I, for one, am tickled pink to see the wave of cupcakeries blooming across this great nation. What could be better than a few bites of spongy goodness crowned with a cloud of toe-curling buttercream?
Cupcakes are an “affordable luxury,” in consumer-speak. What I really like about them is their lack of commitment—it’s like a Sweet Fling compared to the Long Haul. I mean—why be saddled with a WHOLE nutty carrot cake, when you just want a few minutes of deliciously spicy escape?
Jennie from the Block and I hit the road to see what Tampa had to offer in the way of sweet flings. Here’s what we found:
--The Cupcake Spot (also in St. Pete): “Doesn’t smell cupcakey,” Jennie proclaimed upon entering the strangely aroma-less bake shop. The lack of adornment in the plain pink, black and white storefront made the case of iced delights stand out like crown jewels. Go for the flavors. Jennie’s Chocolate Elvis was a hit: moist banana cake and surprisingly good peanut butter (!) icing capped with a little fudge pompadour. My Va-Va-Vanilla lacked va-va-voom; sure, the cake was fine but I’m a buttercream junkie. Theirs was too whippy; it needed more velvety heft. More Scarlett O’Hara, less Melanie Wilkes. Cuppy’s strawberry pink cake tasted like a childhood memory; I liked the sour cherry ball on top, but I still had to contend with that sad snowdrift of vanilla frosting. NEXT!
--Square One Burgers: Who knew our Battle of the Buttercream Champ in this round would be a sit-down burger joint with real cloth napkins (and to Jennie’s delight—Mr. Pibb on tap!)? The Creamy “Dreamy” Vanilla boasted a moist delicious cake AND a buttercream I can really get into—that paper-thin sugary crust that gives way to…well…my kind of heaven. The Chocolate’s tooth-rottingly sweet icing overpowered any real chocolate taste. Red Velvet missed the mark, but I’m hard on Red Velvet—very few bake up as good as Fannie Flagg’s recipe in her Fried Green Tomatoes cookbook. Jennie reached Cupcake Nirvana with the Carrot Pecan—hallelujah! (Their burgers are pretty good too.)
For additional choices close to home, check out “Sugar Fix in a Sarasota Alley,” on MySpace. (www.myspace.com/cortwrite)
In Savannah, look up the Cupcake Emporium on E. State St. Philadelphia’s got classic and creative flavors at The Flying Monkey in the Reading Terminal Market. SoCal bound? Try downtown Pasadena’s Dots on N. Fair Oaks and when you’re out antiquing in Old Towne Orange, stop at The Perfect Circle.
Cupcakes are an “affordable luxury,” in consumer-speak. What I really like about them is their lack of commitment—it’s like a Sweet Fling compared to the Long Haul. I mean—why be saddled with a WHOLE nutty carrot cake, when you just want a few minutes of deliciously spicy escape?
Jennie from the Block and I hit the road to see what Tampa had to offer in the way of sweet flings. Here’s what we found:
--The Cupcake Spot (also in St. Pete): “Doesn’t smell cupcakey,” Jennie proclaimed upon entering the strangely aroma-less bake shop. The lack of adornment in the plain pink, black and white storefront made the case of iced delights stand out like crown jewels. Go for the flavors. Jennie’s Chocolate Elvis was a hit: moist banana cake and surprisingly good peanut butter (!) icing capped with a little fudge pompadour. My Va-Va-Vanilla lacked va-va-voom; sure, the cake was fine but I’m a buttercream junkie. Theirs was too whippy; it needed more velvety heft. More Scarlett O’Hara, less Melanie Wilkes. Cuppy’s strawberry pink cake tasted like a childhood memory; I liked the sour cherry ball on top, but I still had to contend with that sad snowdrift of vanilla frosting. NEXT!
--Square One Burgers: Who knew our Battle of the Buttercream Champ in this round would be a sit-down burger joint with real cloth napkins (and to Jennie’s delight—Mr. Pibb on tap!)? The Creamy “Dreamy” Vanilla boasted a moist delicious cake AND a buttercream I can really get into—that paper-thin sugary crust that gives way to…well…my kind of heaven. The Chocolate’s tooth-rottingly sweet icing overpowered any real chocolate taste. Red Velvet missed the mark, but I’m hard on Red Velvet—very few bake up as good as Fannie Flagg’s recipe in her Fried Green Tomatoes cookbook. Jennie reached Cupcake Nirvana with the Carrot Pecan—hallelujah! (Their burgers are pretty good too.)
For additional choices close to home, check out “Sugar Fix in a Sarasota Alley,” on MySpace. (www.myspace.com/cortwrite)
In Savannah, look up the Cupcake Emporium on E. State St. Philadelphia’s got classic and creative flavors at The Flying Monkey in the Reading Terminal Market. SoCal bound? Try downtown Pasadena’s Dots on N. Fair Oaks and when you’re out antiquing in Old Towne Orange, stop at The Perfect Circle.
UP NEXT: California Dreamin'
