raspberry. If you don’t care for chocolate or overly heavy, sweet desserts, this is the option for you.
The Latte Cake, on the other hand, offers chocolate and coffee connoisseurs a skillfully crafted sliver of cake that will totally satisfy.
First, check out that mirror glaze! You can practically see your reflection in it, which is absolutely the point. Beneath the mirror glaze, layers of cream and cake create an architectural pastry masterpiece.
The layers include vanilla and chocolate sponge cakes, pastry cream, and mousse atop a dense, dark chocolate cookie. The flavors are light and complementary, with the mirror glaze carrying the most chocolate flavor and the coffee mousse carrying the coffee.
A single bite containing all five layers is a terrific play on flavors and textures. So good!
The Chocolate Pecan Tart is a one of the more familiar pastries, perhaps, as we frequently see special desserts in tart shells at Walt Disney World. But the filling and garnishes set this one apart.
The tart shell is even all around, thin and golden. There’s a satisfying crunch to it when you cut it. Garnishes include waves of chocolate ribbon, a swirl of chocolate buttercream, and crispy pearls.
We’re already in love with the combo of chocolate and nuts, of course, and here they create great visual interest in addition to flavor contrast. (But beware: chocolate ribbon garnishes do tend to melt quickly in the heat of summer, so be prepared to dig in quickly on a hot day!)
The inside of the tart is thick with chocolate that’s studded throughout with chopped pecans. Every bite contains a pecan — as it should! — and the dark chocolate is sweet without being cloying. The garnishes help add a bit more sweetness when you eat them all together.
The second tart option in the Trolley Car Café case showcases slices of apple and dark, rich caramel. It’s an Apple Almond Tart, and it’s the choice for those who prefer apple desserts (like us — this was our favorite!).
First of all: caramel much? It’s dark, thick, and irresistible, coating the apple slices and providing a sweet/salty overlay to the whole tart. The almonds are finely chopped and attach with more thick caramel just around the edge of the tart.
But you get a lot more almond flavor once you get inside, where a frangipane fills the tart and imparts a sweet almond flavor.
We’re telling you: Trolley Car Café is now a destination for fine pastries. Who would’ve thought we’d be saying that, right? Since this is a Starbucks location, the lines do tend toward the slightly long (particularly in the morning and evening), but we’re telling you: it’s totally worth it!
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Which of these pastries would you sink your fork into? Tell us your favorite in the comments below!
Andrea says
Since this is a Starbucks outpost, any chance we will see these pastries at the other parks? My next trip will only include magic Kingdom.
DFB Sarah says
Andrea, we will keep our eyes peeled and update if so!
Ali Wigle says
Yas! Of course a week after I return, heh. But nice to see that pastry case full again!
Sue Blackman says
Do you do a blog for vegans? As I’m visiting in the summer and it would be helpful to know where to go to eat.
DFB Sarah says
Sue, we try to include vegan options whenever we see them, and we are working on a few posts specific to vegetarians and vegans. Click here to see our DFB Guide video on the best restaurants for vegetarians and vegans, too! You may find some helpful info on this post, too!