I think about cupcakes a lot. Aside from baking them, buying them, and analyzing their merits on an all too regular basis, I also read about them in the paper, in cookbooks, and online. After a great deal of thought and introspection on the sweet subject, I’ve concluded that cupcake lovers can be divided into two camps: In-the-Box and Out-of-the-Box.
Team In-the-Box seeks a cupcake that tastes like it came from Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines’ oven. The cake is fluffy and airy, while the frosting is unabashedly sweet and messily applied. These folks are of the thought that nothing tastes better than childhood nostalgia and embrace joints like Yummy Cupcakes (Santa Monica, Glendale) and Violet’s Cakes (Pasadena) with all of their sugary hearts.
Team Out-of-the-Box desires a more unique and thoughtful product—a cupcake so special that it cannot be replicated at home, unless of course one’s pantry contains Madagascar bourbon vanilla and imported sprinkles. The cake tends to be dense, yet moist, while the easier-on-the-sugar frosting is always stylishly applied. Cupcakeries like Sprinkles Cupcakes (Beverly Hills) and Dots Cupcakes (Pasadena) hit a home run with this crowd.
As Captain of Team Out-of-the-Box, Crumbs Bake Shop didn’t sweep me off of my feet. The vanilla cake with chocolate cream cheese frosting ($2.95) tasted disappointingly ordinary with strangely buttery tones—I swore I was eating a pound cake. While the cupcake was pleasant enough to avoid being tossed in the bin half eaten, it lacked the “specialness” that I desire in a boutique cupcake experience. After all, if I’m going to go through the trouble of procuring a premium-priced cupcake, it sure as heck better taste better than something I could crank out at home. Another factor working against Crumbs’ cupcake was its bulk. Even with my extraordinary chompers, I could not manage a clean bite from top to bottom. Please note that Crumbs offers an even larger size than the one I ate for $3.75. That’s crazy talk, I say.
POWER RANKINGS
Sprinkles Cupcakes > Dots Cupcakes > Vanilla Bake Shop > Crumbs Bake Shop > Auntie Em’s Kitchen > Yummy Cupcakes > Violet’s Cakes.
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Crumbs Bake Shop
9465 S. Santa Monica Boulevard
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Phone: 310-550-9811
I’m an equal opportunity cupcake eater. But, of course, in or out-of-the-box, it should be yummy.
I guess I’m more out of the box. I can do in the box, but only in non-premium venues (ie, end of the shopping trip, walk past the bakery, think to oneself, “Self! I have not had any processed fake buttercream in over 3 hours!” and buy disgusting, spray-colored white cupcake with a theme topping).
From a professional bakery, I want to see interesting flavors and perfect frosting technique. Otherwise, I could do it myself, as you say. And I make good cupcakes, so…
Did you hear that Magnolia is coming to the West Coast? To LA, in particular.
http://losangeles.grubstreet.com/2009/08/magnolias_cupcakes_could_be_co.html
I would consider myself an out-a-boxer. I tried plenty of cupcake places in NY, all of which did not include Crumbs even though I lived across the street from it. Just from the cupcake’s size and somewhat generic look, I could tell that those cupcakes were not going to be worth my time.
Hold the phone…. Sprinkles serves your favorite cupcakes??!? This is extraordinarly pleasing to me because… (drum roll drum roll drum roll)
I LOVE SPRINKLES!
We are soooooo at least 50% compatible!
I think you might enjoy Susie Cakes too, though they are fluffier than the Sprinkles and the frosting is a bit more sloppy. Either way, they blow Crumbs out of the cupcake waters, and they have whoopie pies and free samples there too!
Have you had the cupcakes at Cookie Casa? They are very straight forward but one of the best I have ever tasted!!
How can you rank Vanilla Bake Shop third?! I too am an out of the box cupcaker but their cupcakes are horrible! Dry cakes, overly sweet frostings and overpriced. They claim to use high end products when really it’s just Hershy’s chocolate and frozen fruits. Doesn’t anyone remember Leda’s?
gastronome: I not likee sprinkles. I’m filing for dissolution of soulmateship. and bigger than cupcake size should be called “bowlsized” or, let’s be honest, cake-sized cupcake. truth in advertising, i believes in it.
the cupcake in the picture looks home made too.
i used to get crumbs all the time, in fact i went the first day they opened in Beverly Hills. i ate there because the cupcakes were so big compared to sprinklers, plus they usually didn’t have a line, but the cupcakes aren’t as good.
You must try the cupcakes at Bottega Louie Downtown. Smaller but thick with frosting and very moist. Bite for bite, my favorite. I do like Sprinkles, Antie Em’s and the Cobbler Lady as well!
Crumbs is my favorite. I love walking past Sprinkles and cackling at the people standing in line.
Oh I’m not much of a cupcake lover. But, when I heard Polkatots in Pasadena won the Southern Cal cupcake bakeoff, well I had to try. And, I can see why. About the only cupcake that I like.
I agree. Crumbs is really blah for me. Tonnie’s here in the West Village is certainly the best! And if you make it out to the east coast, don’t believe the hype about Magnolia Bakery. Its cake is dried out and the icing is mediocre.
I agree wholeheartedly with RecipeOfTheWeek about Magnolia.
I wish Buttercup Bake Shop would make the trip out west instead.