More Cupcakes

Name: More Cupcakes

Neighborhood: Gold Coast
Address: 1 E Delaware Pl.
Map (link above): yellow marker

Nearest El Transit Locations:

Chicago Red Line stop

Hours: 

Mon* - Fri 8am - 9pm

Sat 9am - 9pm

*Open Mondays for advance order pickup

Bake On-Site: Yes

Individual Cupcake Prices: $3.50-6.00

Boxing/Packaging: Chinese take-out box with inserts!

What makes this bakery special: 

More offers not only many unique sweet flavors but offers many savory flavors, too! See? Cupcakes are for everyone! A few examples of their savory cupcakes are Artichoke Lemon Parmesan, Bacon Bourbon Peach, and BLT. (I couldn't bring myself to venture from sweetness this time around, sorry.)

Cupcakes Purchased and Reviewed:

S'More

Cake: Chocolate
with Marshmallow filling and Honey Cinnamon Buttercream
Appearance: 3
Size: Large 
Bite #: 5
Moisture: 2
Price: $3.50

Salted Caramel

Cake: Yellow
with Caramel filling and Caramel Buttercream
Appearance: 2
Size: Large
Bite #: 5
Moisture: 2
Price: $3.50

Red Velvet*

Cake: Red Velvet
with Cream Cheese frosting and a red candy on top
Appearance: 3
Size: Large
Bite #: 5
Moisture: 2
Price: $3.50

Additional Notes:

(I stopped in a few days after my visit to take this photo
of the display case at its fullest--earlier in the day.)

S'more cupcakes are tricky. I've had some before but none compare to this one. More's S'more cupcake was absolutely fantastic. Their combination of the chocolate cake with marshmallow filling topped with honey cinnamon buttercream is...well, I'm literally lost for words. I liked the chocolate cake instead of graham cake, like the s'mores cupcakes I've had before. The marshmallow filling made it feel more like I was eating a real s'more. And the buttercream was to die for! Rarely does frosting catch my attention!

The filling in the Salted Caramel was the best part. It wasn't too sticky or overpowering and moistened the surrounding cake quite nicely. The buttercream was pretty good, too. The caramel flavor was subtle, but not hidden.

"The cream cheese was delectable [on the Red Velvet*]." -C.D., one of my cupcaking partners, who plans on returning to More.

All packaged up and ready to go!

The display case is beautiful and super mod; it was designed to look like an exhibit in the Museum of Modern Art. We went to More around 6:00pm (about 3 hours before they closed) and found the flavor selection smaller than expected and nearly sold out. I advise stopping by More earlier in the day to ensure the fabulous selection is actually there to choose from.

Counter inside for standing/eating.

Best for quick stop in and take-out.

Some flavors that I want to try next time include Cappuccino, Chocolate Champagne, and White Russian. Whoo! (Their menu/flavors aren't listed on the website so I picked up a seasonal product list from the store. Fyi.)

Secure inserts with notches!

You can tell a lot about a cupcakery by how they box/package cupcakes. My favorite thing about More is their care for cupcakes. At first I was nervous for the cupcakes when I saw the take-out boxes but when I realized there were inserts I was thrilled! The boxes were also secured by the seal on the outside too and the bag was nice and shallow so the wind couldn't blow them easily as I walked down the street with them. Nice touch, More!

* denotes this cupcake was enjoyed by my partner, C.D.

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.