Quest For the Best Cupcake

4 comments By The Kitchen Whisperer Filed in General Tagged with , , , , , , , , , June 9th, 2009 @ 5:16 pm

Last summer, I was seeking out the best frozen yogurt places. Now, I’m after the best cupcake. One thing is clear from this adventure: cupcakeries are the newest fad. I have always thought of cupcakes in terms of little kids’ birthdays, day old sprinkles, and plasticky frosting. Now they are being used as an alternative to hostess gifts, wedding cakes, and even inserted into people’s regular meal regimen. Move aside iPhone and Angelina Jolie; 3-dollar mini cakes have taken over popular culture.

Some of the most popular cupcakeries in the Bay Area:

Sprinkles (San Francisco, CA) – This cornerstone of the cupcake phenomenon has its roots in Beverly Hills, CA. The creator of Sprinkles, Kimberly Nelson, has made a huge splash as she expands her stores nationwide. There was so much hype about Sprinkles coming to the Bay Area that all of the other cupcakeries followed suit. Sprinkles makes their cupcakes fresh throughout the day and also sells mix for their most popular cupcakes in their retail stores!

  • Chocolate Marshmallow – Belgian dark chocolate cake and marshmallow cream with bittersweet chocolate ganache.
  • Ginger Lemon – Spiced ginger cake with lemon cream cheese frosting.
  • Red Velvet – Southern style light chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting (it lives up to its reputation and then some!)

Pros: They are one of the originators!, delicious flavor combinations, multiple locations create convenience, seasonal flavors are created throughout the year, good-sized cupcakes
Cons: high prices for cupcakes and merchandise, lots of hype and high expectations has created some disappointment for customers, the only mini cupcakes they have are for dogs!

Love At First Bite Cupcakery and Bakery (Berkeley, CA) – With a cute name like this and a menu like theirs, it is difficult to dislike this bakery. Here are some of the cupcakes that I found the most enticing:

  • Chocolate Razzle – Guittard chocolate cupcakes frosted with raspberry buttercream, made with fresh raspberries
  • Lemon Kiss – light & fluffy lemon cupcakes kissed with lemon buttercream frosting
  • Pumpkin Bliss – pumpkin spice cupcakes wedded in bliss with cream cheese frosting

Pros: Their use of fresh ingredients (doesn’t the thought of fresh raspberries going into your dessert make you feel healthier and that much hungrier?), the price ($2.75!), the option to create your own, offering of cookies and cakes as well
Cons: all the way in Berkeley!, the decorations are not as decadent as some of their competitors.

Kara’s Cupcakes (San Francisco, CA) – Kara’s was started by a woman right here in San Francisco. She had a childhood sweet tooth that grew into a passion and then a career after she enrolled in pastry school. She started with a small word of mouth cupcake catering business that eventually got so popular she was unable to fill all of the orders. She opened her first store in San Francisco’s Marina District and now even has a retail store in Ghirardelli Square. Kara can still be found working in the store kitchens!

  • Fleur De Sel – chocolate cupcake with caramel filling, ganache frosting and fleur de sel
  • Banana – banana cupcake with silky soft cream cheese frosting
  • Java – chocolate cupcake with a rich espresso buttercream

Pros: mini cupcakes, regular sized cupcakes, and filled cupcakes, Bay Area roots, multiple locations, locally bought products, donation of cupcakes to local charity organizations
Cons: many people complain about poor customer service

Sibby’s Cupcakery (San Mateo, CA) – I feel that Sibby’s is for the cupcake insiders of the Bay Area. It doesn’t have a storefront but is available for delivery anywhere! They can specialize cupcake decorations according to the theme of an event or a favorite color combination. Decorations are flawless and incredibly impressive. All of the cupcakes, except for the Super-Chewy Chocolate, are made in mini and regular sizes as well.

  • Grandma’s Chocolate Tea Cake – Rich chocolate cupcake with cream cheese/chocolate chip center, topped with Sibby’s rich and fudgy chocolate frosting. The most popular cupcake!
  • Snickerdoodle – vanilla cupcake and cinnamon cream cheese frosting topped with sugar and spice and everything nice
  • Super-Chewy Chocolate (mini size only) – Extra rich “brownie-like” chocolate cupcake with glossy dark chocolate frosting

Pros: amazing, customized decorations that will impress anyone, quick delivery, made fresh for every order, seasonal cupcake flavors
Cons: no storefront, order ahead and pickup/delivery only, $39 per dozen plus a delivery fee

That Takes the Cake (San Francisco, CA): This cupcake company began because the founders loved the trip down memory lane that came along with cupcakes. Everyone can relate to a nostalgic childhood memory with a sweet treat in his or her hand. That Takes The Cake has enticing, witty names for their cupcakes and bake with fresh ingredients that you can taste! They sell gifts and are big on the icing.

  • Tuxedo – Double chocolate buttermilk cake with chocolate chips topped with vanilla butter cream with chocolate jimmies.
  • Samoa – Rich chocolate devils food cake with chocolate chips filled with caramel topped with cream cheese frosting, toasted coconut and a drizzle of caramel.
  • Key lime-o-licious – Green lime cake topped with cream cheese frosting with graham cracker and green sanding sugar.

Pros: Daily rotation of flavors, clever new flavors, filled, mini, and regular cupcakes, catering option, known for lots of icing on each cupcake, cute gifts sold in store
Cons: depending on the batch, some Yelp reviewers claim to have had dry cupcakes, no seating except for one table outside, inconsistent texture.

Overall, this experience taught me a few things:

  1. Don’t take your cupcakes too seriously. Try not to ruin your favorite childhood treat by judging and analyzing each cupcakery like it’s that weird girl in your high school Biology class. It’s hard to go wrong!
  2. Experiment! Some of the flavors may sound out of the box but try it out. This cupcake fad has allowed for some really cool new flavors that might just inspire your own kitchen creations. Try our very own Mini-Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Dulce de Leche Buttercream!
  3. Less is more. Lots of these sugary delights can end up weighing you down (literally and figuratively) for a few days following consumption.

I love that the food industry is always improving and innovating. I have yet to be bored with whatever is on the forefront of popular cuisine.  So put on your stretchy pants and throw your inhibitions to the wind! You only live once, and these cupcakes are making it fun and delicious.

By Guest Blogger: Leigh Hermansen

Unplanned & Economical Eating in New York City

0 comments By The Kitchen Whisperer Filed in General Tagged with , , , , , , , June 2nd, 2009 @ 5:35 pm

When I travel I plan my entire itinerary around restaurants, bakeries, and markets. For instance, during a recent trip to Seattle, my travel partner and I ate at over 10 food places and went to 16 bakery and dessert spots in our three day visit. I’ve learned this can be overwhelming for someone who doesn’t travel in this manner (e.g. my mom), so I was nearly forced to abandon my Zagat guide when she accompanied me on a weekend trip to New York City.

It was initially distressing to not have a meticulous food plan mapped out. I didn’t consult my travel books, restaurant guides, and on-line reviews from Yelp as I normally do. To my surprise, I quickly learned how aimless wander can be just as good for the food traveler. I let go of my rating dependencies for a weekend and came across some great and cheap food finds in New York City.

When visiting Washington Square Park in the heart of Greenwich Village, I stepped inside the New York University Welcome Office across the street to ask where I could find a good bagel. I figured a student, or local New Yorker at the very least, could point me in the right direction. The young man at the front desk did not fail me and pointed us to Bagel Bob’s on University Place at 10th Street. I’ve eaten a lot of bagels, but Bagel Bob’s showed me what a true bagel should taste like. Steam traveled from the light, chewy interior and the delicate crisp of the outside proved it didn’t even need to be toasted. The cream cheese costs over two times the amount of the .90 cent bagel, but this bagel experience was worth the $3.75.

Many know going to Chinatown can be an experience on its own.  We always go when we visit a city and I still get initially overwhelmed by the noises, smells, and trinkets crammed into every Chinatown. My mom’s craving for a bowl of shrimp wonton soup led us inside Great N.Y. Noodle Town on Bowery.

It was hard to ignore my first thought before sitting down, “But what are the ratings on this restaurant?” We ordered a bowl of shrimp wonton noodle soup for my mom, bean curd and vegetables for myself, side of chinese gai lan broccoli with hoisin sauce, and roast duck wonton noodle soup for our guest. The food portions were generous and the quality of the flavorful Chinese dishes were no stranger in this small restaurant. Our dinner in Chinatown for a party of three came out to a mere $17.50, so our stomachs weren’t the only thing that left happy.

Discovery can be part of the gastronomic process, and often times finding a great place to eat is a matter of stumbling across it or by simply asking someone! You’ll notice the majority of the highest rated restaurants listed in Zagat guides are often the most expensive. I think I’ll save myself some money and retire my little red sidekick during this economic downturn.


Contributed by guest blogger Sandra Vu



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