I caved last weekend and gave in to the Cronut™ craze. I had always intended to wait for the real deal in New York City, but alas, I am as partial to hype and mass hysteria as the next food lover.

There are quite a few bakeries in L.A. ripping off trying their hand at recreating Dominique Ansel‘s croissant-doughnut hybrid. I procured my crauxnut (faux Cronut™) at ConfeXion, a neighborhood spot specializing in cupcakes.

ConfeXion is owned by aunt and nephew team Vandy Altounian and Anthony Valerio. Prior to introducing the Southland to their “Brioughnut,” the duo scored big on Food Network’s Cupcake Wars.

The tiny shop, which is located on the fringes of Old Pasadena, makes three different types of Brioughnuts every Saturday and Sunday. With my friend Nastassia and her boyfriend in tow, we snagged one of each. They were priced at $5 a pop.

The most successful of the trio was the “Salted Caramel.” The Brioughnut’s sweet and salty flourishes—caramelized pastry cream, caramel syrup, and flecks of fleur de sel—paired extraordinarily with the layers of flaky, buttery dough.

I can’t say if this interpretation was anything like the original Cronut™, but it was really delicious.

Next up was the “Cali Almond,” piped with almond extract-flavored pastry cream and iced with chocolate. This one lacked the distinct croissant-like layers that the “Salted Caramel” achieved and thus tasted like brioche bread topped with frosting. It wasn’t terrible tasting by any means, just not what we were hoping for.

The story was unfortunately very much the same with the “Glazed” number, which consisted of a Brioughnut dipped in a vanilla glaze. Due to its bread-like texture and lack of pastry cream filling, this one struck a dry note.

We also sampled a few crauxnut holes, which the shop calls “Springs.” Since these were made from essentially the same Brioughnut dough, the results were similarly bready.

ConfeXion has done a valiant job capitalizing on this massive food trend, and the results were mostly tasty, just not very consistent. To scratch the Cronut™ itch without having to book a flight to the big city, ConfeXion is a valid option for Eastsiders. Come and get it.

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ConfeXion Cupcakes
11 West Dayton Street
Pasadena, CA 91105
Phone: 626-486-9977

There’s plenty more to peruse in pretty Pasadena:

• ‘Lette Macarons – Pasadena
• 1886 Bar at The Raymond – Pasadena
• Barbara West Catering: A Nerdy Thanksgiving
• Carmela Ice Cream – Pasadena
• Cham Korean Bistro – Pasadena
• Chinese Gourmet Express – Pasadena
• Chocolate Afternoon Tea at The Langham – Pasadena
• Daisy Mint – Pasadena
• Dog Haus – Pasadena
• Dots Cupcakes – Pasadena
• Ernie’s Al Fresco – Pasadena
• Euro Pane Bakery – Pasadena
• House of Basturma – Pasadena
• Ira’s Gourmet – Pasadena
• La Grande Orange Cafe – Pasadena
• Love Thy Neighbor: Making Dosas with Renuka
• Mako Bowl – Pasadena
• Marston’s – Pasadena
• Mezbaan Indian Cuisine – Pasadena
• Naga Naga Ramen – Pasadena
• Old Sasoon Bakery – Pasadena
• Pappa Rich – Pasadena
• Pie ‘n Burger – Pasadena
• Pinkberry – Pasadena
• Polkatots – Pasadena
• Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles – Pasadena
• Smitty’s Grill – Pasadena
• Sushi Ichi – Pasadena
• Sushi Kimagure – Pasadena
• The Dining Room at The Langham – Pasadena
• The Luggage Room Pizzeria – Pasadena
• The Slaw Dogs – Pasadena
• Top Restaurant – Pasadena
• Tortas Mexico – Pasadena
• Trattoria Neapolis – Pasadena
• Umami Burger – Pasadena
• Violet’s Cakes – Pasadena
• Zankou Chicken – Pasadena
• {swoon} Lunch Special Chirashi at Sushi Kimagure