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.