Cupcakes

This blog is all about my favourite cupcakes, and believe me, I have eaten a lot.
 



Selection of treats at the Primrose Bakery.


 

One of, I think, the absolute best bakeries for cupcakes is the always delightful Primrose Bakery in Camden.
 
 
 


Just look at how pretty this is. This was a breakfast treat for me after a long flight; vanilla sponge and vanilla frosting with delicate sugared flowers.


With its Victorian white terraces, Primrose Hill is the height of London sophistication, pretty and quaint but pricey. It is It is in stark contrast to Camden Town high street, just a short walk away along the canal, which has a cooler and less conforming air.

Salted Caramel Cupcake

Primrose Hill Bakery is quietly reserved, however the flavours are not; their salted caramel cupcake (of which I am scoffing in my profile picture) is one of the most enjoyable things I have ever eaten. The sugary and sticky caramel frosting is piped generously on top of a sweet vanilla cupcake, with a flurry of fleur de sel to finish, helping to cut the caramel. It is mind-blowing good, but if I am being completely honest, you could put that frosting on anything and I’d be pretty happy.

Next is probably my most-perfect cupcake, a peanut cake, which is basically a light and delicate vanilla sponge with chewable pieces of peanuts strewn throughout. It is then topped with a swirl of peanut butter frosting, which is sweet and salty and unctuous.  This marvel of modern baking used to be found on Oxford Street in Lola’s located in the Food Court at Selfridges, but they have since stopped making it, perhaps it is just made seasonally? *Hopeful* Along with the (no-more) PB cupcake is a fantastic Oreo chocolate cupcake, dense chocolate that is sweet but not overly clawing with a perfect mound of Oreo’s crushed into vanilla frosting, yum! But do steer clear of the “Whoopie Pies”, like a bizarre muffin top cookie sandwich, it doesn’t deliver the yumminess you are expecting, or deserve. Eat a cupcake instead.

 Much to my own personal sadness, I don't seem to have any pics of the PB wonder cake  :'-(

Next is the perfectly named Hummingbird Bakery, I love it and not only for its cute and colourful window display of the days fresh cupcakes but that their shop is named after a cupcake itself, how perfect. There are five shop-fronts in London, all in cool and touristy locations, South Ken, Spitalfields, Soho, Islington, but I particularly like the Notting Hill shop; stopping off with a friend after looking at all the vintage faire at Portablello Road Market - a cupcake is greatly deserved after this strenuous activity. Whilst at the Hummingbird Bakery you definitely need to try the shops namesake, the Hummingbird cupcake. A pineapple and banana cake with pecan nuts, it certainly is for the exotically adventurous. It is topped with a cream cheese frosting, cinnamon and more pecans. If, like me this isn’t exactly your cup of tea, delicious but not something you would choose every day, then a vanilla sponge cupcake with a pastel coloured vanilla frosting AND sprinkles is an ideal alternative.
 

 
Lastly we are talking NYC and the Magnolia Bakery; featured in plenty of magazines and articles after it was made crazy famous by Sex and the City, the flagship store however is tiny. With its added notoriety there is barely enough room for one to look at all their delightful and almost chintzy displays (which I absolutely love - if you can't have chintz in a cupcakery, where can you)? And there is the added pressure of this being busy NYC, you have to take a firm stance in the queue immediately otherwise there is a distinct possibility you will be barged by a rotund woman who simply cannot wait to eat her cake, not exactly the experience you want in a cute cupcake adventure, but what can you do?
 
 My husband decided to give me a moment to myself and waited outside as I made up my mind as to which cake I would have. I opted for a pistachio cupcake. They aren’t too hot on decoration, but with a sprinkling of pistachio nuts on top of the large mound of pistachio meringue buttercream, I couldn’t have asked for more. The cake was moist and delicately aromatic with the pistachio nut flavor balanced perfectly. It is a good idea to wait for a nice, non-humid New York City day, to buy your cake of cakes, and to eat your it with a coffee in the park across the road.  

City Treats

There is absolutely nothing I like better than to walk around a city, especially London, on a sunny afternoon, stopping only to have a sweet treat break.

 In the very heart of Soho you can find respite from the traffic and people in Italian Bakery, Princi on Wardour Street. On entering you are greeted with the smell of fresh baked bread and coffee and an incredible display of pastries are housed in a glass and marble case.

This is what I ended up getting, quite honestly it is THE best mille feuille I have ever scoffed. Crispy sweet pastry sandwiches thick and luscious French pastry cream scented with vanilla, then to give the pud stability a spongy layer of vanilla cake is added, then it is topped with apricot-jam-glazed strawberries. Seriously this is food porn at its finest.

www.princi.co.uk

Now, these aren't great pictures, granted, but just imagine; it's a cold February evening, you're out to dinner with some friends at Gilgamesh in Camden. You enter a tiny doorway and immediately walk up moving escalators in high heels when you are greeted by a woman wearing all black, she takes your coat and offers you a seat in the sunken bar where pink lights create deep shadows from the frescos. The walls are clad with panels of bearded Syrian warriors and their horses - a perfect synergy between nature and opulent luxury. 

You finally get to your table and are presented with the most perfect miso glazed sea bass - you eat the lot even though you know you are about to go out dancing shortly. My friends opted for the giant fruit bowl for dessert (see pic), clever; I on the other hand had other plans...


Deep and dark in colour it was coupled with a blob of white lusciousness, it was a steaming chocolate fondant with cold Madagascan vanilla ice cream, I knew then that dancing was doomed and that the evening was being completely and unreservedly given to that amazing mound of chocolate gooeyness - and I was happy.

I have made them at home from a Gordon Ramsay recipe and I have to say, they were just as good, perhaps I will discuss them in later blog.

Another chocolate haven is Cocmaya. Pretty much everything is made fresh; the bakes, cookies, chocolates and marshmallows.There are four store fronts in London, one is a stall in Heathrow Terminal 5-worth the flight just for that, but my favourite is in Porchester Place, a ten minute walk from Marble Arch tube and Oxford Street.
The store front reminds me of a delicate English tea room, white and pink, it looks elegant and girly, but when you walk through those doors you see an array of chocolates laid out on a long wooden table, much like I imagined in the book Chocolat.

During special holidays Cocomaya create limited edition selections of spiced and flavoured confectionary, and various adorable heart shaped biscuits are often on display for Valentines Day. Their pumpkin ganache truffles are obviously great for Hallowe'en or as a gift for American friends for Thanksgiving. Some chocolates are given more subtle hints of flavour with tea infused milk chocolate and they have even created a cola flavour. I love the salted caramel filled truffles and their praline is just unbelievable.

A trip to Cocmaya really is an amazing way to end a day of shopping, or any day for that matter, in the City.

Max Brenner: Chocolate by the Bald Man

Tucked away in a corner of Caesar's Palace, next to the aquarium we can find Max Brenner: Chocolate by the Bald Man. It is as wonderful as it sounds, with sumptuously simple brown and beige decor one immediately knows it's going to be a good day.

The restaurant itself is fairly dimly lit, tables are plonked around haphazardly surrounding a bar and large barrels of chocolate are everywhere.

The menu is actually pretty brilliant, with a vast array of savoury treats as well as sweet. Breakfast can be both sweet or salty with pancakes and French toast or eggs and bagels. For lunch you can stuff your face with plenty of American favourites too; Burgers, Sandwiches, Pasta and Salad and don't forget to order the French Fries, dusted with chili and cocoa powder, they are amazing.

They also have a great chocolate cocktail menu and chocolate beer if you want to start the day as you mean to go on.

But we want to talk about the chocolate in ALL it's guises.



First, let me just say that you need to visit more than once, don't try to eat the entire sweet menu, because you will epically fail.

Start by ordering a sweet hot chocolate hug, it is decadent and thick and served with extra inclusions, like marshmallows or cream. It is not too hot, so you can sip away immediately in comfort whilst you peruse the menu. If do it yourself is more your style however, you can order the "Do-It-Yourself" Hot Chocolate (aptly named), with a piping vessel of milk and chocolate chunks on the side you can add the sweetness to your own preferred taste, watching as the milk turns from pure white to glorious rippled brown.




So, once you are settled with your drink what could you possibly order from the menu that could top it? EVERYTHING! Perhaps the waffles? Or the Crème Brulee Crepe? Or Banana Split Waffles?

Yes, they do look amazing, but you've seen those on menus across the country, why not try something a bit crazy?

The Chocolate Chunks Pizza is a good place to start as it is somewhat familiar and great to share with a gang of friends, as you're in Vegas you should have "The Works", with hazelnut pieces, caramlised banana, peanut butter and roasted marshmallow it really is perfect balanced and not tooth achingly sweet.

If that isn't enough carby stodge for you, however, how about a filled bagel, with hazelnut praline or peanut butter and a whole chocolate bar, it really is decadence beyond measure.

If these options just seem too safe or ordinary to you, you could definitely opt for the new Sweet Burger, with strawberry ketchup and vanilla cream mustard, it is on my list to try next.

All of these amazing desserts really are wonderfully balanced but not much can beat the simple pleasure of a chocolate fondue with dippable bananas, strawberries, waffle pieces, marshmallow and even ice cream, is the epitome of sophistication, you can nibble little pieces and share with a loved one, a perfect end to a night on the town in fabulously extravagant Las Vegas.

P.S. Don't forget to nip to the chocolate shop afterwards to continue the chocolate wonderment with a hot chocolate shot in a syringe for later and all types of cocoa body butter's- you'll smell as wonderful as if you were made of chocolate yourself.

www.maxbrenner.com/‎



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