Lovely Lemon

My sweet, sweet summer is coming to an end.  School starts on Monday and I will be greeted with the smiling, tired, annoyed, anxious, eager faces of my next group of students.  As my days are limited, and I have to think about how I want to spend my last few days of unadulterated freedom, of course, I thought it was a great time to try out a new cupcake recipe!

As usual, I went to my trusty Martha Stewart cookbook (which is looking a bit beat up these days...) and the lemon meringue cupcakes caught my eye.  Nothing is more refreshing than a bright, citrusy cupcake.  I was sold.

I headed to the store to buy a LOT of butter, lots of eggs and of course, lottsa lemons!

The layout - I like to have everything out before I start.  

LEMONS! 

Since it was the end of summer, I drank champagne while whisking!

I love fresh cupcakes - right of the oven - before they've been frosted.  I have been known (just about every time I bake) to sneak a few bites in and split a warm one with Mike before they receive their final touches.

The end product was SO yummy, and well worth the many dishes it incurred.  The only hiccup was that I was supposed to put the lemon curd on top of the cupcake and then the frosting.  Well, the curd has to chill in the fridge for two hours, and of course, I forgot about it.  So I just whipped up my seven minute frosting, and put it right on there.  Literally as SOON as I did that, I remembered my curd.  Oh well.  It still tasted good.  I never said they would be pretty.  :)  Next time, I'll get it right!

Yummm - the pink polka dot wrapper is a perfect fit!

Holy "Hotcakes!"

I went to visit my fabulous and newly engaged buddy, Brittney, in her LA pad.  Of course the activities for the weekend included girl time, good food, movies and CUPCAKES!  L.A is one of the hotspots of cupcakes - they are ubiquitous and that's something I love about the place!  Granted, some of them are more inviting looking than others...but isn't that always the case?

Brittney had sampled some cupcakes from Hotcakes Bakes at her work, and had great things to say.  Twist my arm...I'm on board. They were also the winner of Cupcake Wars on the Food Network (Similar to Sift - which I blogged about earlier).  I had higher hopes for Hotcakes, since my Sift experience was forgettable.  Hotcakes is a little tiny shop, packed with lots of flavor variety and two stools at a bar by the window.  There were two of us, so it worked perfectly.  Let it be said, though, that I am still in search of my dream cupcakery.  I will find it, or I will open it.

Birdy - ready to sample with me!

There are no words...

As you can see, there were so many flavors to choose from, and well, I just couldn't.  Choose that is.  So, we walked over to the counter with a baker's dozen.  That's right, folks.  Thirteen cupcakes.  Don't judge - it was for research.  ;)

The flavors we chose were:

1. Red Velvet
2. Lemon
3. English Toffee
4. Tres Leches (their award winning flavor)
5. Sprinkleicious 
6. Strawberry
7. Coconut
8. Cookies and Cream
9. Carrot Cake
10. Chocolate Mint
11. Snickerdoodle
12. Key Lime
13. Chocolate

Oh, and I should probably add (for my own sake) that these were MINI cupcakes, people.  (Not that I wouldn't have ordered 13 normal size cupcakes.)

I don't have the energy to write on all thirteen, and truth be told, we could only get through ten.  I had to leave Brittney the last three to sample with her fiance, Sasha.  The pictures didn't turn out too great once we left the sunny store front, and so I will choose my top two, and then one of Brittney's reviews. I will also briefly let you know which ones were relatively anti-climactic, and that you should avoid...

Lemon

Photo Credit: Brittney Smith

This is one of the ones that Britt and Sasha tried.  According to her:
"So good! I must admit that I'm partial to lemon cake, but I really enjoyed this one. There was a subtle, but completely present lemon flavor in both the cake and frosting. But the surprise that Sasha and I both loved was that inside the cake was a little dollop of lemon curd. So so yummy. The yellow frosting just looks cute to me too." - Brittney Smith of Britt by Britt

I personally liked the off center frosting.  It made it look like a little party hat - and I was so down to party with this cupcake.  Too bad I didn't get to sample it!  Next time.  Thanks, Birdy, for doing the hard work for me!










Chocolate Mint


I love mint chocolate ice cream from Baskin Robbins.  I mean, who doesn't? (if you don't, don't tell me).  So the idea that that yummy summertime flavor could possibly be captured in a cupcake?  Yes please!

I was a bit put off by the alien green of the frosting - I prefer things to look a little more pale than that, but I wasn't letting that stop me.  I also wasn't a fan of the whole chocolate chips on the top - a bit clunky for my taste.  Perhaps consider some chocolate shavings next time? A little more elegant.

We bit in, and were both a bit overwhelmed with the mint flavor!  It was pretty powerful - like lingering minty burn in the back of your throat and clear your sinuses while your in there, powerful.  But, if you're into that kind of thing, then by all means...

I don't think I would revisit this one, though.

Flavor:


Decoration:

Strawberry


I've said this before, but nothing really says summer like a strawberry cupcake.  This cupcake did not let me down.  It was moist, fluffy, a beautifully pale shade of pink, topped with light and airy whipped cream frosting.  A dream in a wrapper.  Seriously good.

And, similar to the lemon - don't you love the off kilter frosting topper?  This one's totally rocking it.  Love it.

Flavor:

Decoration:

Anti Climactic:

English Toffee.  The only thing toffee about this cupcake was the toffee crumbles on the top.  I would have been better off eating a Heath bar.

Sprinkleicious.  Basically Funfetti.  Tasted like the box.  Kind of a let down.

Overall, I would give Hotcakes a definitely worth a stop if you are in the area!

Don't Hold the "Frost"ing!

Today was the perfect summer day - great weather, started with a walk with the best dog in the world, Taiko, and a cupcake tasting with a great companion at a fabulous new place!

If you recall, I have mentioned my ideal cupcakery.  It includes the following criterion: fun and inviting atmosphere, fun and funky furniture, good music, clean and simple cupcake presentation/display, and drinks!  I mean, who doesn't want to wash down a rich chocolate cupcake with a nice cold glass of milk (or a martini...)  And my visit today, actually came pretty close to meeting most of those!  They stole my concept! ;)

Frost Cupcake Factory JUST opened on July 1st of this year!  I was so excited when I googled "Cupcakeries in SJ" and something besides Kara's actually popped up.  I had been planning to get together with one of my fabulous (ex) students, and this was the perfect venue.  It is in downtown Campbell, right on Campbell Avenue.  Every time I visit that part of town, I always think of how I want to spend more time there.  It is so quaint, fun and cute.  It is the perfect spot for a cupcakery, in fact.

As you can see from their list of flavors - they have some awesome ones.  I was lucky enough to be able to talk to the (super friendly) owner, and she said they they have six flavors that are their kind of "base" - Tahitian Vanilla, Red Velvet, Black Velvet, Frostfetti and Cookies and Cream.  Then, they will have between 2-4 "rotating" flavors.  Her goal is to have six rotating flavors at some point.  I can't WAIT to try some of them.  Coconut mojito?  Hell yes!  Banana Caramel?  Uh, yes please!  Maui Coconut Dream?  Salivating already.  I love the creativity of the names and how they are so much more fun and enticing than "Coconut" or "Vanilla."  A+ for thinking outside the box a bit.

Of course I forgot my camera, but my wonderful taste tester, Cole, brought his, and snapped this photo - just so you can see what we are dealing with.

Photo Credits: Cole Carter

Anyway, on to the tasting...

I had Cole choose two flavors and then I chose two.  I was THRILLED to see the Frostfetti flavor.  That is my favorite flavor of boxed cupcake.  There is something quintessentially young about them - the look, the taste - just everything.  Obviously, that was one of my choices.  The owner also recommended the Lemon Meringue, and that was an easy sell for me.  I love citrus - especially in the summer time.  Cole's choices were the Tahitian Vanilla and the Black Velvet.  We parked outside, and dug in.

Frostfetti

Firstly, I kind of appreciated the uniformity of all of the frostings.  With a name like Frost - I had to pay extra attention to that detail of the cakes.  Not a lot of fanfare, but I liked their minimalist approach.  It went with their whole vibe.

Having said that, and considering my considerable excitement over this flavor, I was a bit disappointed.  It was a bit too dense, and lacked a strong flavor.  Cole agreed with me, and we left about 95% of this cupcake on the plate.  Bummer.

So, while it was pretty, it lacked what I was looking for.  I appreciate the effort, though, and the nod to the classic.

Tahitian Vanilla


I don't know what it is about this flavor being Tahitian that made it sound exponentially more exotic that just plain old American Vanilla, but I bought into that description expecting full blown rich vanilla flavor. Again, it was a bit bland for me.  I really wanted more of a kick in the pants than this offered me.  Again, we left about 90% on the plate.

Again, loved the look and the name, but ultimately, I wasn't taken away to Tahiti with this one....

Black Velvet


Oh my chocolate God.  This was a great cupcake.  Rich.  Moist.  Mouthwatering.  Yum-O.  So amazing. I could have eaten two of these (but, I did have three other cupcakes.  I don't want to be a total pig!)  Seriously though, this was one of the better chocolate cupcakes I have tasted.  The frosting was light - like a whipped cream almost.  Just enough, and it didn't overpower the wonderful flavor of the cake.  Love at first bite, all the way.  I am glad this is a staple, because I will be getting this again.

Lemon Meringue 

Wow is this ever a summer flavor.  Visually, this was a very appealing cupcake.  I love the light toasting on the top and, you can kind of see it, but the gooey yummy lemon sauce oozing out underneath.  I knew this was going to be a good experience for everyone.  When I cut this baby open, imagine my delight to see that the inside also included that gooey lemon filling.  

Every bite of this cupcake SCREAMED lemon.  It was in the frosting, the sauce on top, in the cake itself, and in the filling.  But it wasn't overpowering.  It was bright, refreshing, moist, and sit back in your chair to rejoice in summer good.  

Overall, I was very happy with my visit, and I am so excited to have such a fun place in the neighborhood.  They have free WiFi, so I plan on bringing some papers to grade when school comes around, grabbing a cup of joe, and enjoying the fun place that is Frost.  Hope to see you there!

Oh Bebe!!

I consider myself lucky in many ways.  But lately, I am lucky because people know how much I love cupcakes.  And so, if they think they need to thank me for something, cheer me up, or just have an extra - I get cupcakes.  Homemade, fancy pants, stationary, boxes and trinkets.  You name it!  I love it!  Most recently, my AVID class put on a celebration for the senior AVID students.  Of course, we had cupcakes (as well as many other tasty treats!).  My friend, who teaches the senior class, wanted to give me a thank you, and so - you guessed it!  Cupcakes!  Beautiful, delicious, perfection.  Read on for more on these Bebe Cakes...oh bebe...

First of all, check out the packaging on these babies!  I mean, they certainly are not green, but they also look like a beautiful gift that you just want to stare at and salivate before you tear it open (being very careful not to cut yourself on the sharp plastic corners...lesson learned, people).

My wonderful friend chose some pretty amazing flavors.  In fact, the first one didn't make the photo session because I couldn't wait to eat it (hence, the sharp corner advice -__-...)  I love the names of this company - very fun and humorous.  The one that didn't make the session?  Pucker Up - lemon, summer, delicious.  In my tummy.  Loved it.

Blue Haired Lady

This baby was delish - and look at the presentation!  That frosting is like a soft cloud of frosting...yum-o!  Blue Haired lady is described as "intense chocolate cake - lavender infused buttercream frosting."  I am not really one for lavender, but it was so light, and barely detectable.  The cake was moist.  Overall, this was a beautifully elegant summer cake!  Loved it!

Latin Bombshell

When Amy read me the description for this one, I almost melted.  Get this: "Intense chocolate cakre - dulce de leche filling, chocolate cream cheese frosting drizzled with chocolate caviar."  Do you NEED any more information to go out and get one of these right NOW?  This should really be a dietary staple.  Again, beautiful decoration - I love the simplicity of both of these, and how beautifully fluffy that frosting looks.  I'm not really into a ton of frosting, but it sure looks pretty and rich!  And it was!  The filling was so rich, gooey and delicious.  A must have!

Miss Scarlett

Loved this classic red velvet cake.  Very moist, not too much coloring - notice how it is a deep red color?  And again with the pillow top frosting - notice this is different from a muffin top, which is what I'm going to have because of eating all of these cupcakes.  But, it's for research!  

Overall, I would give the taste and presentation a solid 4 cupcakes.  I only wish that they were a bit more "green", despite the beauty of the current boxing.  I also wish they were closer to me :)

Sweet, Sweet San Francisco...

The husband and I were in the city recently for a very special occasion - read more about it on my other blog that doesn't focus on my eating cupcakes!  Before we went, I did a bit of recon to find out if there was a cupcakery in the neighborhood.  And wouldn't you know - there was.  Right across the street from our intended destination.  Yes, that's right.  'Twas a sign from God.

Noe Valley is a super cute spot in the city, and a place I've never been before, despite our frequent city visits.  The Noe Valley Bakery is a neighborhood staple, and offers a plethora of goodies aside from my dear cupcakes.  But, this isn't a blog about other goodies.  I'm a straight up, 24/7, 365 cupcake girl.  I don't cheat.

Like I said, the neighborhood is great, and the bakery is right next door to a flower shop and super cute boutique.  The neighborhood, the vibe, everything was great, and I would go back again just for that purpose alone.  

Had to get the flowers in the shot.  Such a beautiful day!

Inside, the bakery is fairly typical.  It has a rustic, old school feel, but is very neat and orderly.  Most important?  Do you see the rows of cupcakes?

However, this place had no seats.  I am still on a hunt for the bakery of my dreams.  I want to sit, enjoy, eat on china.  Maybe have a glass of champagne from a crystal flute.  Is that too much to ask?  I think not.  So, for decor, I would give it...

It was definitely hard to decide on a flavor.  As I was eyeing a mini cupcake (the last one left of the flavor I was craving) the guy right in front of me beat me to the punched.  Darnit - I was forced to buy all full sized cupcakes.  Shoot.

Lemon (with a little bee)
The first flavor we got was a lemon cupcake.  It caught my eye because of it's super cute decoration.  It was very springy and creative.  It could have been mustard flavored, and I would have gotten it.  Luckily, it wasn't mustard flavor. It was incredibly moist, had just enough lemon so as not to be overpowering, and was, quite simply, delicious.  I'd get this one again in a heartbeat.

For flavor, I would give this cupcake:

Decoration:
  Seriously - so CUTE!

Most-est

Look familiar?  Yep - it's a supersized and not super processed version of a childhood favorite (minus the plastic wrap!)  This chocolate cupcake is filled with cool and creamy whipped cream, dipped in a ganache, and topped with the signature white swirls.  Again, you eat first with your eyes, so this one and the bee were shoe ins!  The flavor was somewhat lacking - nothing special.  I enjoyed the coolness of the whipped cream, and the chocolate cake wasn't terrible.  But, it was a bit plain for my tastes (as you read earlier - I do have champagne taste.)

For decorations, this one gets a:
  Loved it!

For taste, this one gets a:

I just wasn't sold on the taste!


Red Velvet

I was also sure to include a tasting of my staple - the red velvet.   This classic was decorated in a fittingly classic way.  But do you see how creamy that frosting is?  It has a sheet to it that makes me both scared and excited.  Scared because do you know how much butter it takes to make that sheen?  And excited because, do you know how much butter it takes to make that sheen?  And everything is better with butter...

The flavor was alright - it was a bit dry, and tasted a bit like red food coloring - never a good look for a red velvet.  You want to taste the cocoa powder, and slight tartness from the vinegar.  Not red food coloring.

So, for taste, I would give this one a:

For decoration, I would give this one a:

You can't beat classic elegance...

Overall, I would rate this experience and would definitely go back.  The neighborhood is so great, and there are so many more flavors to try!