While I have long heard of the fabled cupcake coma – a woozy exhaustion that is provoked by over indulgence in sugary sweet delight – I never believed it to be true. I love cupcakes, and I especially love the sweet sugary rush one gets from each soft bite. How could a cute dainty cake put one into a saccharine induced swoon? After four bakeshops and four large cupcakes lathered with heaping mounds of frosting, the cupcake coma came over me.
I was fortunate enough to be invited by the lovely TaraMetBlog to the Chevy-sponsored Best of Cupcakes Los Angeles Tour. Our small group of eager cupcake enthusiasts was chauffeured by Chevy around LA to the city’s finest cupcakeries. It was a cupcake throwdown.
First stop: Crumbs Bakeshop in Beverly Hills. Of the unbelievably large and imaginative cupcake flavor selection, I chose the Pistachio cupcake. The cake was moist and spongy with the perfect amount of frosting. The frosting was just sweet enough and coated with chopped pistachios. I am not a frosting fan and I generally avoid the stuff but I ate this cupcake in its entirety.
For bakeshop number two we walked down the street to the well-known Sprinkles. Here I tried the classic Red Velvet. I thought the cake was firm yet moist, but the frosting was thick and overly sweet. As far as frosting goes, these are the reasons I avoid it.
Destination three was SusieCakes in Brentwood. SusieCakes is known for its Strawberry cupcake, which Martha Stewart gushes over. I had to try the Strawberry, but I also could not pass up their seasonal Gingerbread cupcake. By now I was starting to understand the causes of the cupcake coma.
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The Strawberry cupcake was amazing. The cake was flavorful, but the strawberry frosting was mind altering. In the most complementary way, it tasted like a cake version of a pink starburst.
The Gingerbread cupcake with cream cheese frosting took the cake! It perfectly captured the season. With spicy and warm flavors slathered with a silky rich frosting, it was my favorite by far of the cupcake tour.
Last stop was Vanilla Bakeshop in Santa Monica. At this point I was quickly fading into sugary heaven and I needed something to captivate me. Vanilla Bakeshop did not meet the challenge. I gave the cupcakes a cursory glance and was quickly taken by the beautiful Key Lime Cupcake. Unfortunately it was cold, dry, and tasted like a refrigerator. It didn’t help that the staff (especially the manager) were rude and unwelcoming. With the exception of our last stop, this was one tasty tour.
By the end of the cupcake tour I was gorged on sweets and ready for a nap.
http://www.carolineoncrack.com/2009/12/15/best-of-la-cupcakes-tour-with-bloggers-and-chevy/
http://www.happygomarni.com/2009/12/scavenging-los-angeles-cupcakeries-in.html
http://www.tarametblog.com/2009/12/best-of-la-cupcakes-tour-with-chevy.html
I'm so jealous! I bet that was a blast! Next time I'm in the area (I live 30 minutes from LA) I am totally hitting up some of those cupcake shops!
Way way way too much fun, Nastassia!
I wish Susie Cakes weren't so out of the way. I'd be there in a heartbeat.
This looks like a lot of fun!! I'll have to venture out on my own! I've already tried Sprinkles & Crumbs. Gotta try the others now!
Thanks for coming and nice to finally meet you! good times
FUN! Good thing someone else was driving. That's a sugar high and low waiting to happen.
FUN! Sounds like my kind of tour! Oh Susie Cakes, can I just say that during my last year of law school I lived around the corner from Susie Cakes…..SO DANGEROUS!!!!!!!
I would have passed out after the first one. I am super impressed that you did this, minus some of the lame store managers.
Amanda- you are a hop skip and a jump away you definitely need to try these bakeshops!
Cathy- maybe we can convince susiecakes to open a location on the eastside…or maybe we shouldn't =)
Biana- You NEED to try Crumbs, once you do it will have you going back for more and more!
Amanda- you are a hop skip and a jump away you definitely need to try these bakeshops!
Cathy- maybe we can convince susiecakes to open a location on the eastside…or maybe we shouldn't =)
Biana- You NEED to try Crumbs, once you do it will have you going back for more and more!
Amanda- you are a hop skip and a jump away you definitely need to try these bakeshops!
Cathy- maybe we can convince susiecakes to open a location on the eastside…or maybe we shouldn't =)
Biana- You NEED to try Crumbs, once you do it will have you going back for more and more!
oh wow this looks like so much fun!!!
I bet this was way too much sugary fun! Wish I could have been there…
How did I miss this?!?! So jealous! Need to try that seasonal gingerbread cupcake before its gone! Maybe tomorrow.
what a great idea to add pistachio nuts to frosting! cuts down on sweetness.
Cupcake tour!!! I wish I had been invited.
Wow, line up 20 tequilas in front of me, done……easy, but this is nuts. You are insane!!
I'm a cupcake fiend though, and thanks to your brave effort I shall get around to some of these very soon.I think I'm feeling those Susie Cakes.