Sensational Bites

HAPPY NATIONAL LEMON CUPCAKE DAY!  

HAPPY NATIONAL CUPCAKE DAY!

Name: Sensational Bites: A Dessert Cafe
Neighborhood: Lake View
Address: 3751 N Southport Ave
Map (link above): purple dotted marker
Nearest El Transit Locations:
Southport Brown Line Station
Hours: 
Tue - Thur  8am - 7pm
Fri - Sat  8am - 10pm
Sunday  8am - 7pm
Bake On-Site: Yes
Individual Cupcake Price: $2.75
Boxing/Packaging: Box without inserts
What makes this bakery special: Fresh and fine ingredients, a laid-back atmosphere, and sweet home bakin' makes this place a must-visit, especially when paired with a show at the Music Box Theater (just steps away).

Cupcakes Purchased and Reviewed:

Butterfinger

Lemon

Lemon
Cake: Lemon
with Lemon Buttercream
Appearance: 3
Size: Average
Bite #: 3
Moisture: 3

Butterfinger
Cake: Vanilla
with Butterfinger Buttercream
Appearance: 2
Size: Average
Bite #: 3
Moisture: 3



Additional Notes: 
The lemon cupcake was nice and refreshing. The cake was soft and subtle, with strong, super sweet (and slightly grainy) lemon buttercream. It's a common misconception that citrus season is the summer because it's refreshing but really winter is when citrus is in season. Delicious!

The Butterfinger cupcake was moist, light vanilla cake with thick, rich buttercream with tiny bits of butterfinger candy bars mixed right in!
Both cupcakes were delightfully fresh. Sensational bites was also very busy. No surprise there. Delicious treats for all!
While waiting in line, their display cases are very charming and appealing.
Vegan options, espresso bar, indoor seating.
Friendly staff, who handled the line well and also packaged each cupcake carefully.

Swirlz [2]

HAPPY HANUKKAH!

This side-adventure began when Swirlz Cupcakes (Lincoln Park; green marker on map--link above) posted a photo of their Hanukkah cupcake last week...
In an effort to not "double dip" by re-visiting Swirlz, I did some thorough research on what other bakeries (that I hadn't been to yet) were offering for the holiday. Yes, some other bakeries offered "Hanukkah" cupcakes, but were just themed, decorated with Stars of David and menorahs. I wanted a cupcake that screamed "Festival of Lights" and most importantly "original idea!" so I decided Swirlz was the way to go. I have no regrets!

Hanukkah Cupcake
Cake: Vanilla
with sour cream buttercream and fresh apple compote filling
and a homemade latke (traditional Hanukkah potato pancake)
Size: Large
Bite #: 5
Moisture: 3 

The cake and filling were absolutely delicious. I admit, I was skeptical about the sour cream buttercream beforehand, but it was absolutely fantastic! The buttercream was smooth and didn't have the "zing" sour cream has, which made it a perfect medium paired with the sweet cake and the latke. Also, the latke addition was the "icing on the cake" which made this cupcake, by far, the most original cupcake I've had up to this point. Great job, Swirlz!
This is a supplemental post. Please see my first <Swirlz post> for more information. 

Dinkel's Bakery

Name: Dinkel's Bakery

Neighborhood: Lakeview
Address: 3329 N Lincoln Ave

Map (link above): green dotted marker

Nearest El Transit Locations:

Paulina Brown Line Station

Hours: 

Tue - Fri  6am - 7pm

Saturday  6am - 5pm

Sunday  8am - 4pm

Bake On-Site: Yes

Individual Cupcake Prices: $2.49-3.09

Boxing/Packaging: Box without inserts

What makes this bakery special: 

Dinkel's dates back to 1922 when baker Joseph K. Dinkel and his wife moved to the U.S. from Germany. Since, the bakery has been passed down four generations, has continued using original family recipes and radiates a homestyle charm. With this warm, loving atmosphere comes an enviro-concious mission, using local ingredients, such as wheat, eggs, and dairy from Wisconsin, and eco-friendly energy use.  Also, buy-one-get-one-free-cupcake Tuesdays are ah-may-zing!

Cupcakes Purchased and Reviewed:

Chocolate with Vanilla

Cake: Chocolate

with Vanilla Buttercream

Appearance: 2

Size: Large

Bite #: 5

Moisture: 3

Price: $2.49

Vanilla with Chocolate

Cake: Vanilla

with Chocolate Buttercream

Appearance: 2

Size: Large

Bite #: 5

Moisture: 3

Price: Free! (Tuesdays: Buy one cupcake, get one free*)

Vanilla Strawberry

Cake: Chocolate
with Vanilla Buttercream (and a strawberry made from frosting) with strawberry filling
Appearance: 2
Size: Large
Bite #: 5
Moisture: 2
Price: $3.09
*filled cupcakes, such as the vanilla strawberry, excluded from Tuesday cupcake deal (fyi)

Additional Notes: 
My cupcakes from Dinkel's were so deliciously moist I regretted sharing mine with my cupcaking partner, D.E.  At least he had an opportunity to relish in the freshness with me. The cake for the "unfilled" cupcakes (the first two above) was moist, soft, and rich with flavor. The frosting, while delicious and flavorful, left a coating of sugar in my mouth, but did not take away from the experience whatsoever. The vanilla strawberry, I admit, let me down a little bit. Filled cupcakes are not included in the Tuesday Special (and understandably so) but this one--the last one, mind you-- was just calling to me. The cake was a little dry and the frosting was too much--or perhaps too little--for this particular cake/frosting pairing. To borrow words from D.E., "the filling/cake/flavor concept is great" but not quite what I had hoped for. 
The employees were friendly and welcoming (even close to closing time) and packaged each cupcake carefully.  
Full cafe menu, coffee.
Close to brown line and other bus routes.
The mind-blowing freshness the other two cupcakes provided--truly the prevailing part of the Dinkel's experience!

Southport Grocery

HAPPY NATIONAL VANILLA CUPCAKE DAY!

Name: Southport Grocery and Cafe

Neighborhood: Lakeview
Address: 3552 N. Southport

Map (link above): yellow dotted marker

Nearest El Transit Locations:

Southport Brown Line Stop

Hours: 

Mon - Fri  7am - 4pm
Saturday  8am - 5pm
Sunday  8am - 4pm

Bake On-Site: Yes

Individual Cupcake Prices: $2.50

Boxing/Packaging: Box without inserts

What makes this bakery special: 

Famous throughout Chicago for their amazing homemade vanilla cupcakes, Southport is the place to go when celebrating the beauty of vanilla cake (like, say, on National Vanilla Cupcake Day). The entire second floor is a bakery kitchen where they make most of their baked goods, including cupcakes!

Cupcake Purchased and Reviewed:

 
Vanilla/Vanilla

Cake: Vanilla
with Vanilla Buttercream
Appearance: 2
Size: Large
Bite #: 3
Moisture: 2

Additional Notes:

Southport bakes on-site, yes, that's noted above, but here not only do they bake fresh daily in small batches but they use a special old family recipe for the cake and the amazing vanilla buttercream. This magical blend of flavors has made Southport the go-to in Chicago for vanilla cupcakes. 
The frosting is has a rich vanilla flavor, is sweet but not over-sugary, and is smooth and creamy to the palette. The cake is made from a warm, rich, thick vanilla batter with love baked right in. The simplest way to describe it is grandma's homemade vanilla cupcakes with a touch of heaven blended right in.
It can get really busy here (when I went it was packed) so plan ahead. The cafe part makes it kind of confusing to get to the grocery part, so just know that you can just walk through to the counter. Also, if you go to the cafe part, try their (also) famous "cupcake pancakes," pancakes made with cake batter. When you do, comment below and let me know how you liked them! (I haven't tried them yet.)
Espresso/coffee bar.
Indoor seating (cafe).

The Cupcake Counter [2]

To celebrate the first week at my new job I stopped by The Cupcake Counter (it's close to my new building!). Below is a "lite" version of a cupcake entry. Please see my first/original Cupcake Counter post for more information.

Left: Pumpkin. Right: Mint

Pumpkin

Cake: Pumpkin

with Cream Cheese Icing

Size: Average

Bite #: 3

Moisture: 3 

Mint

Cake: Chocolate

with Mint Icing

Size: Average

Bite #: 3

Moisture: 3 

Comments: As expected both cupcakes were moist, full of flavor, and fresh baked. The mint icing was strong. I wish I had eaten this one second because I could still taste the mint while I ate the pumpkin one. The pumpkin one matched the thick, creamy cream cheese icing well. Delicious!

Bittersweet Pastry

HAPPY NATIONAL CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE DAY!

Name: Bittersweet Pastry and Cafe 

Neighborhood: Lakeview
Address: 1114 W Belmont Ave

Map (link above): yellow pin

Nearest El Transit Locations:

Belmont Stop: Purple, Red and Brown Lines

Hours: 

Tue - Fri  7am - 7pm

Saturday  8am - 7pm

Sunday  8am - 6pm

Bake On-Site: Yes

Individual Cupcake Prices: $2.75-3.25

Boxing/Packaging: Box without inserts

What makes this bakery special: 

Particularly for celebrating National Chocolate Cupcake Day: their chocolate cupcakes are actually fudge cupcakes! That's right, chocolate here is fudge!! Also, they have gluten-free chocolate or red velvet available (your choice of filling and/or frosting!).

Cupcake Purchased and Reviewed:

Princess

Cake: Fudge

with Vanilla Buttercream

Appearance: 2.5

Size: Average

Bite #: 3

Moisture: 3

Price: $2.75

Additional Notes:

Their fudge cake is absolutely fantastic! You can definitely tell the difference between this fudge cake and a regular chocolate cake. It's slightly more dense, softer, and richer. The light and fluffy buttercream matched with it is superb. 

They have a cupcake calendar available for pick up in store. Each day of the month they have three cupcake flavors available. Attached to the calendar are detailed descriptions of all their cupcake flavors... I can't wait to go back to try the chocolate stout, rocky road, key lime pie, and/or tiramisu! Wowza! 

In addition to a fabulous cupcake, check out how it is packaged. There is an adorable ribbon wrapped around the box. No, I didn't have to ask or pay extra; that's just how they come! So dainty!

Along with the (fabulous) bakery/display Bittersweet has a handy gift shop, complete with baking accessories, to the right and a cafe to the left. Talk about one stop shop, especially if you're bringing someone there for an occasion like, say, National Chocolate Cupcake Day (or their birthday...).

Chicago Cupcake (Truck)

Name: Chicago Cupcake
Chicagoland area
See twitter for weekly truck locations.

Cupcakes Purchased and Reviewed:
Cupcake Price: $3.25
Boxing/Packaging: Fitted clam shell


Red Velvet 

Cake: Red Velvet
with Cream Cheese Icing and Chocolate Wafer Crust
Appearance: 2
Size: Average
Bite #: 3

Pumpkin Patch

Cake: Pumpkin
with Vanilla Italian Buttercream and (Graham Cracker?) Crust
Appearance: 2
Size: Average
Bite #: 3

Comments: Ok, so I've been absolutely dying to try some Chicago Cupcake. Essentially, I've been trying to "hunt" the truck down for about a month now. You're right, I'm not supposed to hunt cupcake trucks for the purposes of this project but you have to understand that Chicago Cupcakes are different. Way different. I actually wasn't on the hunt today and guess what...There was the beautiful red truck, on my way to the train station, waiting for me. My excitement was so noticeable it was embarrassing. Oh well.

So, a "Chicago cupcake" has three parts: the fabulously unique crust, the ultra moist dairy-infused cake, and the airy icing/frosting. See in the photos? THREE DISTINCT LAYERS! Brilliant.

I'll take this layer by layer. First, the crusts for both cupcakes absolutely added a unique texture and flavor to the cupcake experience. Both were like delicious sugar-packed pie crusts. Then the cake. Oh, the cake. So, Chicago Cupcake "infuses" their cake with dairy, creating a extra, extra moist cake which creates the texture similar to that of fluffy cheesecakes. FABULOUS! Last comes the icing. The cream cheese icing on the red velvet was the perfect balance of cheesy, creamy, and sweet. The buttercream on the pumpkin patch was so light it created the illusion that I was eating pumpkin pie with whipped cream on top. To make this even better, they don't use preservatives, food coloring, etc. ALL NATURAL, BABY! I mean, I love this stuff! It's too bad that I shared! Ha! To sum up, this is something I can't really put into words. You'll have to hunt them down and try a cupcake (or two or three) to see for yourself. Enjoy!

Phoebe's Bakery

UPDATE:  Sadly, Phoebe's has closed since this posting.

Name: Phoebe's Bakery and Espresso Bar

Neighborhood: Lakeview
Address: 3351 N Broadway Street

Map (link above): dotted light blue marker

Nearest El Transit Locations:

Belmont Stop Red, Brown, Purple Lines

Hours: 

Mon - Sat  6am - 10pm

Sunday  8am - 8-pm

Bake On-Site: Yes

Individual Cupcake Price: $2.95

Boxing/Packaging: Fitted clam shell

What makes this bakery special: 

They have super creative cupcakes--candy corn and root beer float, anyone?--and have a new menu each week. One week gives enough time to get there for the unique flavor you have your eye on, but also is short enough that new flavors are constantly being introduced! Sweet!

Cupcake Purchased and Reviewed:

Malt Ball

Cake: Chocolate

with Malt White Chocolate Italian Buttercream, plus a malt ball!

Appearance: 2

Size: Average

Bite #: 3

Moisture: 3

Candy Corn

Cake: Candy Corn

with Honey Buttercream

Appearance: 2

Size: Average

Bite #: 3

Moisture: 3

Additional Notes:

First, I would like to give a shout out to Kevin! Kevin, who works at Phoebe's, said the Malt Ball was delicious and was super excited about this cupcake blog! Thanks, man!

Like he said, the Malt Ball was fantastic. For someone who likes malted milkshakes but usually avoids malt balls, I enjoyed this cupcake. The moist chocolate cake left no doubt that it was fresh and the super creamy malt frosting had just the right amount of malt flavor to it--not too much, but noticeable. 

The Candy Corn cake was moist and fresh as well. I didn't necessarily find that "candy corn" taste in there, but it was still enjoyable nonetheless and is one fall flavor you don't usually see outside of regular candy corn. Nice touch!

Many people have asked me if I've been to Phoebe's yet and I am so glad to have finally visited here! Definitely worth the wait.

Super friendly staff, who obviously love the products they sell.

Indoor seating.

Coffee and espresso (obviously).

Cup·cake  \ˈkəp-ˌkāk\  vb  cup·caked; cup·cak·ing  1 : to seek out individually-sold cupcakes from local bakeries   2 : to pursue personal indulgence in treats comprised of cake, icing, and other luscious confections -- cup·cak·er n

Definition by M. Gravelle, with assistance from D.E.

Sweet Cakes Bakery

**HAPPY (British) NATIONAL CUPCAKE WEEK**
*Information updated as of Feb 2014

Name: Sweet Cakes Bakery

Neighborhood: Bucktown   *they've moved! 
Address:  1223 N. Milwaukee Ave. 

Map (link above): pink pin

Nearest El Transit Locations:

Division Blue Line Stop 

Hours: Mon - Sun 7am - 2pm *new hours!

Bake On-Site: Yes

Individual Cupcake Prices: 

Boxing/Packaging: Box without inserts

What makes this bakery special: 

Cupcake Happy Hour! When it's Happy Hour, cupcakes are buy two get one free. This is particularly refreshing not just for the free cupcake(s) but it ensures a sell-out-each-day meaning a guaranteed freshness the following day. Watch Twitter for updates. 

Cupcake Purchased and Reviewed:

Red Velvet

Cake: Red Velvet

with White Chocolate Cream Cheese

Top Left: Masala
Bottom Left: Butter Pecan
Right: Red Velvet

Appearance: 1

Size: Average

Bite #: 3

Moisture: 3
Price: $3.00

Masala Spice (mini)

Cake: Spice

Appearance: 2

Size: Small/mini 

Bite #: 1

Moisture: 2

Price: $1.40

Butter Pecan (mini)

Cake: Butter Pecan

Appearance: 2

Size: Small/mini

Bite #: 1

Moisture: 2

Price: FREE! (Cupcake Happy Hour)

Additional Notes:

I love Cupcake Happy Hour for three main reasons:
   1) Like I mentioned above, happy hour is a way for Sweet Cakes to productively sell out of cupcakes each day...
   2) ...which is also a way for us, the customers, to feel comfortable knowing that our sweet treats are baked fresh daily.
   3) Who doesn't love free cupcakes? (Buy two get one free!)
The Red Velvet was fantastic. I admit, I'm one of those people who doesn't really understand all the hype when it comes to red velvet (although the fact that the "red" comes from a chemical reaction is pretty fascinating) but I'll occasionally try one then and now. This time it was absolutely worth it! The cake was not soaked with red food dye (as a matter of fact it didn't seem dyed at all, making it even more authentic Red) and was the moistest red velvet I think I have ever had. Match this cake perfection with white chocolate cream cheese and you have yourself heaven on a plate! Seriously, if you're one of those Red Velveters I am telling you right now that you should stop reading at this point and go to Sweet Cakes immediately...hurry, they close at six!
The minis were also extremely flavorful and unique. The Masala cake was packed with spices as well as the frosting. The Butter Pecan cake had delicious pecan chunks in it and the frosting was smooth and buttery. Also, I like when bakeries offer minis for individual sale because if you're feeling caught between two or more flavors and/or if you just want a small, guilt-free indulgence they're just the thing you're looking for.
The owner is super friendly and was nice to talk with. It's always nice when owners are out on the floor working, socializing, and taking pride in their products. He also carefully packaged the cupcakes, tenderly cushioning them with tissue paper, so they didn't roll around in the box during commute.
Coffee, other pastries, wifi, indoor seating.

West Town Bakery

**HAPPY (British) NATIONAL CUPCAKE WEEK**

Name: West Town Bakery and Diner

Neighborhood: West Town / Ukrainian Village
Address: 1916 W Chicago Ave
Map (link above):  yellow pin

Nearest El Transit Locations:

Chicago Blue Line Stop (then either walk or take the Chicago bus)
Damen Blue Line Stop (then either walk--I did--or take the Damen bus)

(Bakery) Hours: 
Sun - Thur 7am - 9pm
Fri - Sat  7am - Midnight

Bake On-Site: Yes

Individual Cupcake Price: $2.25

Boxing/Packaging: Fitted Clam Shell
What makes this bakery special: 

This bakery is the most sustainable that a bakery can possibly be. They do everything possible, ranging from buying local to using green products and packaging to driving a hybrid delivery car to composting! 

Cupcake Purchased and Reviewed:

Left: Peach Cobbler
Right: Salted Caramel

Peach Cobbler (vegan)

Cake: Vanilla with Peaches

with Vanilla Frosting and Cinnamon Oat Streusel Crumbs filled with Peach Chutney

Appearance: 3

Size: Average

Bite #: 3

Moisture: 3+

Salted Caramel

Cake: Salted Vanilla

with Caramel Frosting sprinkled with salt filled with Homemade Caramel

Appearance: 2

Size: Average

Bite #: 3

Moisture: 3

Additional Notes:
I love this place! Honestly, it's a shame it's so close to my house; I already want to go back but I can't double visit bakeries yet because there are still so many others to go!
Everything here revolves around sustainability and inclusivity--two topics I find important as well. Sustainable by the products, practices, and beliefs. Inclusive by the products offered: vegan, nut-, sugar-, soy-, gluten-free options.
The full display case, even at 8PM, is stunning. Finally I was able to get me a peach cupcake--something I've tried to get my hands on all summer...and it's technically not even summer anymore! The Peach Cobbler met and exceeded my expectations: full flavor, moist cake, and the inability to describe it. You'll have to trust me on this one. It's good. Very good. The frosting had a grainy sugar texture which actually matched the cinnamon streusel topping brilliantly. I regretted having to split this one with D.E.  I just knew I should have just bought two.
The Salted Caramel was also very delicious. The frosting had a rich "earthy" caramel flavor (to quote D.E.) and went very well with the cake. The cake had a rich salted vanilla flavor (but was by no means "salty") and the moistness was secured by the caramel filling. Yum!
The employees were not only super friendly but the delightful lady who helped me out actually went out of her way to find an answer to a question that she didn't know the answer to. Excellent customer service is so very rare these days and I definitely know where it's at in good ol' West Town: it's here, at West Town Bakery. Thanks for that!
Indoor and outdoor seating.

TipsyCake

**HAPPY (British) NATIONAL CUPCAKE WEEK**

Name: TipsyCake

Neighborhood: Bucktown
Address: 1944 N Damen Ave
Map (link above): dark blue pin

Nearest El Transit Locations:
Damen Blue Line stop

Walk-In Hours: 

Tue - Sat  10am - 7pm

Sunday  12pm - 5pm

Bake On-Site: Yes

Boxing/Packaging: Chinese take-out box

What makes this bakery special: They offer cupcake decorating classes at a very reasonable price: $15 for 3 hours and offer other classes such as fondant classes. 

Cupcake Purchased and Reviewed:

Cookies and Cream

Cake: Vanilla

with Cookie Cream Buttercream

Appearance: 2

Size: Large

Bite #: 5

Moisture: 2

Price: $2.74 (with tax)

Additional Notes:

I admit, this shop is a little intimidating upon entering--it's quiet and nobody (save for two employees) is there. The facility is hosts events, such as parties,  and they focus more on large orders, such as weddings. At the counter to the left, there is a small display case (that honestly looks like part of the rest of the decorations in the shop) with a couple plates of cupcakes for sale. The cookies and cream cupcake I picked was boxed so adorably in a snug Chinese take-out box, wrapped in tissue paper. So dainty! The vanilla cake was a little dry but was nice and buttery. The frosting was where the party was at. It was a perfect blend of creamy, smooth, cookie crumb goodness. Easiest way to describe it: light, fluffy cookie dough. I do think this frosting would have been even more amazing if it were on a chocolate cupcake.
I sincerely look forward to taking some of their classes soon! 

Luscious Layers Bakery

**HAPPY (British) NATIONAL CUPCAKE WEEK**

Name: Luscious Layers Bakery

Neighborhood: Bucktown
Address: 2315 N Damen Ave
Map (link above): pink marker

Nearest El Transit Locations:
Damen Blue Line stop

Hours: 

Tue - Fri 10:30am - 5:30pm

Saturday 10am - 2pm

Bake On-Site: Yes

Individual Cupcake Prices (walk in): $1.00-2.25

Boxing/Packaging: Box w/out inserts

What makes this bakery special: 

Luscious is literally the closest you can get to a bakery-in-a-kitchen...outside of the kitchen of course. The storefront is a expansion of a home kitchen that went from baking for friends to baking for weddings and other huge events. Everything is extremely fresh and offers you a great opportunity to try the flavors without committing to a full cake. 

Cupcake Purchased and Reviewed:

The Watergate Cupcake

Cake: Pistachio

Chocolate Hazelnut (Left) and Watergate (Right)

with Vanilla Frosting and Pistachio Cream Filling

Appearance: 2

Size: Average 

Bite #: 3

Moisture: 3

Price: $2.25

Chocolate Hazelnut

Cake: Chocolate

with Chocolate Frosting and Hazelnut Mousse Filling

Appearance: 2

Size: Average 

Bite #: 3

Moisture: 3

Price: $1.00

Additional Notes:

First, the facility is absolutely breathtaking. Seriously. Immediately upon entering my nose and brain filled with the most delicious, fresh-baked smells I have ever experienced. The walls are decorated simply but elegantly with half tiered cakes protruding in an eat-me-now fashion. Yes, the display case is small, but it's packed with delicious, unique flavors. Luscious Layers really is more about wedding cakes (and other orders) but gives us, the community, the special opportunity to taste their creations at the individual cupcake level. I feel honored. 

The Watergate Cupcake was pistachio (!!!) cake with fluffy, creamy, almost savory filling--this was my favorite part. The cake flavor was a little subtle, but the pistachio was definitely detectable. The frosting was extremely sugary and I wish the cupcake was iced with the delicious filling. Seriously, I was all about the filling. Yum! 

*If anybody knows the Watergate reference with pistachio please let me know (comment below). 

The Chocolate with Hazelnut Mousse was amazing and most definitely worth the ONE DOLLAR I spent on it. I actually felt guilty for paying such a low price when I realized how fantastic it was. The cake was super moist and fresh, with delectable hazelnut mousse filling. The frosting, oh, the frosting...it was more like styled fudge than chocolate frosting--extremely thick, rich, and smooth. Like my cupcaking partner D.E. noted, "It was a better Nutella cupcake than the Peanut Butter Nutella Cupcake from Molly's." I agree wholeheartedly. 

Last--and this may seem silly but--the cupcakes were in decorated paper baking cups (polka dots and shiny green) which really added to their appearance. Beautiful!

I will definitely return to Luscious. I can't wait!

(And again, the prices were more than fantastic!)