Il Cupcake Bella

Little Cupcake Bakeshop Brooklyn, New York

2010-04-28T09:42:00.000-07:00

www.littlecupcakebakeshop.com

The Little Cupcake Bakeshop is tucked in the cutest neighborhood ever in Brooklyn, New York. The shop is so cozy you are compelled to sit a while and eat a cupcake or two or three for hours without noticing the time passing. Although, pictures were not allowed to be taken in the shop, I managed to snap quite a few. Tee hee hee.. I am always determined to get pictures of good cupcakes.

The variety of cupcake flavors offered boggled the mind. Usually cupcake bakeries have a daily assortment of perhaps 6 flavors maybe 8 tops. This place had so many different types of cupcakes offered I was happy I brought reinforcements so that I could try almost every flavor offered. We tried Devil’s Food, Strawberry, Coconut Cloud, Lemmon, Carrot Cake, Golden Vanilla, Cookie Dough, and Red Velvet.

First of all, I have to commend Little Cupcake Bakeshop for not charging exorbitant prices for their cupcakes. These were so reasonably priced; **whispers $2.25 each** we kept going back to the counter to order more. In the category of value these cupcakes come up a winner hands down. You definitely feel you are getting more than your money’s worth. Actually, you feel like you should run out of the shop before they notice they undercharged you. As for the cupcakes.. They are quite good. They were very moist and have a great cupcake to icing ratio. The red velvet wasn’t the absolute best I’ve ever had but by far not the worst. All in all these cupcake rate somewhere in the middle of the cupcake game. Not really superstars, not underdogs, and definitely not the slackers.

The Verdict

The Little Cupcake Bakeshop is a great place to eat cupcakes and socialize. It has the feel of a neighborhood hang out with the bonus of delicious sweet treats. The cupcakes are the best value for the money that I’ve experienced in New York City. It is worth the trek deep into Brooklyn to visit this adorable shop.

Caio~

La Contessa

Magnolia’s Bakery NYC not Just a Tourist’s Attraction

2010-04-28T09:31:00.000-07:00

www.magnoliabakery.com

For years I have been hearing about this magical mythical cupcake bakery named Magnolia’s Bakery in NYC. It used to fascinate me how people would go crazy insane over cupcakes from this place. Hardened New Yorkers standing in lines around the block in all types of weather for cupcakes? Please say it isn’t so! I would sooner believe they found the Holy Grail than jaded people from the Empire State would wait as patiently as New Yorkers possibly can for gasp cupcakes.

Well.. All the rumors are true damn it. Magnolia’s Bakery is the dealio! They have some of the best confections I have ever tasted. Thankfully I didn’t get to experience the block long lines for cupcakes, I did however fall in love with their cupcakes. The bakery itself is decorated festively yet not over done. They sell a bevy of other sugary treats such as cakes, cookies (I think) and banana pudding. My entire focus was cupcakes so I am not sure what the hell else is in there.

They don’t have all the snazzy exotic cupcake flavors many other bakeries depend on these days, but man oh man were these cupcakes superior to almost anything I have ever tasted. I purchased a Red Velvet (as always), Banana, Chocolate, and Vanilla. I could give you the garden-variety typical glowing report on how amazing Magnolia’s Bakery Cupcakes are but that would be completely redundant. I will say.. These are some damn good cupcakes. Everything people say about this place is totally true. I WILL vouch for that.

The Verdict:

There are a lot of cupcake bakeries to visit when you are in New York City, however Magnolia’s Bakery is not one to miss.

Caio~

La Contessa

The Cupcake Collection Nashville, TN Price Doesn’t Reflect Quality

2010-04-12T12:19:00.000-07:00

The Cupcake Collection is located in the quaintest of neighborhoods in Nashville. Historic Germantown has all sorts of charm and is the perfect location for this cupcake bakery. The cupcakery is in an old home festively painted purple with an adorable orange sign outside. There is even a delightful porch where you can sit, enjoy the sites and nosh on their products.

To say the people who work at the Cupcake Collection are extremely nice and friendly is one of the understatements of the year. They take Southern hospitality and charm to a level I have rarely experienced. They great each customer as if they are Odysseus coming home from the Trojan War. When you enter the Cupcake Collection your senses are flooded with the euphoric smell of freshly baked cupcakes and a “hey yall” from all the employees within eyesight.

In the over saturated cupcake market, the Cupcake Collection stands alone in saying NO to overpriced cupcakes. They only charge $1.50 for their yummy treats. Yes. I will say it again. They charge one dollar and fifty cents for cupcakes! One hundred and fifty pennies, but out of courtesy don’t pay them in pennies. Do not let the bargain price fool you, these cupcakes are amazing. The flavors might lack sophistication of other cupcakeies however, they are solidly delicious cupcakes. No need for exotic flavor combinations, fanfare, and bells and whistles for these cupcakes to be outstanding. They just simply are OUTSTANDING. SIMPLY OUTSTANDING.

I was saddened the Red Velvet cupcakes had sold out the day I went however; I was able to sample the lemon, coconut, sweet potato, carrot cake, and chocolate. It would be impossible to pick a favorite out of these delightful cupcakes. They were all so moist and had the perfect ratio of frosting to cupcake I’ve seen in a long time. The frosting wasn’t overly sweet and did not detract from the cake. All of the cupcakes had a homemade no way in the world this came from a box flavor. My advice is to visit the shop early because these babies sell out quickly.

The Verdict:

The Cupcake Collection has to be one of the premiere cupcake bakeries I have ever been to. Their products are above industry standard, and the down home atmosphere is welcoming. I suggest you try them before they catch on and raise the shockingly low prices on these works of cupcake art.

Caio~

La Contessa

Celebrity Cupcakes takes Delicious to a New Level

2010-03-17T19:18:00.000-07:00

http://celebritycupcakes.com/index.html

Delicious Abounds! Celebrity Cupcakes Houston Texas a Mecca for Cupcake Lovers

I have said time and time again the universe is oversaturated with cupcake bakeries. Many charge exorbitant prices for low quality products. Not the case when you visit Celebrity Cupcakes in Houston, Texas. Their cupcakes are worth every penny.

Celebrity Cupcakes is tucked in an enclave in the Rice Village area. The building is Spanish style and rather adorable with several tables and chairs outside so you can enjoy your cupcake experience while people watching. They are even pet friendly as I brought Puppykins with me for this mission.

The shop itself is rather small but they are big on customer service. It is evident people here really enjoy their job. The young lady who helped me was gracious enough to explain each flavor and helped me make selections based on my personal tastes. She didn’t rush me and was so patient I wondered if she was a Buddhist priest in a previous life.

Down to the cupcakes! I selected Southern Red Velvet, Coconut, Chocolate with Vanilla Bean, and a Fleur De Sel. WOW! From the first bite of the Fleur De Sel I was in LOVE! Words fail to describe how absolutely wonderful this cupcake is. If I were forced to eat ONE thing for the rest of my life, it would be the Fleur De Sel cupcake from Celebrity Cupcakes hands down. The chocolate gouache danced across my tongue in a tango with caramel with a grand finale of sea salt. Perfection! Absolute perfection. This wasn’t just a cupcake; it was a work of art. After the Fleur De Sel the rest of the cupcakes paled in comparison. They were all good cupcakes and well worth the price but when you have a stunner like the Hope Diamond, everything else is just a piece of coal. The Southern Red Velvet was delicious, and the chocolate was reminiscent of the Fleur De Sel without all the bells and whistles. Even the coconut cupcake was good. However, none are as memorable as the Fleur De Sel.

The Verdict

You MUST visit Celebrity Cupcakes if you are in Houston. You MUST try the Fleur De Sel cupcake. The rest of their products are great, yet unfortunately upstaged by this incredible flavor.

Caio~

La Contessa

Yuck has a name and it is BabyCakes NYC

2010-03-16T15:50:00.000-07:00

http://www.babycakesnyc.com/

I had seen quite a bit of buzz about BabyCakes NYC cupcakery. Despite the torrential rain, I was elated to try a new cupcake bakery. So we trekked all the way across town in weather that would cause Moses to stay inside, for cupcakes.

I was delighted to enter BabyCakes Cupcakes in New York City. The shop is small but everyone is so friendly and welcoming. I eagerly took in all of the cupcakes and made my selections pretty quickly. I did notice the top row of cupcakes were vegan cupcakes of which I wanted no parts of. The other two rows had little signs explaining their ingredients. I didn’t bother to read them closely as I am a cupcake eating professional.

As I was taking in the cutesiness of the shop, I started reading this large plaque on the wall concerning the philosophy of BabyCakes Cupcakes.. I will quote directly

“In a city dominated by cupcakes overflowing with sugar, flour and butter cream, it’s easy for those with persnickety diets to feel left out. BabyCakes offers all-natural, organic and delicious alternatives free from the common allergens: wheat, gluten, dairy, casein and eggs. Rest assured, all sweeteners have been chosen responsibly and used sparingly. White sugar will never be found in our bakery, nor will we ever use toxic chemical sweeteners. Instead, most products are sweetened with agave nectar—a natural syrup from a cactus which is low on the glycemia index and often a safe alternative to most non-insulin dependant diabetics. Occasionally, unprocessed and unrefined sugar is used in certain goods, although sparingly.”

Can I just tell you how horrified I was? No sugar? No flour? No lovely butter cream? Call Paula Deen to get me out of this place! They took out all the things that make cupcakes worth eating! I’m southern! Give me sugar or give me death! I should have done my homework and read more about this bakery before I practically drowned trying to get there.

When the “cupcake” was handed to me I gave it the most suspicious of looks. I just did NOT trust this pseudo cupcake AT ALL. Against my better judgment, I took a tentative bite.

All I can say is DISGUSTING! There are other things I can say but I am trying to be somewhat nice. I left mine on the plate minus a tinny mouse bite. The rest of the day went downhill until I atoned the Sugar God. Eating a cupcake without sugar angered him and I needed to repent.

The Verdict

BabyCakes Cupcakes is a great place for people who have specific diets, food allergies, and healthy eaters. Also it is a lovely place for people who are diabetic, or lost their sense of taste. For anyone who likes sugary products, skip this place lest you anger the Sugar God. He is a jealous vengeful spirit.
Caio~
La Contessa

Just A Pretty Face.. The Cupcake Cafe NYC

2010-03-14T20:10:00.000-07:00

Looks Aren’t Everything When It Comes To Cupcakes

http://www.cupcakecafe-nyc.com/

When I approached the Cupcake Café on 9^th avenue in New York City, I was immediately taken aback. The café looked like it had been transported from some locale in the French countryside and deposited in the middle of Midtown Manhattan. The décor was rustic and shabby perhaps chic to some. The Cupcake Café is lovely in it’s quaintness. However, we did not come there to soak in the ambiance. Our mission was cupcakes.

The case was filled with the most adorable cupcakes in either chocolate or vanilla with delightful flowers piped on top. I couldn’t contain my giddy behavior as I practically skipped up to the counter to order. Anne chose chocolate mocha cupcake and I chose a vanilla cupcake.

Looks aren’t everything. They tasted HORRIBLE! As beautiful as these cupcakes are, they do not live up in the flavor department. They are akin to a dumb model. A gorgeous woman who doesn’t know how to locate at least 10 states on the map. These cupcakes are JUST a pretty face. The frosting was about the only palatable part of the cupcake.

It is rare for me to take a few bites of a cupcake and throw in the towel, but I was forced to do just that. There was no way in the world I would have been able to choke down this travesty of a confection. So we let them fall where they stood and left.

The Verdict

The Cupcake Café makes beautiful cupcakes, which should be used for photo shoots and nothing else.
Caio~

Gigi's Cupcakes a Frosting Lover's Delight!

2010-03-04T15:02:00.000-08:00

http://www.gigiscupcakesusa.com/

On a recent trip to Nashville, Tennessee I dropped by Gigi’s Cupcakes. I have to admit their shop is not easy to find, however the staff sweetly gave me directions several times until I finally found them.

By the looks of the crowd gathered around the cupcake case, I knew I was in for a delicious treat. People were pushing and shoving trying to vie for a better view of the wares. Given the circumstances, the staff was polite and efficient which helped soothe the savage cupcake-eating beasts. The line soon ebbed and I was able to place my order.

Gigi’s cupcakes make aesthetically pleasing products, but I was super excited by the amount of frosting on each cupcake. It was literally piled (piped) high! If you love frosting this is the place to be.

My selection was Merry Margarita, Scarlett’s Velvet, Texas Milk Chocolate, Tiger Tails, and a Wedding Cake. I gleefully danced out of the store and couldn't’t wait to taste them with my family. First up.. Merry Margarita which is yellow cake with margarita cream cheese frosting. This has to be one of the best lemon limey cupcakes I have ever put in my mouth. The flavors blended extremely well and the cake was unbelievably light. Oh and the margarita cream cheese frosting! Bliss how I love thee! It did a tango across my tongue! The cleverly named Scarlett’s Velvet was also a pleaser. It is classic red velvet cake with vanilla filling and cream cheese frosting. Gig’s really hit this one out of the park. I have eaten many a red velvet cupcake, but these have to rank in my top 5. Considering I am living in Texas, I had to get the Texas Milk Chocolate cupcake. It is your basic chocolate cake with milk chocolate frosting; the best part about the cupcake was the festive yellow star in the mountainous frosting. The cake was moist, chocolaty without being overwhelming, and just plain delicious. Tiger Tails was also a favorite of mine from Gigi’s. It is yellow cake with raspberry filling topped with butter cream frosting and raspberry coconut. Yet another seemingly simple combination done so expertly well that there was nothing run of the mill about this cupcake. I especially loved the raspberry coconut in the frosting. Lastly we tried the Wedding Cake cupcake. It was just a basic white cake topped with vanilla butter cream frosting. White cake isn’t easy to perfect as it has a tendency to come out dry in the wrong hands. Luckily Gig’s hands are the right ones. The Wedding Cake cupcake was so delicious; I would get married again JUST to have a cupcake tower of these delicious treats.

So.. The verdict.. Whether you call Nashville Music City or the Athens of the South, one spot you simply cannot miss is Gigi’s Cupcakes. They are simply divine.

Caio~
La Contessa

Cupcakes and Cookies by T

2010-03-04T04:49:00.000-08:00

http://www.cupcakesandcookiesbyt.com/index.html

Who would have thought the city of El Paso, Texas would throw their hat into the over saturated cupcake ring.. But.. They did.. During our Cupcakes Across America tour, we stopped by a very charming cupcakery named Cupcakes and Cookies by T.

The shop isn’t large but painted in a festive green color with an array of products displayed for purchase. Southern hospitality reigns supreme here. The staff was amazingly patient and uber friendly. When you enter the shop you feel like a long lost friend returning home.

The really cool thing about Cupcakes and Cookies by T is you get to pick the flavor of cupcake you want as well as the flavor of frosting. How neat is that? Each cupcake is frosted while you wait. Another blog mentioned trying the Pink Lemonade so I couldn’t pass it up. My favorite color is pink and who doesn’t enjoy lemonade on a warm day? We also purchased a Red Velvet cupcake as well as Boston Crème, which was recommended by the staff.

I was disappointed in the Pink Lemonade cupcake. Perhaps it was an off day for them because the cupcake was.. Horror of horrors.. Dry. Not just a little dry.. Very dry.. Grainy too, like cornbread. I will say the frosting was fantastic so I proceeded to devour it but leave 9/10ths of the cupcake where it stood. The Boston Crème was pretty good. The flavor was nice and not overwhelming and instead of traditional frosting it was dipped into a fudge pour with an adorable dot of white frosting. Lastly, we tasted the Red Velvet cupcake. Being that we have eaten Red Velvet cupcakes everywhere, it is hard to impress us. Their rendition of Red Velvet was pretty standard. Not offensive but now parade worthy. After trying the super dry pink lemonade anything would have tasted like the best cupcake in the world

They also serve a cornucopia of beverages to accompany the cupcakes. However, no water! I was a tad annoyed because I do not want to drink soda or hot chocolate with my sugary cupcake. If you want water, bring your own.

The verdict. Cupcakes and Cookies by T is a fun stop with the nicest staff you will ever meet. The cupcakes? Totally outshined by the staff but good nonetheless.

Caio~
La Contessa

The Cupcake Cafe Caught My Eye

2010-03-03T17:44:00.000-08:00

cupcakecafeofsugarland.com

The Cupcake Cafe in Sugarland, Texas is a virtual overdose of all that is sweet and cutesy. When I checked out the website, it reminded me of cupcake wonderland. Being swayed by bright shiny objects as well as cupcakes, I was compelled to go take a gander and a taste for myself. I wasn't swayed by the lousy 3 star rating it garnered on http://www.yelp.com/biz/cupcake-cafe-sugar-land

The café itself is a wonderland of whimsical décor complete with a giant cupcake light fixture. The atmosphere alone begs for serious cupcakin’, however they also serve sandwiches and salads as well. The food menu seems like a side thought.

A handsome and super friendly young man greeted me warmly. (This place really delivers on the eye candy!) He was very thorough in explaining the different flavors and even told me the most popular picks. I purchased an assortment of mini cupcakes so that I would have the delight of tasting several flavors of cupcakes without going into a sugar coma. They carry a vast array of exotic flavors as well as traditional ones, so I was able to sample flavors all over the cupcake spectrum. I purchased the Red Velvet, Strawberry, Chocolate Lovers, Key Lime, Oreo, Chocolate Cherry Cordial, and Lemon.

I have to say I was disappointed they didn’t have Lychee Coconut the day I visited. From my perspective, the Cupcake Café does a very good Key Lime cupcake. It was my favorite out of all of the flavors I tasted. The key lime flavor wasn’t overwhelming and the frosting was zingy as well as light. The best way to describe the Key Lime cupcake would be refreshing. The rest of the cupcakes were on the scale of boring to so-so. The Red Velvet was also good but nothing to write home about. I have had better and I have definitely had worse. I will give them extra credit for making muffin-sized cupcakes. You have to eat the regular sized ones with a fork and knife with a spotter as back up. They are huge.

All in all the Cupcake Cake delivers solid cupcakes which are worth the $2.50 price, however the décor is more exciting than the cupcakes.

Caio~
La Contessa

The Beautiful Cupcake

2010-03-03T08:47:00.000-08:00

The Beautiful Cupcake was born out of not only my love of cupcakes but my relentless need to try cupcakes all across America. I have been all over the country and abroad sampling the wares of some of the most famous cupcake bakeries as well as some obscure ones. It is my hope people will get some great information from this blog and hopefully contribute their cupcake experiences as well. So. With that said.. Let the cupcakin begin!
Caio,
La Contessa Cupcake