This past weekend, Jubilee Cupcakes & Vintage Candy opened and I paid Patti and her new shop another visit! WOW! I thought the shop was cute before, but it’s 100 times better now!  The focus of the shop is definitely on the cupcakes now with some amazing vintage candy too!  There is more seating and the shop is less cluttered with non-cupcake stuff.  The candy is a perfect addition to the shelves of the store, adding a magical feel to the shop.

Oh… and remember the Ganz Cupcake Measuring Spoons I got a while back?  Jubilee sells them!!! They’ve also got a second set of those cupcake measuring spoons in TINY sizes… Dash, Pinch, and Smidgen!  Of course, I picked up a set!

Let’s have a little tour of their shop… my camera died before I could take more pictures of the outside and upstairs seating areas… so know, there’s more to the shop than just these pictures!

I can’t have cupcakes anymore… but I let Emme get one.  Triple Chocolate with a Hello, Kitty topper!  (ps… I had a little taste…. so MOIST and chocolately.  Emily wanted seconds! hehe)

Don’t forget all the toppers and goodies to go on your cupcakes!

And now on to the CANDY!!!  They had taffy and gum and all kinds of old time candy that you can’t find in the grocery stores!

Party supplies too!  (And I also heard that Jubilee is also selling Bella Cupcake Couture!)

Another great addition to Jubilee…. CAKE SPY!!! Yup. Jessie’s got her little Cuppie for-sale at this shop!  Emily wanted me to pick her up one of everything! hehe We love Cuppie and Jessie!

So, I’ve gotta say…. this shop is a great addition to the South End.  With Indulge in Sumner not re-0pening after their fire and only one other (not-to be named, and not as good!) cupcake shop in Tacoma, Patti has got a great brand on her hands to expand!  She told me she plans to expand Jubilee all across the South end of the Sound in the coming years.  I am super excited for her and wish her success!

If you’re in Tacoma… make Jubilee a MUST SEE destination!

Where you can find more info about Jubilee Cupcakes & Vintage Candy:

On the web

Facebook

Twitter

The exterior of the cupcake shop was really neat.  They had big windows so you could see inside to all the cupcakes and the happenings of the store as well as some tables with fun umbrellas and decorations on them.  On a hot sunny day, Saint Cupcake would be a fun place to grab a cupcake and a drink and enjoy the outdoors.

Upon entering Saint Cupcake, I was flooded with a sea of pink!! Pink walls, pink decorations… everything was sweet, fun, cute and pink! This shop would be a little girls dream!  The shop had a small interior, some bar seating and a few tables and chairs and a case loaded with cupcakes!

On one wall, they had this huge mural with the “Story of Saint Cupcake” written on it! So fun!

What I loved about this shop was their huge assortment of mini cupcakes!  There were TONS of them!  I love it when shops have so many mini’s to choose from… it makes me want to order as many as I can!!

So we picked our 4 mini cupcakes and headed out!  I couldn’t wait to try these little yummies!! We didn’t eat them right away though because this was our third stop that day and we were getting cupcaked out!  So, we saved them for later at the hotel.

Oh, and I couldn’t pass up taking a picture of their delivery truck! So cute!

Unfortunately, the cupcakes didn’t survive the heat in our car or my daughter.  Emily stacked the adorable Saint Cupcake box into the soft sided cooler and all the cupcakes were smushed by the time we got to our hotel… so I have no pictures of the cupcakes we chose.   I was so angry… tried to piece together the cupcakes, but didn’t take any pictures of them.  They however, still tasted DELICIOUS!

Saint Cupcake’s website has tons of pictures if you want to see more of their cupcakes!!  This shop is definitely a sweet spot in Portland and I’d recommend it to anyone looking to get cupcakes or host a little girls party!

I was really excited to stop into Sweetpea because their name is special to me.  My husband, who was home on leave from Iraq while we were in Portland, calls me his Sweetpea.  :)  So needless to say, I really didn’t care what Sweetpea Baking Company had in terms of cupcakes, I was just happy to be there with my husband! hehe

As we walked into Sweetpea, we could immediately tell that this bake shop was unlike your typical cute, sweet cupcake store.   Sweetpea is more urban, earthy, more natural with an organic feel.  Perfect match for their vegan cupcakes!  They had a very chill, industrial vibe and I was liking it!

We get up to the counter and find a small selection of cupcakes to choose from along with some other baked goods.  We each pick our cupcakes and then sit down with a big glass of water to enjoy them.  It was quite warm, muggy, and overcast in Portland that day.

I chose the Chocolate Peanut Butter cupcake. It was a very moist, yet dense cupcake with a whipped pb frosting topped with a chocolate piece.  It was full of flavor and the pb/choc combo was to die for!  This cupcake was definitely Vegan, I could taste the grittyness of the natural ingredients.  It wasn’t your typical fluffy, made with real butter and all that yummyness, but it was still good.  If you’re a Vegan, these cupcakes are a great choice for you!

My husband picked the black bottom cupcake (which I didn’t try) but he had the same reaction I did to mine.  He could tell it was Vegan, not being a bad thing, but said it was also really tasty!

My daughter had the vanilla with chocolate frosting.  She ate it all up… so I’m assuming she thought it was delicious! hehe

Overall, I had a really great time at Sweetpea.  I’d definitely come back there if I was in the neighborhood and I’d definitely recommend it to my Vegan friends in the market for an excellent Vegan cupcake!  Sweetpea was also serving up some other Vegan baked goods, but we didn’t try any.  Next time, I’ll branch out and try one!

Thanks Sweetpea for a great visit!!! You were an excellent addition to our Portland Cupcake Crawl!

]]> http://javacupcake.com/2010/07/portland-cupcake-crawl-sweetpea-baking-company/feed/ 0 http://javacupcake.com/2010/06/portland-cupcake-crawl-bliss-bake-shop/ http://javacupcake.com/2010/06/portland-cupcake-crawl-bliss-bake-shop/#comments Fri, 11 Jun 2010 18:58:46 +0000 JavaCupcake http://javacupcake.com/?p=2370 The first stop on our Portland Cupcake Crawl was Bliss Bake Shop located at 4708 Northwest Bethany Boulevard, Portland, OR.  What a treat this was too… it couldn’t have been a better place to begin our crawl!

We pull up to the shop nestled in a quaint neighborhood shopping center and can immediately smell the cupcake goodness coming from the bake shop.  A sign for story time greets us as we make our way into the bright, fun filled cupcake shop!

Immediately, I notice the decor of the shop… a little bit retro, a little bit modern… a lot fun!! The bright blues just popped against the bright white walls.

Ooohhh the cupcakes!!! They had so many to choose from! The first thing I noticed was that Bliss had their mini cupcakes displayed right next to their regular size cupcakes… this is something that most of the cupcake shops in Seattle don’t do.  So, I was surprised to see a complete assortment of mini’s!  Also on the menu was a selection of gluten-free cupcakes!  The very kind girl behind the counter told us they had been asked to serve some and they are slowing getting more popular and hope to expand their selection when demand increases!  How awesome is that?

We chose 4 mini’s to sample.  Rainbow bliss, Mocha bliss, Vanilla bliss, and Chocolate Chip Mint bliss.   All of them excellent… moist and the buttercream was smooth and full of flavor!

I loved this little shop so much, that my husband bought me a Bliss Bake Shop t-shirt that says I <3 Cupcakes on the front!  The people at the shop were so great to chat with, there was even a little play area for the kids to hang out while Moms enjoy their cupcakes.

I also should mention that Bliss also serves ice cream, cookies and makes milkshakes!  My husband got a mocha ice cream milkshake and he said it was one of the best he’s ever had! Yay for Bliss milkshakes!

You can find Bliss on Facebook and Twitter so make sure to follow them… and stop by their shop the next time you’re in Portland!  It’s a must visit Pacific Northwest destination!

Why you ask am I blogging about the farmers market?? Well… they had CUPCAKES!!

The Last Bite had a table full of baked yummies, including cupcakes! She had two packs of vanilla on vanilla cupcakes which I just had to try!  I asked for a business card and told her I’d be reviewing her cupcakes for JavaCupcake.  She told me the owner of The Late Bite has a commercial kitchen out of her home where she bakes custom cakes and takes orders for weddings, etc.

From their website:

“A graduate from the Seattle Culinary academy which honored her with the “Most Outstanding Pastry Chef” award for 2003, Krissie is truly passionate about making cakes and bringing joy to people’s special occasions. She began her love of baking as a child but went on to attend the University of Washington’s Business School. After years of baking at home while raising her three children, she decided to take the advice of so many of her friends and start her own business. She enrolled at The Seattle Culinary Academy where she spent two years “fine-tuning” her pastry skills. Finally she is doing what she always dreamed of! This excitement definitely comes through in every one of her creations.  Krissie has been creating delicious and elegant desserts as owner of “The Last Bite” since 2003.”

The cupcakes were a vanilla cupcake with a white frosting. They looked super yummy at the market and I couldn’t wait to get home to try them! With first bite, I noticed how smooth the frosting was… a lot smoother than I expected.  But unfortunately, the frosting wasn’t very good.  It had a Crisco like taste and was not sweet.  The Crisco flavor was so over powering, it actually gave me an upset stomach and I was forced to scrape off the frosting so that I could taste the cake part.

The cake was slightly dry and crumbly, but there was a lot of it.  Sometimes the cake part can be light and airy, but these weren’t.  They were thick and yet full of flavor and quite good.  I could definitely taste the vanilla in them, which was a good thing since the frosting tasted to horrible.  I’d like to taste other cupcakes from The Late Bite, but from their website it looks as though they specialize in cakes and wedding cakes.  If I see them at the market and there is another flavor, I’ll try it again.

Cupcakes for Dogs!

Also at the farmers market was a dog treats vendor who makes all natural yummies for your canine friends! And yes, she makes cupcakes too!  Organic Dog Treat Bakery makes all natural, organic cupcakes for your dogs!  Not only can you enjoy your cupcakes from the market, your pet can too!!

These cupcakes come in two sizes, Pupcakes and Mini Pupcakes.

From their website, these treats are made with: Organic Oat Flour, Sweet Potato, Egg, Sunflower Oil, Water, Vitamin E and C Powder Frosting: Fat Free Cream Cheese.

Wowzers! What an awesome treat for your pup!  Unfortunately, I don’t have any dogs, but there were plenty of happy customers in the pictures on their website!

These mini size pupcakes are perfect for your little lap dogs and puppies while the regular size pupcakes are a super treat for your big dogs!

Make sure to check them out online, they also make their own dog bones (all organic) and will ship them to you!

I was so excited to see the cupcakes at the counter that I didn’t even check out the other goodies they had for sale at the Double Play Desserts counter! The lady behind the counter said they were all out of the chocolate Oreo cupcakes, but they had plenty of the rest!

• Vanilla with Vanilla frosting topped with Oreo
• Vanilla with Vanilla frosting topped with Sliced Almonds
• Vanilla with Chocolate frosting topped with Sprinkles
• Chocolate with Vanilla frosting topped with Mini M&M’s
• Chocolate with Vanilla frosting topped with Nuts

I let Emily pick which one we were going to try… the Oreo cupcake was the winner.  They handed us the cupcake in a little tray and I could feel the warmth of the cupcake immediately.  They served their cupcakes WARM!!! FRESH out of the oven and topped with frosting and Oreo goodness.  After getting over the shock of the warmth of the cupcakes, I realized how big they were.  For $3.75, these cupcakes were worth every penny just for their size!

So, we sat down at our seats and well… had to eat our garlic fries before we tasted the cupcake.  hehe

After those were devoured, we conquered the cupcake!  It was too big to just take a bite into, so I took the bottom of and tested the cake part first.  OH MY GOODNESS… it was moist and flavorful.  You could actually taste the vanilla flavor in it.  I was so pleasantly surprised by it’s yummy-factor!  Next, it was on to the top, where all the oreo goodness was.  And let me tell you… it was heaven!!! Just the perfect amount of sweet frosting topped with crushed Oreo.  YUMMMM-O!!!!

I will say though… that compared to the pictures of the cupcakes I saw that the Mariners put out before the season started to hype these little bad boys… these cupcakes weren’t quite as gourmet as I anticipated.   But… over all, these cupcakes are definitely worth the trek to Section 185 to try!

Safeco Field (home of my beloved Seattle Mariners) just announced that they will now be serving HOMEMADE GOURMET CUPCAKES!  I will be at my first game on April 17 and I will be sure to review all of them!!! I can not wait!!

From King5.com:

Fans at Seattle Mariners games at Safeco Field this season will find a new line-up at concessions stands.  In addition to long-time favorites, there will be an emphasis on fresh, local and healthy options, and a focus on affordability.

Not to worry, garlic fries, Ivar’s clam chowder and hot dogs are still available, but for the more adventuresome palate, Centerplate, the exclusive caterer for Safeco Field, offers fans a variety of new offerings.  Some of the highlights are:

• Philly cheese steaks with hand cut fries, beef and lamb gyros, Greek salad, prime rib nachos,
• Dungeness crab sandwich, blackened salmon sandwich, peel & eat shrimp bucket, gluten-free halibut & chips
• Seattle’s own all natural, handmade Cucina Fresca pasta,
• An expanded vegetarian menu, featuring whole fresh fruit, gluten-free, vegan and organic selections including fruit smoothies,
• Deli option to build your own meals with grab-n-go sandwiches and sides of pasta, potato or coleslaw salads and chips,
• Hope’s Country Fresh Cookies, house-made cupcakes and caramel apples, chocolate dipped Rice Krispies Treats.

Together, they enter a cupcake contest and the little girl has a much better summer than she though! It’s a perfect read for my 4th grader and would be a super cute addition to anyone’s library!

“It’s Raining Cupcakes” was just released in March 2010 and you can buy it on Amazon.

Inside, the bar stools invite you to sit down as you decide what you’d like.  Cupcakes and coffee are their specialties.

Since it was the end of the night, their cupcake stands were a little sparse, but they still had a great selection.

Vanilla with Vanilla Buttercream
Vanilla with Chocolate Buttercream
Granny’s Chocolate with Chocolate Buttercream
Granny’s Chocolate with Vanilla Buttercream
Chocolate Chip Mint
Southern Red Velvet with Vanilla Buttercream
Lemon with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Cinnamon Swirl
Caramel Macchiato
Orange Dreamsicle
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Coconut with Coconut Buttercream
Cookies-N-Creme – NEW!

My favorite part of Indulge was the side room that was set up like a living room.  It was a big leather couch, coffee table, book shelves and a TV.  It was a cozy little room where you could sit, enjoy your cupcakes and hang out with your friends.  A perfect spot for local teens,  Moms with kids or a couple of girlfriends catching up.  If I lived closer, I could totally see myself visiting Indulge often!

Now on to the good stuff!! The cupcakes!  I ordered a half dozen cupcakes to sample and share with my daughter Emily and my cousin Andrea (former Indulge employee).

Vanilla with Vanilla Buttercream
Chocolate Chip Mint
Lemon with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Cinnamon Swirl
Orange Dreamsicle
Cookies-N-Creme

First, I need to comment on the actual size of the cupcakes.  They were HUGE and the frosting piled at least 3 inches high on each cupcake!! By far, these are some of the most generously sized cupcakes I’ve seen in a cupcake bakery in the area.

My personal favorite was the Cinnamon Swirl.  It was moist and crumbly at the same time and the frosting was TO. DIE. FOR.  And honestly, it was very similar in flavor to my favorite Cinnabon cupcake, the Cinnacake Classic.

The mint chocoalte cupcake was also just as heavenly! The chocolate cupcake was full of flavor and the mint icing was a perfect compliment.

My daughter tried the Oreo cupcake, her favorite!  And of course, it was also delicious.  The frosting is killer… made this cupcake a hit!

The vanilla cupcake was also a great classic.  Super flavor and a perfect cupcake.

The orange cupcake tasted just like a creamsicle popsicle.  But, it was a lot of orange.  Almost too much for me.  But, my cousin Andrea LOVES this one and said it’s her favorite.  I think this one is just about preference.

Finally, the lemon, my least favorite.  From the get go this cupcake was at a disadvantage, it’s frosting was 2 inches shorter than the rest… probably due to the cream cheese frosting.  I saved this one for the last and unfortunately, I can’t say I loved it.  I like lemon, but something about this cupcake just didn’t do it for me.  Probably the cream cheese frosting, which I’ve never been a fan of to begin with.

Overall, I was VERY impressed with Indulge Cupcakes.  They were moist and the buttercream was incredible!!! I highly recommend this cupcake shop to anyone in the area and only wish they’d expand and open one up in Tacoma!

Indulge website:  http://www.indulgecupcakes.com/

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/indulgesumner

]]> http://javacupcake.com/2010/02/indulge-cupcakes/feed/ 1 http://javacupcake.com/2010/02/claim-jumper-redeemed/ http://javacupcake.com/2010/02/claim-jumper-redeemed/#comments Wed, 24 Feb 2010 06:36:19 +0000 JavaCupcake http://javacupcake.com/?p=1290 On February 6th, I posted a review of Claim Jumpers cupcakes and how disappointed I was in them.   Now, I don’t do reviews because I expect or want anything for doing them… I review cupcakes because it’s fun for me and I like sharing with others. Never in a million years did I expect that after I posted the Claim Jumper review that someone from their corporate office would contact me.  Well, it happened.

Yesterday morning, I got a comment (read that comment here)on the original review post from Jamea from the Corporate Guest Services department at Claim Jumper.   She apologized for my poor experience and asked if we could speak about the situation.

Here was our email exchange:

Jamesa,
I received your comment on my blog post about the cupcakes at Claim Jumper restaurant and wanted to thank you for taking the time to write me.

Please know, that my experience with the cupcakes does not affect my impression of Claim Jumper as a whole, I still quite enjoy the restaurant.  This post was only a review of the cupcakes and my reaction to them.

I am wondering, how did you come across my review and blog?

Betsy

–

Hi Betsy,

Thank you so much for getting back to so quickly.  I came across you blog through a Google Alert for Claim Jumper, anytime anything is posted about Claim Jumper on the internet I am alerted.  I was reading your blog and was horrified at the quality of Cupcakes we served you.  Although I was embarrassed by the cupcakes I am happy you included the pictures so we could actually see the poor quality. I am hoping you will share with me the Claim Jumper location the cupcakes were purchased from as we want to make sure our kitchen staff is preparing them properly.  I am also hoping you will share with me your address as I would like to send you a gift card to enjoy the next time you dine with us.

I hope to hear form you soon!

Warm Regards,

Jamesa

PS.  I have to say I was excited to come across your blog, I love baking cupcakes!  I saved you in my favorites.

—–

Jamesa,

I was at the 5901 South 180th Street, Tukwila, WA (Southcenter) Claim Jumper. I’ve been going to this CJ for several years now and it’s always been a treat when we go!

My address is:
XXXXXXXXXXX

Thank you for taking the time to follow up with my blog post. I never dreamed that someone from Claim Jumper would read it and respond. I review cupcakes for fun and because I love eating them! Just to let you know, I’ll be posting a follow up blog and will write about how pleasantly surprised I was that you contacted me and wanted to make sure my experience with Claim Jumper remained a positive one.

And on a personal note, I’m glad you enjoyed my blog. I love cupcakes too!!!

Thanks again,
Betsy

–

Hi Betsy,

I am so happy to hear you have been a loyal guest to CJ for several years, that really means a lot to us.  Our goal is to make sure we never disappoint our guest.  I am so glad you have given us the opportunity to make this right for you.  Please feel free to contact me anytime if I can ever assist you.

Have a wonderful week!

Jamesa

My coworker and I were drooling over your cupcakes!  They look so amazing!!!!  You are very talented.

–

Ok so seriously!!! Did this just happen? WOW. My review got read by someone who matters and by someone who has the influence to make a change. I couldn’t believe it that Claim Jumper reached out to me to ensure that my experience at CJ wasn’t forever ruined. I was… and am, impressed. This is the first time anyone has ever reached out to me after I reviewed their product. Granted, I don’t think I’ll ever really like CJ cupcakes, I won’t stop eating there in general. I always have and will continue to enjoy their food.

So thank you Claim Jumper… thank you for taking responsibility for your cupcake disaster and thank you for reaching out to me to make things right. That was a classy and stand up move on your part and puts Claim Jumper on the top of my list! A+ for customer service!

You can read about my trip to the original Cupcake Royale and West Seattle Cupcake Royale also!

I picked up a 4-pack to include Mint Chocolate, Triple Threat, Lemon, and Salted Caramel.  The mint chocolate I believe has now become my all time favorite Cupcake Royale cupcake.  It’s so perfectly moist and the frosting is minty and fresh.  SOOO GOOD.

They were very decorated for Valentine’s Day too!

Here’s a look at the rest of their cupcakes and their special Deathcake Royale (which I sampled and is so incredibly rich and delicious! a chocolate lovers dream!)

Cupcake Truck

Some people are serious about food, others about wine. My obsession is cupcakes! I love them! They are small pieces of heaven on earth. You have the satisfaction of a cake without the guilt of eating a whole one. There are some key factors in a good cupcake one is the icing it should always be fresh and creamy. It can be sweet but not overpowering. The cake should be moist and have flavor. If you are like me I like to have a little icing with each bite of cake so if both of them are too sweet it becomes too much. There have been several places I have been very loyal to including Magnolia,Cupcake Factory and Crumbs.

Today I was reading the NY Times and came across an article about a mobile cupcake truck! Genius! I love the MUD truck because I love their coffee and the concept of it being mobile adds to the allure. So as I am reading the article I learn the truck will be debuting today in 2 locations. I quickly friend them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter this is serious business.

The truck is going to be in Chelsea until 10pm so I make sure to get all my errands and motherly duties done so I can reward myself. Its 8pm and I’m done I get on the 5 train head to union square and take a nice walk up to 23rd street. As I approach 7th avenue I see the truck in all its sweet glory with lights around it and adorned in painted cupcakes.. Beautiful! I cross the street and avoid getting ran over by cars whizzing down 7th avenue.. The closer I get my hearts starts beating faster..Cupcakes,Cupcakes,Cupcakes!

I walk up to the truck and order the Oreo. I ask if they did wholesale. The guy working the truck points to the genius who came up with the idea his boss Lev Ekster who I shake hands with and inform him that I have been waiting for this moment all day. I let him know I am serious about my cupcakes. He asks me where I usually go and I tell him Crumbs he tells the guy in the Truck to give me another cupcake and tell him what I think. I let him know I can’t lie about these things. It was a damn good cupcake!

So I got to meet the owner, enjoy 2 complimentary cupcakes and make a business connection. I also suggested a new flavor white chocolate hazelnut.

So make sure to check them out http://cupcakestop.com you won’t regret it. If you are lucky and early enough try the Red Velvet. The prices are great $2.25 for a regular and a buck for a mini!

Sweet Peace,
DivaMomNYC

Delicious looking, right?  WRONG.  By the time I got home, this is what they looked like…

I tried to put the frosting back on but they weren’t quite as pretty as they were in the store.

Not exactly how I expected them to fair on the car ride home.  I’ve NEVER had cupcakes fall apart like this when bringing them home before.  Needless to say, from this point the level of impressiveness was going downhill.

The cupcakes themselves were very large, tall actually and felt very moist to the touch, so I started with that.  Both of the cupcakes bases were very good, flavorful and moist.  And actually…. sooooo yummy.  The frosting however was quite disgusting.  It tasted like sweet lard with a hint of cream cheese.  It was greasy and gooey and completely ruined the cupcake.  After the first taste of the frosting, I scraped it all off so it wouldn’t ruin the cake part.

Final analysis… if you’re in the mood for really good CAKE with no frosting, order the cupcakes at Claim Jumper and scrape the frosting off.  If that’s not what you’re in the mood for… DO NOT order these cupcakes.  Over priced and very disappointing.

But really, cupcakes?  At Cinnabon?  I was certain that these would not taste as good as they looked on the stand behind the counter.

The Vanilla Bliss was my least favorite.  The cake part was slightly dry in comparison to the other three cupcakes which was it’s downfall for me.  The buttercream however was quite good.  My daughter thought they stole my recipe because she liked it so much.

The Cinnacake Classic was a perfect signature cupcake for Cinnabon.  The cake had swirls of their cinnamon goodness in it and was incredibly moist.  The icing was the same icing they top their rolls with and the drizzle… well that was just heavenly.  This tasted so much like a traditional Cinnabon, I almost forgot that this was a cupcake and not a Cinnabon! This was by far my favorite out of all four cupcakes!!!

If you love chocolate then this is the cupcake for you! Chocolate Passion is the perfect name for this decadent cupcake.  It’s rich and creamy frosting was smooth and delicious and oh my goodness… it was like a chocolate orgasm in my mouth.  Yes, I said it…. a chocolate orgasm!! When I need a fix of chocolate… this is my new guilty pleasure!

I’m not a fan of carrot cake to begin with, but the 24-Carrot Cake cupcake won me over with the first bite.  It was the first cupcake I took a bite out of and was definitely the biggest surprise in my mouth.  It was moist and full of flavor and the cream cheese frosting was a perfect pairing with it.  I was so surprised actually at how moist this cupcake was that it single handily changed my skeptical mind about Cinnabon cupcakes.  I was now a believer.

Final analysis, Cinnabon Cupcakes are CINNALICIOUS and I would definitely recommend them and eat them again.  They were moist and full of flavor and their buttercream icing was smooth and delicious.  A pleasant surprise in the world of cupcakes.

Oh…. when I saw you, I knew we’d go together like a “Wink” and a smile!! Oh yes, little Wink cupcakes you were made for me and I was made to smile for you!!

My little angel and I hopped in the Routan and jetted up to the big city of Seattle to the quaint neighborhood known as Queen Anne.  My mother lived in this neighborhood back when she met my father, so I knew this place was magical.  Wink Cupcakes, well you’ve continued on with that magic with your cupcake shop!

My friend Jen met up with us just outside of Wink and we were more than excited to try out their cupcakes! As we entered, we were greeted by several staff all dressed in the cutest little t-shirts!  They read: “Making Seattle Sweeter One Cupcake at a Time”.  How freeking adorable is that??? (PS, if I wouldn’t have spent all my money on cupcakes, I would have walked out the door with one of these shirts too!)

As I walked up to the counter, I drawn immediately to the display case that held the cupcakes.  Three rows of beautifully displayed cupcakes.  10 different flavors.  How was I going to choose? Oh wait… why choose?  Just get one of each!  So excited to taste my favorite little treats, I forgot to see how much they cost.  Now… I planned to spend a few dollars at Wink today, but I guess I wasn’t expecting the $36 a dozen price tag for these little puppies.  EEEEK. At this point, I’m crossing my fingers they are worth it!

So we sit down with our loot, eager to take a bit out of each one.  Here’s the run down of what we got.

Now on to the taste testing! Emily wanted to try the Peanut butter with Peanut butter buttercream first.  The base of this cupcake tasted so much like a peanut butter cookie.  Mmmmm it was good.  The frosting was creamy and smooth and topped perfectly with a kiss!

Jen and I tried the Chocolate with Chocolate buttercream next.  It had a very intense, distinct coffee flavor in both the frosting and the cake.  If you like coffee flavor, you’ll love this cupcake.  It wasn’t your typical chocolate flavor, yet still very tasty!

We also tried the Red Velvet with Cream Cheese frosting and the Coconut with Coconut buttercream as well as the Hazelnut with Hazelnut icing.  All very different in their flavors! The Red Velvet had the moistest cake of all of the flavors we tired while the Hazelnut had the most distinct true to their name flavor. By the time we got to the Coconut, we were on cupcake overload and could only finish half of it!

And this is what you look like when you’ve eaten too many cupcakes.  Oohhhh my belly!

We spent almost 2 hours in Wink Cupcakes, enjoying the decor, the friendly people, and the tons of customers coming in and out of the shop.  As we were enjoying our cupcakes, one of the Wink staffers brought us a complimentary Buttercream Latte! Such a sweet surprise! Thank you!

Overall, we had a really great experience at Wink.  It was just what a cupcake shop should be… fun, sweet, and yummy! There were a few things that I’d like to see differently at Wink that I think could really make this cupcake shop a HUGE success!

First, their buttercream frosting was almost too sweet and smooth, airy and light.  When I think of a standard buttercream, I like a thicker, more “meaty” buttercream.  Wink’s frosting was a little too smooth and light for my taste.  Now…. if you like this type of buttercream… then Wink is the place for you! It was good, just not my ideal for a cupcake.

Second, the size of their cupcakes were surprisingly small.  For $3 a “wink” sized cupcake and $36 a dozen, I would expect a slightly bigger cupcake.  Some of the cupcakes we sampled didn’t even rise up over the edge of the liners, being only about an inch or so tall.  Having tasted so many cupcakes and been to so many cupcake shops, these by far were the smallest cupcakes for the price.

Lastly, with the exception of the Red Velvet cupcake, every cupcake we tasted was slightly over cooked and dry.  When I pulled away the liners from the cakes, I could see a lighter color on the inside of the cupcake than the browned outer edges.  This was a little disappointing.  With each bite of a new cupcake, I was hoping that I’d find more moistness in them… but, I didn’t.  I’m hoping that they can tweak their cupcake recipes so that these beautiful little gems can be as moist and delicious as they look in the case!

Now… don’t get me wrong, despite these three things… I thought that Wink Cupcakes was a big success!  I had a great time up on Queen Anne hill at Wink and I’d definitely stop back in if I were in the area! And… if they ever start selling their T-Shirts in “big girl” sizes and online… I’ll be buying one!  Oh… and get this, the glass window said, “Please refrain from licking the glass!” hehehehe

Thanks Wink Cupcakes for being such great hosts to our visit! My daughter and my best friend and I had a really great afternoon in your shop!

Here are a few extra fun pictures from our afternoon at Wink!

Just about 20 minutes from The Strip in Vegas, Retro Bakery is located just off the highway in a quaint little shopping center. I was greeted by a super cute, super friendly bundle of joy named Kari. I had tweeted to her (@RetroBakery) earlier that morning that I was going to be stopping by that day, but I wasn’t sure if she had checked her Twitter or not, so I didn’t mention right away who I was. But… eventually it all came out who I was and how I came to land at the Retro Bakery that day!

Ok… now the cupcakes. I should have taken a picture of the display case. There were so many delicious cupcakes to choose from, it was very hard to pick. My husband and I decided we’d each pick two.

I chose the Peanut Butter Cup (Chocolate cake topped with peanut butter buttercream and dark chocolate shavings) and the Cinnamon Toast (vanilla cake topped with cinnamon buttercream dusted with cinnamon and sugar) cupcakes while my husband chose the Cotton Candy (Vanilla cake topped with pink cotton candy buttercream and blue glitter sugar) and the Creamsicle (Vanilla cake topped with a vanilla/orange swirl buttercream).

The tag line on the bakery’s business card is “It’s All About the Buttercream” and they aren’t kidding!! The buttercream on these cupcakes was TO. DIE. FOR. Creamy, flavorful, smooth… it just rolled across my tongue with each bite. Each buttercream flavor was distinctly the flavor it said it was going to be. So when I bit into the peanut butter… it actually tasted like peanut butter. Most suprpisingly, the cotton candy buttercream tasted exactly like cotton candy!!

As I look back, I wish I would have tired one more cupcake with a different base flavor. We had three with vanilla and one chocolate. The chocolate was so delish… most and chocolatey!! Yummm!! I gotta give it to the vanaill though… because it was by far the BEST vanilla cupcake I have EVER tasted! It was dense, but not mushy, springy and moist, full of flavor and baked PERFECTLY. I could have eaten those vanilla cupcakes alone if the buttercream had not been so heavenly!

So thank you to Kari for being so sweet when we came to visit!! And thank you to Retro Bakery for making such delicious cupcakes!! I can’t wait to get back to Las Vegas to try four more flavors!

The Yellow Leaf isn’t hard to find, right off a main street just north of downtown Seattle, the shop has a prime location for business and pedestrians.

As I entered the cupcakery, my first thought was how small the space was. Being a coffee/tea shop also, I was expecting to see more room for people to comfortably sit, eat and drink their yummies. There were 3 or four tables with a few chairs in the front area which was also the lobby/ordering area. Not much room to move around, but it was still cozy. The colors of the shop were warm browns, yellows, tans. It was a cute, quaint cupcake shop.

I was greeted at the counter by a man who I assumed to be the owner. He knew all the details about all the cupcakes and was very excited to share them with me. He had out several selections of cupcakes behind the glass that included Tomato Soup, Orange, Black Forest Cake, and Vanilla.
I was at The Yellow Leaf with my husband and my daughter, so we picked out four cupcakes we wanted to try and share. We chose Tomato Soup, Orange with chocolate ganache and orange frosting, Black Forest Cake with raspberry and frosting, and a basic Vanilla with Vanilla frosting. They were served on a big white leaf shaped plate!

My husbands choice was the Tomato Soup. Although it didn’t exactly taste like tomato soup, it did have a nice spiced flavor to it. The frosting was creamy and full of flavor also. He said he liked it because it was different from your average cupcake.

My daughter had the orange cupcake with the chocolate ganache. She loved this one. The orange flavor wasn’t too overpowering and the chocolate added an extra explosion of flavor.

I had the Black Forest Cake with cherries. This cupcake was the smallest of the bunch, the owner added the disclaimer when we ordered it that even though it was the smallest it was the densest. He was right! It was super dense and had an amazing chocolate flavor. The cherries and frosting were a perfect pairing with the chocolate. This cupcake was my favorite of the four.

Lastly, we shared a vanilla cupcake with vanilla frosting. This was my husbands favorite. He said the basic flavors were really done well and the cupcake just tasted good.

Over all, the cupcakes were good. But I do have a couple of complaints about the cupcakes. The cupcakes were over cooked and very dry (with the exception of the dense Black Forest) and were brown around the edges and crumbled/fell apart when we ate them. I chatted with a few women who were also trying The Yellow Leaf for the first time and they commented too how dry the cupcakes were.

For being a new cupcake shop, The Yellow Leaf has a lot to offer! Great location, variety and unique cupcake flavors, and a superbly friendly staff. I look forward to seeing how this shop grows and perfects their cupcakes!

A friend of mine heard about this new cupcake company opening in Seattle and pointed me to THIS article about it.

The Yellow Leaf Cupcake Co. is a cupcake and muffin shop scheduled to open TODAY in the Belltown neighborhood of Seattle, WA. What makes this cupcake shop unique is that it is owned and operated by two men! With the name of their company inspired from the beautiful landscape of the Pacific Northwest and the delicious cupcakes and muffins they serve paired with local coffee & tea… this cupcakery is sure to be a hit!!

I’ll be in Seattle this weekend to see an exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum and I am definitely going to stop by and check them out!! (Of course I’ll blog about that too!! hehe)

The Yellow Leaf can be found on Twitter: @TheYellowLeaf. They are SUPER NEW to Twitter, so go follow them and enjoy their cupcake goodness!

From their website:
“In May 2009 The Yellow Leaf Cupcake Company opens its doors for the first time in Seattle, Washington. With a passion for baking and a labor of love the Yellow Leaf came to be. The story is short and sweet, do what makes you happy and life will be good!

Owners Tony and Mike traveled America sampling many amazing and delicious cupcakes and baked goods. From Seattle to New York and many stops in between the two decided it was time to turn the dream (and passion) into a reality. And so came the Yellow Leaf Cupcake Company.

The pair are hoping to inspire, create, and make every customer happy in what makes them happy… cupcakes! In a world that sometimes seems blue, you must always dream, for that world comes in many delicious and wonderful flavors.”

Check out her creations at Sereh’s: Cupcake Soaps, Handcrafted Soaps, Scented Soaps, Decorative Soaps & Unique Gifts

You must check out Avocado Creations!

Etsy: www.avocadocreations.etsy.com
Blog: www.avocadocreations.blogspot.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/avocadocreation
Flickr: www.flickr.com/avocadocreations

By Ad Age Staff

Published: February 19, 2009
http://adage.com/video/article?article_id=134703

Starbucks’ new Via brand instant coffee is being launched this month.

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — A panel of seasoned Ad Age newsroom coffee junkies surprised themselves Wednesday when they were unable to tell the difference between Starbucks’ new instant coffee and the chain’s in-store brew. The blind comparison taste test was conducted with some of the first samples of Via, the “soluble” powdered coffee Starbucks is launching this month. Watch the four-minute video of the test in progress.

First stop was Hello, Cupcake in Tacoma, WA. This cupcake shop is located on the University of Washington – Tacoma’s campus set between several stores, coffee shop and is housed in an original old Tacoma building. You’ll notice the old tall, brick buildings that line the street in the photo. The store front was quaint and inviting and even had a pink bike with a basket leaning against the front window, making it feel like a place you could just ride your bike up to, stop in for a cupcake and relax. The vibe inside was very pretty pretty princess. It was clean with lots of light colors. They also had a party room in the back where a little girl was having her birthday party.

I had been in this cupcake shop before, so I already knew which cupcakes I wanted to eat. My daughter picked her favorite, chocolate cupcake with vanilla buttercream frosting and my husband chose the carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.

The chocolate cupcake was very moist, I love a moist cupcake. And the buttercream frosting was smooth and delicious. My favorite though was the carrot cake cupcake. The cinnamon in the cupcake was so flavorful and the cream cheese frosting was a perfect pairing.

Our next stop was Cupcake Royale in Ballard, WA. This location is 1/2 cupcakes 1/2 coffee. Verite Coffee and Cupcake Royale share a space in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle, WA making it a very “urban” cupcake shop. Hip, young music paired with eccentric art on the walls and a carefree staff make Cupcake Royale (CR) a true taste of the Seattle life. There was great diversity in visitors at Cupcake Royale. There were college students with their laptops studying while eating a cupcake and enjoying their cappuccinos, 40-something girlfriends catching up on old times, a few people sitting alone, enjoying their treats behind their computer screen, and of course, my family.

There was a much larger selection of cupcakes at Cupcake Royale, including some specialty cupcakes that I wasn’t expecting to see. Orange U Glad, Lemon Drop, Lavender, Peppermint Pattie to name a few… all served on either vanilla or chocolate cupcakes. We chose to sample the Lemon Drop and the Peppermint Pattie as well as a mini Chocolate with pink buttercream frosting for my daughter.

The Peppermint Pattie cupcake had a moist, chocolate cupcake with a peppermint buttercream frosting. My husband LOVES peppermint and this cupcake was right up his alley. The buttercream peppermint flavor had just the right amount of mint flavoring… not too over the top, just enough to make it taste minty delicious in your mouth.

The mini cupcake was perfect size for my daughter. It was your basic chocolate with buttercream frosting cupcake, but the frosting was pink with sprinkles. This cupcake definitely made my little princess feel like she was eating a dainty, cupcake made just for her! “Emily-Size” we called it!

This Lemon Drop cupcake was a surprise in my mouth. Lemon buttercream frosting on top of a vanilla buttercake cupcake… MMmmmmmmmmm Yummmm-O is really all I can say. It was an explosion of flavor in my mouth. Sweet, sour all at the same time. Smooth. This was one of my favorites of the day!

Our last stop was to Trophy Cupcakes and Party in Wallingford, a suburb of Seattle, WA. This neighborhood is a little more upscale from Ballard and the cupcake shop was located inside the Wallingford Center full of shops and restaurants.

Trophy had the largest selection of specialty cupcakes on display in comparison to the other two shops, although none of them were for sale. Bright colors, unique frosting, flowers, sprinkles, Valentine’s Day themed, all white. Very beautiful displays. They were really fun to see!

Since we made it to Trophy only an hour before closing, all they had left was the triple chocolate cupcake. We cut into the moist cupcake and took a bite. This was the richest, most chocolatey cupckae we had tasted all day. It was too much for any of us to finish. We left 1/3 of the cupcake on the plate.

We also tried a very special cupcake, which I have to say was probably my most favorite cupcake of the day, astecially. It’s the Barack Obama cupcake. Chocolate cupcake with vanilla buttercream frosting with sprinkles on the side with Baracks face on the top of the cupcake. His face made with edible ink and a special printer that prints on to the cupcake. Although the buttercream at Trophy had a thinner texture and tasted less like butter than others it was just as delicious. These novelty cupcakes would be a great addition to a Jan. 20, 2009 Presidential Inaguration Party! I may just order some!

In the end we had gone to three cupcake shops, eaten seven cupcakes and had three very full bellies. My husband liked the Peppermint Pattie cupcake the best, my daughter enjoyed the Chocolate and Vanilla buttercream the most, but liked the how the Obama cupcake looked and my favorite was the Lemon Drop with the Carrot Cake and Peppermint Pattie in close second and third. My plan is to visit a few more cupcake shops in the Seattle/Tacoma area in the coming months… of course, I’ll blog about those too.