(Cupcake) Velveting

I'll never really understand the "red velvet craze." People go nuts for it. Is it chocolate? Is it vanilla? Who knows? (Actually I do: A "classic" red velvet cake is made with cocoa powder and apple cider vinegar which together create a chemical reaction, turning the batter a brownish-red color.) 

I'd go for a rich vanilla cupcake or a smooth chocolate one before going red, yet, today we trekked through the frosty Chicago cold in the search for the best red velvet cake to order for an upcoming birthday. We only made it to a few bakeries but it was interesting to compare one cake flavor across the board. I admit, I won't be having red velvet for a good long while after eating so much of it in one sitting, but, congratulations to our winner of the day, Sweet Sensations!

Contestants: Swirlz, Sweet Sensations, Sweet Mandy B's, Molly's, and Bake.

Interested in visiting these bakeries? Locate 'em here!

George's Ice Cream and Sweets

Name: George's Ice Cream and Sweets

Neighborhood: Andersonville
Address: 5306 N. Clark Street
Map (link above): yellow pin
Nearest El Transit Locations: Berwyn Red Line Stop
Hours:
Mon - Thur  12pm - 10pm
Friday 12pm - 11pm
Saturday 11am - 11pm
Sunday 11am - 10pm
Bake On-Site: Yes
Individual Cupcake Price: $
Boxing/Packaging: Box with inserts
What makes this bakery special: George's is what Andersonville is all about: fun, eco-concious, accepting, and laid-back. At George's, these qualities shine from the atmosphere, staff members, and products. Good customer service is a lost art and you'll be sure to find it here.

Cupcakes Purchased and Reviewed:
German Chocolate
Cake: Chocolate
with Coconut pecan topping rolled in chocolate shavings
Appearance: 2
Size: Large (tall for average)
Bite #: 5
Moisture: 3

Red Velvet
Cake: Red Velvet
with Cream Cheese Frosting
Appearance: 2
Size: Large (tall for average)
Bite #: 5
Moisture: 3

Additional Notes:

From past posts you may recall that I'm not a big coconut fan, therefore German chocolate is usually not something I actively seek out, and that I somehow missed the Red Velvet train and don't really see what all the fuss is about. Well, George's is apparently where I can find the German Chocolate and Red Velvet made to my liking.  Both cakes were smooth, rich, and fresh. The German, like at Sweet Sensations, was made of regular rich chocolate cake, not the lighter german as per expected. The topping was rich, chocolaty (due to the tasty and aesthetically pleasing chocolate shavings), and loaded with carmel-y goodness.  The Red Velvet...well, if all RV cupcakes were made like this I could definitely understand the RV craze better.
*NERD ALERT: RV, if you didn't know, is technically neither vanilla nor chocolate cake. In theory, it's a halfway point, made with cocoa powder which reacts with apple cider vinegar or another agent to chemically turn the batter a reddish brown.*
What I've experienced many a time in the past is a botch RV cupcake, with an unnecessary amount of red food dye and not enough cocoa powder (or perhaps lack of a decent chemical reaction) to give the traditional, pseudo-chocolaty flavor.  So, well done, George's! The rich cake exceeded my expectations and the rich cream cheese frosting paired perfectly.
The staff are all friendly and enthusiastic.  I regret not staying in and eating there.  Inside, it's spacious, hip, comfortable, and warm.  Aside from tables, there are gushy-looking arm chairs and couch(es?) to lounge in.  Next time I'm in the area, I'm going to take advantage of such a space to relax and enjoy cupcakes with coffee.
p.s. They also have vegan options!

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!

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.

Lovely: A Bake Shop

**HAPPY (British) NATIONAL CUPCAKE WEEK**

Name: Lovely: A Bake Shop

Neighborhood: Noble Square / West Town
Address: 1130 N Milwaukee Ave
Map (link above): bright blue pins

Nearest El Transit Locations:
Division Blue Line stop

Hours: 

Mon - Fri  7am - 6pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 4pm
Other Chicago Location: 
Edgewater, 1138 W Bryn Mawr Ave

Bake On-Site: Yes (at both locations)

Individual Cupcake Price: $1.75-3.00 (dependent on size and flavor)

Boxing/Packaging: Box w/out inserts

What makes this bakery special: Lovely is the perfect authentic neighborhood bakery example. The owners are known for being social butterflies, they bring true Southern-ness to their baked goods, and they both graduated from Chicago's own French Pastry School.

Cupcake Purchased and Reviewed:

Red Velvet "Mini"

Cake: Red Velvet

with Cream Cheese Frosting

Appearance: 2

Size: Average (even though they call it "mini"!)

Bite #: 3

Moisture: 2
Price: $2.00

Chocolate "Mini"

Cake: Chocolate

with Chocolate Buttercream

Appearance: 2

Size: Average (even though they call it "mini"!)

Bite #: 3

Moisture: 2
Price: $1.75 

Additional Notes:
This surprisingly-not-so-small bakery welcomes guests with delicious smells and a comfortable, small farm town general store feel. The displays are warm, wood furniture items which, somehow, makes them seem even more appetizing.
The chocolate cupcake had a smooth, rich chocolate buttercream which matched the rich, spongy cake wonderfully.
The red velvet was obviously the product of true Southerners: creamy, smooth cream cheese frosting with cake that wasn't saturated with red dye (a problem with many other red velvets).
Cupcakes can be found in two sizes here: jumbo and mini. The mini's, as noted above, are actually the average size of homemade cupcakes--averaging a 2" diameter--meaning, matched with the prices and quality, are a terrific value!
Spacious indoor seating.
Full espresso bar.
Full menu.

Sweet Ride (Truck): Take Two

At the West Town Food Truck Social today I saw Gigi's (which is where I bought my dessert), the More Mobile, and Sweet Ride. Now, since I've been to Sweet Ride before I didn't purchase from them for myself, but my sister did and I couldn't resist posting about it:

For this event Sweet Ride had trio sets of mini cupcakes*. The one my sister got included Birthday Cake, Red Velvet, and Salted Caramel. Like I noted about their cupcake back in April, she reported that the cake was a little more dense/"dry" than expected but she absolutely loved the salted caramel. AND the best part about that particular cupcake is that it was filled! I couldn't believe a mini cupcake was filled! Adorable!

So, thank you Sweet Ride. Cute!

*I did not personally enjoy these cupcakes but just had to post about them.

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.