Sugar Bliss [2]

My ongoing search to find the perfect pistachio cupcake continued today. As this week's Sugar Bliss seasonal flavor, it did not disappoint. Simply opening the carefully packed cupcake box gave my nostrils a delightful overdose of the fantastic nutty aroma I expect from a pistachio cupcake. Pistachio is a bold, pronounced flavor and here, you'll find it.

Pistachio
Cake: Pistachio
with Pistachio Buttercream topped with Pistachios
Size: Average
Bite #: 3
Moisture: 2

Fluffy, tasteful cake matched with creamy, sugary, pistachio-y frosting satisfied the taste buds. Like I said the last time I tried Sugar Bliss, the frostings are packed with flavor, but are a little too sweet for my taste. Even still, their pistachio buttercream is my favorite overall so far.

Magnolia Bakery

Name: Magnolia Bakery

Neighborhood: Loop
Address: 108 N. State St.
Map (link above): Light Blue Dotted Marker
Nearest El Transit Locations:

Washington Blue Line Stop

Lake Red Line Stop

Randolph/Wabash Stop: Brown, Pink, Green, Purple, Orange Lines
Hours:
Mon - Thur: 7:30am - 9:00pm
Friday: 7:30 am - midnight
Saturday: 8:00am - midnight
Sunday 8:00am - 8:00pm

Bake On-Site: Yes
Individual Cupcake Prices: $3.25 - 4.00
Boxing/Packaging: box with inserts
What makes this bakery special: Magnolia is famous worldwide for their cupcakes and signature frosting swirl. Also, Magnolia is certified Kosher and donates daily to local food pantries.

Cupcakes Purchased and Reviewed:
Pistachio
Cake: Pistachio
with Pistachio Meringue Buttercream
Appearance: 2
Size: Average
Bite #: 3
Moisture: 3

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

Additional Notes:
The quest to find a perfect pistachio cupcake perhaps has come to an end. Magnolia's pistachio cupcakes are absolutely fantastic: lingering, rich nutty flavor, moist cake, and creamy frosting.
The vanilla cupcake had almost an overdose of delicious buttercream frosting which was paired with a light, buttery cake.
Magnolia swirls their cupcakes individually by hand and it takes sometimes weeks to perfect it. Each cupcake is carefully prepared to be devoured.
The store is cozy and warm with indoor and outdoor seating. Finding it is a little difficult because the mall it is in, Block 37, doesn't look like a mall (more like a huge business-y spaceship). From the outside the Magnolia sign is hard to see, so just look for Sephora or Puma and you'll know you're basically there.
Coffee/espresso.

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!

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!

The Cupcake Counter

Name: The Cupcake Counter

Neighborhood: Loop

Address: 229 W Madison 

Map (link above): dark blue marker

Nearest El Transit Locations: 

Washington/Wells Brown, Orange, Pink, Purple lines
Washington Blue line

Hours: 

Mon-Fri 7am-6pm

Bake On-Site: Yes

Individual Cupcake Prices: $3.00-3.50

Boxing/Packaging: Deep, secure box with inserts

What makes this bakery special:

A portion of the proceeds from certain cupcakes throughout the year support charitable work, such as the PB&J cupcake in May for National Foster Care Awareness Month.
Committed to green initiatives such as using 100% recyclable packaging, purchasing supplies from local vendors, and participating in a private recycling program.

Cupcakes Purchased and Reviewed: 

Pomegranate Berry

Cake: Pomegranate Berry

with Pomegranate Berry Frosting

Vanilla/Vanilla (left) and Pomegranate Berry (right)

Appearance: 3

Size: Average

Bite #: 3

Moisture: 3 (or even an imaginary 4!)

Price: $3.00

Vanilla/Vanilla
Cake: Buttercake
with Vanilla Frosting
Appearance: 3
Size: Average
Bite #: 3
Moisture: 3
Price: $3.00

Ice Cream Sandwich

Ice Cream Sandwich Cupcake
Cake: Chocolate*

with Vanilla Frosting                                          

Size: Average cupcake with one scoop of vanilla bean ice cream

Price: $4.00

*You can choose from any of the cupcakes!

Additional Notes:

Pomegranate Berry cake was super, super moist, fruity and had delicious berry chunks in it. The frosting was fluffy and light, which complimented the dense cake well. Overall, it tasted similar to Berry Pop Tarts.
The Ice Cream Sandwich cupcake is truly unique. You get to choose which of the cupcakes you want to have turned into an ice cream sandwich and they take the exact cupcake you chose, split it in two, add the ice cream, and hand it right over. I've never been much of a cake-and-ice-cream person but this was absolutely delicious! I will be back for another. That's a promise.
The vanilla cupcake was nice and moist (definitely can tell it was just baked fresh!) and the frosting was nice and smooth with no aftertaste, and perhaps a faint trace of lemon? Delicious regardless.
Cupcakes are baked in small batches throughout the day making them especially fresh.
Very, very tiny store...it's easy to miss (which makes it a true hidden gem) so pay attention when looking for it.
Simple shop and display but really unique, homemade products.
I recommend a quick drop in, although there is a small counter inside with a few stools. (But don't skip out on chatting with the friendly and enthusiastic staff!)

Crumbs

Name: Crumbs Bake Shop

Neighborhood: Loop

Address: 134 N LaSalle Street

Map (link above): red dotted markers

Nearest El Transit Locations: 

Clark/Lake station Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Pink, Purple lines

Washington Blue line

Washington/Wells Brown, Orange, Pink, Purple lines

Hours: 

Mon - Fri 7am - 7pm

Other Chicago Locations:

West Madison, 303 W Madison

River North, 346 N Clark

South Clark, 42 S Clark

Bake On-Site: No (have a distribution center in Chicagoland area)

Individual Cupcake Prices: $4.50 ("Signature" size) and $3 ("Classic" size)

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

They have two cupcake sizes available for single purchase: Signature (all varieties available) and Classic (chocolate and vanilla). Their Signature size cupcakes are huge, and famous for it.

Cupcakes Purchased and Reviewed: 

Milkshake Cupcake

Cake: Marble (Chocolate and Vanilla Swirl)

with Chocolate and Vanilla Swirled Cream Cheese and Cream Cheese Filling

Appearance: 3

Size: X-Large

Vanilla/Vanilla (right) and Milkshake cupcake (left)

Bite #: 7

Moisture: 3
Price: $4.50 (Signature)

Vanilla/Vanilla
Cake: Vanilla
with Vanilla Cream Cheese
Appearance: 1
Size: X-Large
Bite #: 7
Moisture: 2
Price: $4.50 (Signature)

Additional Notes:
These cupcakes are huge! I mean like solid cake-y softballs. For some, that may be something attractive of Crumbs, but personally I like to enjoy my cupcakes as a snack or dessert, in one sitting, instead of as a meal themselves.
The cream cheese filling of the Milkshake cupcake was strange and unexpected with an almost banana or malty flavor to it. The cake was rich and super moist,  and the vanilla swirl portion complimented the chocolate swirl portion in harmony.
The vanilla cupcake was moist, but seemed dry to the taste. The frosting was grainy (I mean, it's just sugar granules) and left a unique coating in my mouth. Overall, I liked the vanilla in the Milkshake marble cake much better.
The frosting-to-cake ratio was smaller than expected for such a large cupcake (which in my case was kind of nice because I prefer a small amount of frosting with cake anyway).
Cupcake selection is very diverse.
Quick service.
Set up for a quick drop in or you can eat at one of the many sizable indoor tables.

Sugar Bliss

Name: Sugar Bliss Cake Boutique 

Neighborhood: Loop
Address: 115 N. Wabash

Map (link above): bright purple dotted markers

Nearest El Transit Locations: 

Randolph/Wabash station Brown, Pink, Orange, Green, Purple lines

Lake station Red line

Washington station Blue line

Hours: 

Monday - Friday: 8 am - 7 pm

Saturday: 9 am - 6 pm

Sunday: 10 am - 5 pm

Other Chicago Location:

River North, 509 N. Orleans (updated 4/27/13)

Bake On-Site: Yes

Individual Cupcake Prices: $3.50 each (regular size) and $1.50 each (mini size)

Boxing/Packaging: Deep, secure box with inserts

What makes this bakery special:

Cupcakes are available in two individual-portion sizes, mini and regular, both available for individual sale. Most regular-sized flavors are available in mini size. Score!
They also offer monthly Cupcake and Wine Tastings, where ticket holders get six mini cupcakes paired with wine. A portion of the proceeds goes to a different charity/organization each month!

Cupcakes Purchased and Reviewed:

Chocolate Peppermint

Vanilla/Vanilla (Left) and Chocolate Peppermint (Right)

Cake: Dark chocolate 

with Chocolate Peppermint Buttercream

Size: Average
Bite #: 3

Appearance: 3

Moisture: 3
Price: $3.50 (regular size)

Regular sized cupcake options: top and middle sections
Mini sized cupcake options: middle and lower sections

Vanilla/Vanilla 

Cake: Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla
with Vanilla Buttercream
Size: Average
Bite #: 3
Appearance: 3
Moisture: 2
Price: $3.50 (regular size)

Additional Notes:

Buttercream on both cupcakes was airy, very sugary, slightly grainy but still smooth.
The peppermint buttercream had a pronounced mint flavor but it wasn't overpowering. The chocolate cake was very light and fluffy.
The vanilla cupcake was slightly dry but not unbearable. The frosting is what made this cupcake, even if it is a little too sugary for my personal liking. 

Small shop with some seating by the street-view window but more set up for a quick stop in. 

Quick service.

Nice full display of cupcakes and multiple options.
The door in the background of the above photo leads into the kitchen where the cupcakes are baked fresh. It's cool to be able to see that for yourself as a cupcake enthusiast (and general consumer!). 

Easy to find and close to multiple El trains.

Gia Via Sweets (Truck)

Name: Gia Via Sweets
Chicagoland area
See website for weekly locations and hours

Peanut Butter Cupper
Cake: Chocolate
with Peanut Butter Buttercream
Appearance: 2
Size: Average
Bite #: 3
Price: $3.60
Boxing/Packaging: Fitted clam shell

Additional Notes:

Buttercream: Oh so creamy!
Nice selection.
Loop of Chicago

Sweet Ride (Truck)

Name: Sweet Ride
Chicagoland area
See website for weekly locations and hours

Vanilla/Vanilla
Cake: Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Cake
with Vanilla Buttercream
Appearance: 1
Size: Average
Bite #: 3
Price: $3.25
Boxing/Packaging: Fitted clam shell

Additional Notes:

Although this truck is kind of shady it is legit and adorably small. AND they were outside my school on my birthday! Score!

In Loop of Chicago