I never thought I’d be a food blogger, let alone a world traveler. But since I have found myself in a dream world being both of those things, I noticed that I have acquired a slight obsession for trying cupcakes in every city I visit. If I can’t find cupcakes, then I’ll try cookies, cake, macarons or any other confection I can get my hands on!
So far, I’ve had cupcakes in Seattle (and surrounding cities), WA, Las Vegas, NV, Portland, OR, Nuremburg, Berlin, Munich & Frankfurt, Germany, Salzburg, Austria, Zurich, Switzerland, Paris, France and now London, England! I haven’t written reviews for absolutely every bakery I’ve been too, but you can read all about the places I’ve written up HERE!
This past June, I went on a short excursion to London, England with my husband. Yes, just me and the husband, no kids. We left them at home in Germany with my dad who was visiting from Seattle, WA. Before we left on our trip, I knew I had to, at the very least, visit The Hummingbird Bakery… one of the most famous cupcake bakeries in London! Dave and I went to the bakeries store in Soho, since it was the closest to our hotel and easiest for us to get to!
When I first walked through the door of The Hummingbird Bakery, I was immediately greeted by rows and rows of beautiful cupcakes! I squealed like a little girl in delight. A kid in a candy store? Nope, I was a food blogger in a bakery! I asked if I could take pictures and then started snapping away!
I will have to say though, I was a big disappointed in the selection of flavors in their case. Although they did have the classic flavors such as vanilla and chocolate and a few others like carrot cake and black bottom cupcakes, their variety was lacking. They did, however, have an enormous amount of red velvet cupcakes and according to the sweet lady behind the counter, they are their best seller!
Not only did The Hummingbird have cupcakes, but they also sold beautiful full-size layer cakes. They had at least 6 cakes on display including a surprise-inside rainbow cake! The bakery also served whoopie pies and other cookies. If I had a stomach the size of a football and the highest metabolism known to man, I would have tried one of everything. *sigh* But, I don’t… so my husband and I chose four of our favorite flavors to test!
First up for sampling were the Black Bottom (left) and the Chocolate Chocolate (right) cupcakes.
The Black Bottom cupcake was simply amazing. The inside of the cake part had chunks of white chocolate and cheesecake in it and was topped with a cream cheese frosting. It was perfectly moist, full of great flavor and so delicious!
The chocolate chocolate cupcake was okay… not the best chocolate cupcake I’ve ever had, but I’d eat it again if someone put it in front of me. The frosting was a traditional American chocolate buttercream and was super smooth and light, which I liked. The cake itself was a bit dry, but still had good flavor.
Next up was a lemon and a classic vanilla vanilla cupcake.
The lemon was OMG AMAZING. The cake was moist, had great tart, lemon flavor and was topped with a tangy lemon cream cheese frosting. It was perfect.
The vanilla vanilla cupcake, which I chose with pink frosting and sprinkles (because you know sprinkles makes everything better) was a great example of how a vanilla cupcake should be done. The cake was moist, the frosting wasn’t overly sweet and it actually tasted like vanilla!
Overall, I enjoyed the cupcakes at The Hummingbird Bakery! I have tired a lot of cupcakes, and these definitely come close to American style cupcakes! However, they weren’t completely perfect. The cupcakes themselves were a bit small, the cake didn’t reach the top of the liners which was a bit disappointing when I paid almost $5 a cupcake. I would also liked to have seen more variety of cupcake flavors in their case, the lack of choices was a disappointment.
Every Tuesday for the next three weeks, I’ll be reviewing another cupcake bakery from my trip! Next week, I’ll be reviewing Lola’s Handcrafted Cupcakes which I stumbled upon by accident in the London Underground Metro Station!
GIVEAWAY!
I’m giving away a little swag I picked up along my travels to one lucky reader! One person will win The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook and a Lola’s Cupcakery coffee mug! Simply fill out the form below! You must be 18+ to enter and have USA or Europe mailing address. Each week, with each new review, you’ll have a chance to enter again to win! So keep coming back!
Have you been to The Hummingbird Bakery in London?
I’d love to hear what you thought of their cupcakes!
Janice Dean says
July 15, 2014 at 1:36 pmI haven’t been to any of them 🙁
Betsy Eves says
July 15, 2014 at 1:44 pmYou’ve never been to one cupcake shop, ever??? 🙁 Is there one in the city you live in?
Estefanía Carrillo says
July 15, 2014 at 1:46 pmI went a couple of years ago with friends. We were eigth and each one chose a cupcake and a piece of cake. Red velvet was awesome, my favourite. But i think cakes were better than cupcakes. Did you try Primrose Bakery?? Those cupcakes were delicious!!! Like small pieces of art. i couldn’t tell you my favourite one.
You are really beautiful in that bavarian costume!!
Betsy Eves says
July 15, 2014 at 1:54 pmNo… didn’t get to Primrose. I only had 2 full days in the city. Next time, I’ll stay longer so I have more time to visit them all!
Deirdre says
July 15, 2014 at 1:49 pmI’ve been to at least 1 dozen across different states in the United States, and have visited at least 10 international bakeries (but they had other sweets along with cupcakes). I used to live near London, so I would love to win this prize, since I haven’t been back in over 15 years.
Betsy Eves says
July 15, 2014 at 1:54 pmThat’s impressive! 🙂
Serene @ House of Yumm says
July 15, 2014 at 2:01 pmAhh!! Cupcake reviews?! So fun! I’m loving the way that Black Bottom cupcake sounds. I will probably never make it anywhere overseas, so it’s fun to see this review 🙂 Keep them coming!
courtney says
July 15, 2014 at 2:02 pmi’ve been to the one in nurnberg…a couple in japan and tons in the states. 🙂
Betsy Eves says
July 15, 2014 at 3:01 pmWhat did you think of the cupcake shop in Nuremberg?
Stacy Wellivere says
July 15, 2014 at 2:07 pmI would love, Love, LOVE this cookbook. I love baking and will probably never get a chance to go overseas to try different bakeries.
Julie Swope says
July 15, 2014 at 2:08 pmI haven’t been to very many, since I’ve only traveled to Madrid. I remember chocolate shops, but not cupcakes. However, I’d love to do that!
Betsy Eves says
July 15, 2014 at 3:00 pmOh yes…. LOTS of chocolate here in Europe. *maybe I should start doing chocolate reviews?!?!?!* haha 😉
Gigi says
July 15, 2014 at 2:17 pmI try cupcakes in every city I go to. Love the reviews and tales from Germany. I loved growing up in Italy and Germany. Many sweet memories.
JulieB says
July 15, 2014 at 2:18 pmI have been to 2, one in Michigan and one in California. Not quite as exciting as Europe, but both have been winners on Cupcake Wars 🙂 and both had amazing cupcakes! Love you blog! Just came upon it last week when trying to find a great peanut butter frosting recipe. Made yours, it was so incredibly amazing!
Betsy Eves says
July 15, 2014 at 2:59 pmOohh!! Did the winners live up to the hype? I’ve never been to a cupcake shop that was featured on CW! And I’m glad to hear you love the pb frosting recipe! It’d definitely a winner!
Heather L. says
July 15, 2014 at 2:20 pmLove the swag! Great giveaway- thanks!
Vedika @ Hot Chocolate Hits says
July 15, 2014 at 2:26 pmYay! bakery reviews! Did you have a chance to eat any of the non-cupcake stuff? Hummingbird has an AMAZING peach pie 🙂
Betsy Eves says
July 15, 2014 at 2:59 pmI tried the chocolate peanut butter whoopie pie…. but we didn’t get anything else since I was mainly there to try the cupcakes. If only my stomach was bigger! Haha!
Angie Strevella says
July 15, 2014 at 2:28 pmI see the whoopie pies on the counter…YUM!! So where is your next stop? I have been to Europe several times, but sadly it was before cupcakes were a big hit there. The pastries in Italy are to die for, actually everything is, pizza, pasta, CHOCOLATE, gelato, wine, bread….did I mention CHOCOLATE?? While there I made it a point to try gelato in every city I visited which now that I think about it seems somewhat silly since my husband’s family use a few gelato shops in Naples.
Safe travelling!! Cheers!
Betsy Eves says
July 15, 2014 at 2:58 pmAfter The Hummingbird… I went to Lola’s Cupcakes! 🙂 And yes….. I eat lots and lots of other pastries too, from all over Europe! I just don’t blog about them like I do cupcakes! And the gelato here in Germany is pretty darn delicious too!!!
Lynn Banks says
July 15, 2014 at 2:37 pmI’ve been to Sprinkles in Chicago. That’s the only cupcake specific bakery i’ve been too.
Amy M. C. says
July 15, 2014 at 2:44 pmI’m not the world traveler, so I haven’t been to that many cupcake shops. We have several great shops locally in Indianapolis and I just visited a great little shop in St. Joseph, MI during our vacation. I envy your many adventures and will look forward to your reviews!
Denise T. says
July 15, 2014 at 2:59 pmGreat blog, thanks for introducing us to the Hummingbird shop.
Betsy Eves says
July 15, 2014 at 3:01 pmYou’re welcome!
Denise T. says
July 15, 2014 at 3:01 pmI’ve only been to one. Vanilla Cupcake Studio in Pittsburgh, PA.
Denise T. says
July 15, 2014 at 3:05 pmSorry, it’s called vanilla pastry studio. I couldn’t find the “edit” button for all 3 comments. I apologize. I’ve been to Germany 3 times and it’s so picturesque and beautiful, right? Enjoy your world travels. Love the drindl dress!!!!
Anna Moeller says
July 15, 2014 at 3:14 pmWhat a cute shop! I’m enjoying reading your reviews. How fun to travel and enjoy cupcakes!!
Also, the pics are wonderful.
Betsy Eves says
July 15, 2014 at 5:53 pmThanks, Anna!! 🙂
Amy says
July 15, 2014 at 3:18 pmI have been to about 6 different cupcake bakeries. I love to try new cupcakes!!!
Barbara Bradford says
July 15, 2014 at 3:25 pmI unfortunately have never been to a cupcake shop, like EVER!! I suppose that will have to go on my bucket list since cupcakes are my absolute favorite dessert, though no sprinkles please…
Betsy Eves says
July 15, 2014 at 5:52 pm*GASP* No sprinkles?!?!?! Why??!!
Lindsay @ The Live-In Kitchen says
July 15, 2014 at 3:32 pmI love visiting bakeries when I travel! I’ve only been to a couple cupcake shops though. Looks like you had a lot of fun!
Alicia J. says
July 15, 2014 at 4:28 pmI’ve never been out of the USA, and I’ve only ever been to 2 cupcake bakeries, and both of them are in my town.
Victoria Z says
July 15, 2014 at 4:40 pmOne of my favorite things to try in a new city is the local bakeries, including cupcake bakeries. It’s interesting to see what is popular in the area!
Kim Henrichs says
July 15, 2014 at 5:04 pmHow fun!! I would say i’ve been to 25 at least.
Betsy Eves says
July 15, 2014 at 5:53 pm25! Wow… I’m impressed!! Where were they located?
Kari M says
July 15, 2014 at 5:08 pmI’ve never been to a cupcake bakery. I think we have a few in the area but neither my husband or my daughter are very big fans of baked goods (weird!). I guess I’ll have to find a friend willing to check them out with me.
Cheryl says
July 15, 2014 at 7:10 pmI have tried cupcakes from our local town cupcake shop. They were ok. Good frosting, but dry cake. The shop in a nearby town, however, has great cupcakes, both the frosting and cake are great, and they have some very creative & seasonal flavors.
Tracy Spangler says
July 15, 2014 at 8:31 pmSadly I have never been to any cupcake bakeries. I had the joy of spending close to a month in London in my late teens, but I was there to study English literature and history with Duke University, and the only free moment I had on my own I spent getting a tattoo!
Terri says
July 15, 2014 at 9:07 pmSorry to say a limited number, maybe 6. I, to date prefer my cupcakes. Most bakeries pile the frosting up to compensate for the dry so so cake, I want a balance bite. Hats foo to you for trying ALL the cupcakes for us…LOL
Betsy Eves says
July 15, 2014 at 10:48 pmI’ll eat your share of the bakery cupcakes in the world for you! hehe
Terri says
July 15, 2014 at 9:09 pmThat foo was meant to be off (oops)
Laura Jabri says
July 15, 2014 at 9:45 pmUntil now I was only in 3 Cupcake Bakeries, 1 in Munich (Wir machen Cupcakes) and 2 in Casablanca (Cupcake Shop and J´adore les cupcakes). The one in Munich makes very delicios Cupcakes 🙂
Betsy Eves says
July 15, 2014 at 10:48 pmI agree!! The cupcake shop in Munich is fabulous and the previous owners became good friends of mine! 🙂
Veronica says
July 15, 2014 at 10:32 pmMy absolute favorite cupcakes come from Frosted in Long Beach, California. They are so good I even used their cupcakes for my cupcake tower in place of a traditional wedding cake last year. I’ve also tried Sprinkles in Newport Beach, CA and Casey’s Cupcakes in Irvine, CA, they are both quite good but in my opinion Frosted is THE BEST. 🙂
Tabitha says
July 16, 2014 at 12:12 amI have not been to any. I have a great family but, unfortunately at this time in our lives travel especially abroad is just not in the budget. Hopefully one day especially as a big Doctor Who fan I will make it to London!
Betsy Eves says
July 16, 2014 at 10:08 amAre there any cupcake shops in your neighborhood?
Marilyn M. says
July 16, 2014 at 12:55 amHave only been to a few gourmet shops in New York City! But they were worth it!
Monique Montes says
July 16, 2014 at 3:11 amI’ve only tried about 3 but I love making cupcakes!
Julie West says
July 16, 2014 at 3:48 amI don’t think I have ever been to a cupcake shop. I would live to take my granddaughter to one. Where is the best one around here that you would go to Besty?
Betsy Eves says
July 16, 2014 at 10:08 amNew York Cupcakes is my all time favorite in Washington state! Tell Lisa & Heather that you know me!!!
Barb Weatherly says
July 16, 2014 at 4:02 pmI would LOVE to make the lemon cupcake from the cookbook! I’d make the vanilla cupcake for my husband.
Stephanie says
July 16, 2014 at 4:45 pmI have not had the chance to travel overseas as of yet however I think I may have tried every cupcake shop within a 20 mile radius of my home and then alot more in North Jersey and 1 in Virginia Beach and a few in Philadelphia, Pa. My dream would be to travel the rworld to try all the best cupcake shops…my sister is eventually going to move to London for work and I will make sure she stops by The Hummingbird Bakery 🙂
Jenna O says
July 16, 2014 at 11:32 pmI think that only 4-5. Thats a pitty. I´m going to London next month and have to visit this place!
Vianet A. says
July 17, 2014 at 1:00 pmHave been to only one so far…
Fiona says
July 17, 2014 at 3:52 pmLove cupcakes and making them, would adore the inpirational book to cook from and mug to drink from after sampling the results.
Christina Smith says
July 17, 2014 at 5:03 pmI tried the Hummingbird the last time I was in London and sadly wasn’t impressed. I had the lemon cupcake which was so sweet it hurt my teeth. Then I tried a grasshopper brownie which was nice.
Laura says
July 17, 2014 at 5:22 pmI have not been to any other country so done.
Betsy Eves says
July 17, 2014 at 10:24 pmHave you been to any in the country you live in?
Andrea Giang | Cooking with a Wallflower says
July 18, 2014 at 1:04 amI’ve been to 7-8. But I plan to go to more at the end of this month. =)
Betsy Eves says
July 18, 2014 at 6:25 amWhere you headed?
Jenn says
July 18, 2014 at 1:48 amI’ve been to about 50 different cupcake bakeries, I try to find new ones whenever we travel.
Betsy Eves says
July 18, 2014 at 6:25 amThat’s amazing!! Which ones were your favorites?
Kristin D says
July 22, 2014 at 8:30 pmWow!! Love this mug (and of course the book as well!)
Roxana says
July 24, 2014 at 6:33 amOff the top of my head I’ve been to Oak Mill here in Chicago… They are an ah-MAZING European bakery. My wedding cake came from there too. I’ve been to Sugar Monkey in Naperville, wonderful and so quaint. Miss Joan’s cupcakes also in Naperville, not fantastic, but good nonetheless. I fairly recently tried Just Desserts by Christine in Bolingbrook, they were pretty tasty, they’re pretty new still. I’d definitely go back. Finally I’ve been to Gigi’s Cupcakes in Savannah, GA… Not worth what we paid I think. I remember they were incredibly sweet and heavy on frosting.
Cindy Jensen says
July 24, 2014 at 4:46 pmWhere I live, there are 3 cupcake shops. I’ve been to them all. I also visited babycakes in downtown Disney
Betsy Eves says
July 24, 2014 at 5:36 pmWhere do you live, Cindy? What did you think of the shops in your neighborhood?
Ella says
August 1, 2014 at 4:37 pmI went to my first ever Cupcake Bakery in OKC, OK at Pinkitzel. I loved the entire store. I walked out with some Pink Lemonade Cupcakes and Chocolate Salted Carmel Cupcakes. Both were delicious!
Stacey B. says
August 2, 2014 at 9:47 pmI have been to only a couple cupcake bakeries.
Bea says
September 19, 2014 at 12:16 amLove your reviews!!! I take notes of everything!!! Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂