Vanilla Bake Shop

After a brief pause from purchasing cupcakes due to sugar overload, I’m back with more goodies. The Vanilla Bake Shop is located in Santa Monica near the 3rd Street Promenade. I wanted to venture here because I’m always at the Promenade, but I didn’t visit that bakery. There wasn’t parking near the bakery as far as I could tell, but a quick stop at the public parking structures wasn’t too far away to deter my curiosity.

The staff was friendly if a bit rushed to finish my order. There were several people coming in and out, but not so much as to create a panic. As for the tables, there was a small group holding a meeting there, but with the size of the shop, it doesn’t really make you want to sit around for long.

A large display case covered about half the space with a couple of chairs and tables nearby. There was a large menu of flavors that rotate everyday and seasonal sweets, I had to try a little bit of everything. First off, I had to get cupcakes…I tried 6 flavors out of the many they have and that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Then, I saw that they just put the French macaroons out and I snagged a dozen, two in each flavor.

Taste Test

It was the first time I ever had French Macaroons and I was pleasantly surprised. A nice crisp shell with a soft cream in the center, it’s a good combination. The only thing that didn’t appeal to me was that it seemed to have too much sugar in the macaroon. I’m not sure if it’s supposed to taste as such, but that’s what it seemed like with this batch of macaroons. This experience opened my eyes to French macaroons and I think this will be a new love.

As for the cupcakes, I ordered the following flavors: red velvet, vanilla bean, old school, choolate raspberry, spicy carrot, and chocolate banana. Each cupcake had a unique flavor and interesting combinations. I have to say that the red velvet, the vanilla bean, and the old school weren’t that memorable. The chocolate raspberry, the spicy carrot, and the chocolate banana definitely stood out as well-thought out items with great ingredients. The cupcake to frosting ratio was about even and it was tasty. The look of the cupcake reminded me a bit of Sprinkles and plastic cupcakes but the taste more than made up for it. Overall, pretty good cupcakes, but it would be even better in a mini-cupcake size.

Go for the mini-cupcakes and get a good mix of flavors in your mouth.

Pictures

Store Info

Vanilla Bake Shop

512 Wilshire Blvd.

Santa Monica, CA 90401

Yummy Cupcakes

As I was wandering Santa Monica, I happened to notice Yummy Cupcakes bakery. It seemed pretty cute from the outside and even though it was late, it was still open. There was a fairly large display case of all their various cupcakes. Luckily, we went in there right before it closed and picked up a few goodies. The customer next to us was raving about the cupcakes and we thought we made a good deal getting these cupcakes. She was eating one at the counter too…so it seemed like a good bet since the lady said she comes here almost every day.

Taste Test

For the taste test, we tried the Red Velvet cupcake, the Carrot Cake, the Old School (Hostess looking one), and a chocolate fudge cupcake.

The Red Velvet looked darker in color than I expected, it was dark reddish almost brown. The frosting was applied sideways, so it was flat, which was ok, but make the cupcake look a bit deflated. At first bite, all I could taste was how dry the cake was and it crumbled apart afterwards. The cake lacked the usual red velvet texture and flavor. It was more of a regular chocolate cake. The cream cheese frosting was flavorful, not so sweet, but somehow, it didn’t match the cake.

Then, I had the Carrot cupcake. Once again, the cake was lacked moisture and even had a strange flavor. It was not the usual carrot cake and it was bland. There was no cinnamon accent and few walnuts, if any. However, there were raisins in there that didn’t quite help the situation. As for the frosting, it was ok, but not memorable.

Onto the chocolate cupcakes. The Old School had white frosting in the middle and it tasted like a regular chocolate cupcake, just dry. The same goes for the chocolate fudge cupcake. It had fudge in the middle of the cupcake, but other than that, the cake itself was dry. There was nothing special about these two. The chocolate frosting was ok and not too sweet.

This was quite a disappointing adventure, especially because the customer next us highly recommended this place. I’m not sure I agree and perhaps it’s because I came at the end of the day that the cupcakes were sub-par, but even so, I expect more from a place called Yummy Cupcakes. They were not yummy.

Pictures

Store Info

Yummy Cupcakes

313 Wilshire Blvd.

Santa Monica, CA90401

Auntie Em’s Kitchen

This post is long overdue, but I must say that Auntie Em’s makes delicious cupcakes that taste like heaven!

I finally had the nerve to drive over to Eagle Rock and experience Auntie Em’s in all it’s glory. Luckily for me, I got in during the slower days…even though it was pretty packed, I got in ok. The set up is very kitschy with a vintage feel. The walls are in various colors with floral oilcloths and such. It had a laidback vibe where everyone knows everyone…or it kind of felt like it. The restaurant portion is really good with great food and decent service. As for the bakery, if you’re planning to get a lot of stuff, order ahead just to make sure they don’t run out. But if you just want to sample, they do have many things to choose from. The counter is really small off to the side of the store, but it’s simple and easy. The treats aren’t displayed all that prominently, but if you know what’s good for you, go for the cupcakes!

Taste Test

Luckily, I got to try all 4 flavors of Auntie Em’s cupcakes and each one is quite delicious. To begin, I had the coconut cupcake with cream cheese frosting. It was a standard coconut cupcake, with a slight coconut flavor. The cupcake was really moist and soft and flavorful, but it didn’t really stand out as an amazing cupcake. The frosting ratio to cupcake leaned largely on the frosting side, which is good if you love frosting. Personally, I could do without 1/3 of the frosting, but it’s still delicious. The frosting was sweet without being overpowering, moist without sugar crystals in it, and balanced out the crumbly texture of the cake. A solid choice but there’s more to go.

Second, I had the chocolate cupcake. The frosting to cupcake ratio is the same as the coconut, but with a different feel. Once again, the cupcake was really moist and flavorful. Now this is a chocolate cupcake. It wasn’t sugary sweet and the cocoa in the cupcake was so delicious! The frosting wasn’t sweet either and it had a mousse-like consistency. If you love chocolate….real chocolate, not milk chocolate…this is for you!

Afterwards, I tried the carrot cake cupcake. Same basic structure as the previous cupcakes, but the carrot cake was amazing! This was moist, slightly tangy, sweet, nutty…everything a carrot cake should be and more! The frosting matched perfectly and balanced out the cake. I don’t think I’ve had a better carrot cake!

Finally, the red velvet. I hoped that this cupcake would live up to its title as a great red velvet cupcake since it did beat Bobby Flay’s on the show the Throwdown with Bobby Flay. Then again, he’s no baker…so it can’t really compare right? Anyways, back to the food. This red velvet melts in your mouth. A great deep red color, a soft, moist, crumbly texture…and cream cheese frosting that tastes like cream cheese…what more can a girl as for? It’s a perfect red velvet cupcake and nothing can compare. (Well, I happen to like the tangy accent in SusieCakes frosting better, but this is a traditional red velvet!)

The final verdict is to go for the red velvet, the carrot cake, and the chocolate cupcake. The coconut is good, but it doesn’t blow me away.

Pictures

I didn’t have my camera with me for the other treats, but they are just as delicious!

Store Info

Auntie Em’s Kitchen

4616 Eagle Rock Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90041

Buttercake Bakery

The second cupcakery.

When I walked into the bakery, it wasn’t what I expected at all. There was a small counter of their baked goods and the entire kitchen was in full view of the customer…and the workers didn’t look happy. There was one person working the counter and he was so casual about the items that it seemed like this was just another job for him. Three tables to my left indicated that people could sit down and eat, but it looked like few ever chose that option. As for the baked items, there wasn’t much selection and it wasn’t displayed all that prettily…but I wanted to give this place a try.

I ordered a Red Velvet cupcake, the Vanilla Buttercream cupcake, and a Lemon Bar. The total came out to about $7, which was actually quite cheap and if they were good, I’d luck out!

Onto the Taste Test

First, the Red Velvet cupcake. The color of the cupcake looked darker than I’ve seen, it had a reddish brown look to it as if they added too much cocoa to the batter. The frosting and the sprinkles were appealing and I hoped they were delicious. At first bite, I was saddened. The cake tasted more like a day old, crumbly chocolate cake than a Red Velvet. Then, the frosting was so sweet I couldn’t even make out the cream cheese and the sprinkles just didn’t work…it was just more sugar overkill.

Then, I went for the lemon bar as a break. It had a good appearance, the texture was smooth and custard-like. It tasted like eggs…and only eggs. After a second, I was hit with a sweet kick and a slight lemon flavor. The eggy  taste and the abundance of sugar did not help. I was saddened.

Afterwards, I figured I should try the Vanilla Buttercream because it seemed to be Buttercake’s signature cupcake. It looked pretty enough, but I was a bit skeptical. The cupcake was dry…and the vanilla flavor was minimal at best. However, the frosting was buttery, which was a plus. Still, the large amount of sugar in the frosting made it difficult to take. It was another sugar overload.

I heard pretty decent reviews about this place, but it might have just been hype. The cupcakes were dry and uninspired while the frosting had way too much sugar. I’d have to say that this isn’t one of the better places and I would bake on my own than venture to this establishment.

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Store Info

Buttercake Bakery

10595 W. Pico Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90064

SusieCakes

I finally decided to try out the whole cupcakery trend…starting with SusieCakes! I’ve had Sprinkles before, but I wasn’t too impressed. Recently I heard that this place is pretty darn good, so I wanted to try it. There was parking in the back of the plaza where the shop sits, which definitely eased the process. As LA is known for lack of parking, this was not the case. The shop itself is absolutely adorable with a cafe-style setup of tables, chairs, and the bakery counter. There were so many delectable delights, I wasn’t sure what to try out first.

The staff seemed friendly enough, though a bit bored. One young woman was quite entertaining as she jovially described the various treats to another customer. The other two staff members just stood around looking snooty, bored, and busy. However, once I caught a staff members attention, they were helpful in getting my desserts. I ordered the Red Velvet, the Mint Chocolate, and the Coconut cupcakes as well as a small Key Lime Pie. The total came out to $20 for 4 cupcakes and a small pie. A bit pricey, but this is supposed to be gourmet dessert…so I let it slide.

Onto the Taste Test

The Coconut cupcake was pretty standard. The cake itself was really moist and soft with a hint of coconut flavor. The frosting was just right, not too much and not too little. Plus, the coconut flakes on top rounded out the entire experience. The Mint Chocolate cupcake was also pretty average. There was a slight minty flavor in the chocolate cake itself and same with the frosting. It looked pretty enough, but it tasted like a homemade cupcake should. The only difference…the moistness and the texture…that’s something that can’t be homemade. As for the Key Lime Pie, it was divine! The custard was set just right and the cream had the perfect amount of sweetness without overpowering the pie. It was a hit with the roommates.

The Red Velvet is its signature dessert and it was amazing. The cake was moist, soft, and smooth…it was unbelievable! The frosting was smooth, creamy and tangy…it was a great complement to the cake. Normally, cream cheese frosting doesn’t have that tangy bite, but this was a great addition. The sprinkles were small, light, and added just a touch of extra sweetness to the whole cupcake. It was by far my most delicious red velvet cupcake….and this is only the beginning!

Update: Then again, I should have known why the Red Velvet is so delicious….they won first place at a cupcake challenge.

Pictures

Store Info

SusieCakes

11708 San Vicente Blvd. (at Barrington Ave.)

Los Angeles, CA 90049

(other locations: Newport Beach and Calabasas)