Cupcake Summer Finale

At long last, I have reached the last stop of the Summer 2012 Northern Virginia Cupcake Tour!  The final stop of the summer during my final few days at home took us to Persnickety Cakes in Manassas.  Like Cupcake Heaven (did I mention we went back there?  I am still in love.) this shop consisted of cupcakes and coffee.  No coffee for this over-caffeinated girl -- I'm working on cutting back, I swear.  However, to make up for the lack of coffee, I got a coffee cupcake.  I was torn between that and the mocha, and the chocolate covered espresso bean sold me.

The cupcakes were cold.  I guess the displays are refrigerated.  While the temperature did not affect the taste, it did make them seem less fresh -- Persnickety was the only place we wondered if all the cupcakes were baked that day.  The temperature also affected the frosting.  Buttercream is a thick, heavy frosting on its own, and cold it is thicker and heavier.  I would have been content with half the frosting -- which is saying something, because normally I am all about that deadly combination of sugar and butter.

So the texture was off, and the frosting slightly overwhelming.  The chocolate cake, however, was amazingly chocolatey and perfectly complemented by the coffee flavor of the frosting.  I felt like I was eating a deliciously cakey mocha.  The shop itself was bright and cheerful and adorned by a display of Civil War artwork, as the town was gearing up the celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Second Battle of Manassas.

Verdict: 3.5 of 5 stars.  I'm not 100% sold I would get a cupcake there again, even if I were passing through and craving dessert.  If I did, it would be because they are priced extraordinarily well -- only $1.89 for the cupcake.

Larry's mom agrees with this rating, though her review sounds more upbeat than mine:

Shop - simple, nice view of street for people watching.
Cupcakes - D1 - Pina Colada - very good, moist & lots of flavor. I would recommend it.
D2 - PB - OK, basic. on all 3 cupcakes, by the time I got them home, the frosting was smeared & they were falling under the cardboard "holder" part. They were too small for the holder.
Size - smaller than usual & the price reflects this at $1.89 each.
When shopping in Old Town Manassas & wanting a snack I would consider going into the shop. They had a nice variety of flavors & they were fresh.

Another Gem: Lavender Moon Cupcakery

For our first trip to Alexandria, Larry's mom and I decided to go to Alexandria cupcakes.  It had the town in its name, it had a cooler website, and it was on King Street.  Luckily for us, we made it back to Alexandria to try out Lavender Moon Cupcakery.

The main problem with Lavender Moon is that I can't spell "lavender."  Seriously.  Every time I have typed it for this post, sans one, I have tried to spell is "lavendar," only to get little red squiggles.

I ate a chocolate raspberry cupcake.  Chocolate + raspberry = amazing.  I was surprised to bite into the frosting and taste cream cheese.  Surprised, but not unpleasantly so.  The cream-cheese-raspberry-chocolate-ness worked well.  The cake was dense and moist, my favorite kind.  The shop used to be a house and now functioned with one room to order cupcakes and another to sit and eat.  The seating area was small, as it has been with most of the cupcakeries, but had enough seats that another group could have eaten there with us.  The pink and purple walls and indoor plants made the place bold and feminine, but somehow not overwhelmingly so.  They had a few bottle drinks (nothing hot like coffee or tea) but the cupcakes stood on their own.

I would bring someone to Lavender Moon in a heartbeat if we were walking through Old Town.  As long as they didn't make me spell it.  I just did it again.

Overall: 5/5.  Larry's mom gave it a 4 of 5:

Cost - reasonable ($3).
PB - cupcake was good the pb was hidden under choc fondant that added a little something to it. It wasn't too dry.
Store - Comfortable & bright & cheerful It felt welcoming w/the 2 shades of lavender stripes. It was nice to sit inside.
No hot beverages, only some cold
I took a Blackberry to go. Your uncle thought it lack flavor & tasted very basic.
I would go here before Alexandria Cupcakes.

Buzz!

I looked back over my last few entries before starting this post... It would appear that my entire summer consisted of eating cupcakes.  I will try to post some other adventures soon, because there have been a good number of them this summer that do not involve cupcakes.  Cupcakes are just easier entries, so I can dash them off in just a few minutes.

The adventure to Buzz Bakery in Ballston involved my mother and Wendy along with Larry's mom and myself.  It started out with a gift of Muppet cupcakes decorated by Wendy's fiance.  I felt awkward walking into a bakery already holding cupcakes, but since we bought deliciousness and coffee, I got over the awkward.

Unfortunately, I do have to distinguish between the deliciousness and the coffee here.  I ate a "Buzz" cupcake, a sweet mocha-flavored concoction.  It is one of the more sugary cupcakes I have eaten, so Buzz lived up to its name here. The coffee was mediocre at best, to my vast disappointment, because a great cup of coffee could have cut through the sweetness.

The bakery had a variety of pastries along with the cupcakes, from personal sized carrot cakes to unbelievable-looking pies.  They also offered a tea and alcohol in addition to the coffee.  To my surprise, the ambiance of the shop fit this unusual combination of menu selections.  The whole place was sleek, smooth, and upscale, yet remarkably comfortable.  It was filled with young professionals, many of whom were plugged into their laptops.  When I made it back a week or so later for coffee (poor choice, but it offers coffee and alcohol, so was a good compromise), they had a bubble machine going to entertain small children playing in a fountain outside.

I give it 4.5 of 5 stars for a great shop and good cupcakes, but sad coffee.

Larry's mom was indecisive and gave it a 3.5-4 out of 5.

I had the PB cupcake.
Cake part not too dry.
Frosting about right not overly sweet or greasy.
I liked having a little bit of a filling, that could be what kept it from being dry.
Shop - welcoming, customers & staff friendly. It was busy with people reading & doing school work which made it feel like you could stay for a while. Nice variety of teas.
I wouldn't go out of my way to go here, but if I was in the neighborhood & wanted a cupcake I would.
Good company always makes a difference :)

Stop VII: Cupcakes Actually

I am fallen lamentably behind in the grand cupcake tour.  Stop VII at Cupcakes Actually happened longer ago than I would care to admit.  Cupcakes Actually is a tiny little cupcakery (smaller than Alexandria Cupcakes) in the middle of Fairfax Corner, so basically in the heart of Yuppie-ville.  We came in after a day of shopping, which tends to put me in a bad mood.  (Why do I go shopping if it puts me in a bad mood, you ask.  I recently asked myself the same question and gave up shopping malls.)

The girl behind the counter looked like she was having a bad day and I wanted to make her smile.  So I made a joke about her apron, which she appreciated.  Then I ordered the Italian Stallion, a cannoli cupcake.  My mother and sister did the same, and Larry's mom got peanut butter.  The cake itself was merely okay, but when the combined experience of it with cannoli cream (is there a name for that?) and almond frosting, bumped it up significantly.  Not enough to bring it up to par with some of the other places we've been, but definitely up, and I appreciated the way they played with combining flavors.

Like Alexandria Cupcakes, this place serves primarily as a take-out place and had limited seating. We had to sit outside and pray the rain held off, and even outdoor seating was limited.  I had a tough time deciding stars for this one, but I ended up with a 3.5 of 5 stars: they lost a fraction of a star for their prices: higher and not worth the difference.

Larry's mom gave them an even lower ranking: 2.5 of 5 stars.

Cupcake Actually in Fairfax Corner:

I had the Peanut Butter/Chocolate cupcake.
The cake was basic chocolate
The frosting was a bit of a surprise. The shiny chocolate was tasty w/the PB right under it like a layer instead of mixed into the frosting as others had done.
The shop was small so we sat at a small outside table. It seemed like it was more of a take out place. We were the only customers I saw come & go when we were near the store.
The clerk was friendly.
The price was high. The cupcakes ran from $3.25 - $4.00. Mine was $3.75 & I didn't feel it was worth it.
I wouldn't go out of my way to return here despite the clever, cutesy names. I think the Cannoli filling w/almond frosting may have been better.

Close to Home: Confections

Cupcake Heaven has a rival!  Confections, a small cupcakery that started as a home-business and has grown, impressed us during the heat wave.  My mother and sister joined Larry's mom and me on this stop.  Actually, they are basically part of the tour now (although neither has provided reviews in writing) since my mom is out of school for the summer and my sister is back from Francophone adventures.

We came on a day of high heat and humidity and, after walking in, wished we had joined the patrons who brought iced coffee from Starbucks to enjoy with our sugary deliciousness.  The selection of drinks was narrow, which I would not have minded, except that I waited fifteen minutes for a cup of tea that was heated in the microwave.  The cashier was friendly and apologetic however.


After Cupcake Heaven, Confections had the largest shop of the tour, and they obviously expect people to sit and enjoy.  They had cute tables and Top 40 music and big windows and a little old grandma who mixed cupcakes as we ate them.  I think she was the secret weapon of Confections. 


Whatever the secret weapon, it worked!  I ate a salted caramel pretzel cupcake.  I don't know who thought of such a thing, but that person is a genius.  The caramel cake by itself was so-so, but it had a salted buttercream frosting and when their power combined, that effect was one of the most surprisingly yummy things I've eaten.  It came topped with a chocolate covered pretzel, so it even satisfied the not-at-all-hidden chocoholic in me. 


I give them a 5 of 5 stars.  The grandmother bumped them into the extra-credit zone that Cupcake Heaven occupies, but the slow tea brought them back down.  Not too far though.


Here is Larry's mom's review.  Normally I paste them in exactly as she sends them to me, but this one is edited with the proper pricing, which she was unsure of when she wrote the review.


Confections Cupcakery in Manassas/borders Woodbridge:

4 1/2 overall
I had the Pink Champagne cupcake which was different w/a slight taste of champagne in the frosting.
The cake was moist but plain vanilla.
The frosting was what made this cupcake. Pretty in pink, hint of champagne & not too sweet or greasy.
They had a nice variety of cupcakes & some pop-cakes. You could watch them make up the sweets as you relax in the well lit, spaciousness of the shop. You could also enjoy sitting at one of the tables outside on a nice day.
Drinks were limited. One could just cross the street to get Starbucks one & then sit outside either place.
The shop was clean, constantly busy which bodes well for the place, as well as in a very good location.
The price was reasonable ($2.50) & the size average.
I would return to & try another flavor.

Sugar Buzz: Cupcakes and Cannoli

My own mother and Wendy joined Larry's mom and me for the most recent stop on the cupcake tour. We went to Sugar Buzz, a cute cupcakery and coffee shop in historic Occoquan.  I had done a reconnaissance mission a few weeks ago, and the owner told me they are "the anti-Starbucks." 

[Side Note: I love local coffee shops.  Little, non-chain places where you order in English and can sit for hours with a book or computer and secretly people watch.  In case you haven't figured it out, I am like the uncool cousin of a hipster.  We are vaguely related and have some similar tendencies, but clearly do not have all of the same genes.  (I have lots of real cousins, some of whom are "cool."  None, as far as I know, are hipsters.)]

Larry's mom and I got cupcakes and iced coffee.  The presentation was by far the least impressive we've seen: simple frosting and a few sugary sprinkles.  I think I've made prettier cupcakes.  However, the chocolate and white frosting on the marble cupcake called to me, so I chose it.  This was a mistake on my part.  I don't like marble cake.  Marble cake takes two elements that stand well on their own and mixes them into a grayness of appearance and taste.  That being said, the frosting upon which I based my decision was perfect and the Boston-cream filling in the center made me savor every bite.  The cake was dense, which I like best, but marbled.  Which you only expect when you order a marble cupcake.

Wendy went for a cannoli instead of a cupcake, and it satisfied her Italian taste buds.  They apparently buy the shells and make the filling.  The girl behind the counter made her first cannoli for Wendy.  By this and by her difficulty making change, I am guessing she was new.  In spite of slow cannoli and problematic mathematics, the service was lovely: both she and the owner were friendly, helpful, and talkative and helped accommodate a party of four, which seemed to be larger than they expected.

My main complaint about Sugar Buzz is that it is only open Thursday through Sunday.  Their iced coffee was yummy and I would love to become a regular to do schoolwork there.  Alas, I need a coffee shop for Monday through Wednesday.

Overall, I give Sugar Buzz a 4.5 of 5 stars.  You might not believe it based on the review below, but Larry's mom and I do review these places separately.

Rating 4 1/2
I would return because the cupcakes were good, it's close by & the owner/employees were friendly & helpful.
Price - average low @ $2.50 (was this right?).
The drinks were priced a bit high & OK. They did have bottle water sodas, fresh teas & decent coffee.
Variety small but decent.
Shop small but comfortable. It would be nice to sit outside on nice days.
Its hours are limited to Thurs - Sun.
The frosting amount, texture & sweetness were just right, not too greasy.
There could have been a little more filling on the inside. I had the boston cream. I was afraid of it being too donutnutty but it was light. Some of the cupcakes were made from pound cake instead of regular cake like mine was.
The company I was with was very good.

Stop IV: Georgetown Cupcake

Although it's not in Virginia, we could not turn down the opportunity to visit Georgetown Cupcake for the tour when we passed by.  It's famous (apparently on TV?) and thus constantly busy.  It's a cute shop on a street corner in a cute town.  The day we visited, it was full of Girl Scouts, but I don't think that's an every day occurrence.  However, I think the stream of customers that created a line out of the shop was a constant, including the employee at the door handing out menus and regulating admittance to the indoors.  I'm pretty sure he was responsible for creating a line on the sidewalk to make it look like an awesome place to be.  Neither he nor any of the other employees seemed excited to be there.  For all the shop knew it was awesome, it didn't make anyone who worked there happy.

On the upside, the cupcake element was awesome.  They offer a variety of flavors that rotate throughout the weeks, months, and seasons.  They are decorated gorgeously -- I'm glad I chose based on the menu rather than appearances, or else I would not have been able to decide.  I had an Earl Grey Lavender cupcake.  The cake tasted amazingly like earl grey tea (my favorite!), complemented by a delicate lavender icing.  Whoever thought of that combination was a genius.


If I were rating just on the cupcake, they would have a higher ranking, but since I include the entire cupcake experience, they get a 4 of 5 stars.  I would enjoy going back to try some of the other specialty flavors.

Larry's mom gave the same rating:

Rate 4 stars - a little too much peanut butter to taste the cake, what I could taste was light & delicious & not overly sweet.

Shop - hard to tell sense they run off their TV reputation. It seemed quaint, but assembly line w/no personally. If you want to just get a cupcake & go, this is your place.

Size - average small

Price - Average.

Stop III: Cakelove

Walking through Fair Oaks Mall, Larry's mom and I discovered Cakelove, a little cupcake joint tucked down a side corridor of the mall.  Of course, we had to stop, although we debated the choice: nothing excited us too much there and they were expensive.  But we decided that if we are committed to a cupcake tour, we had no choice.

I chose Cynthia's Sin, which I discovered upon eating meant chocolate and peanut butter.  Flavors apparently cycle in and out throughout the day, depending on what they have made when you arrive -- they had fewer options at our second pass.  The cake itself was okay but especially after eating two amazing chocolate cupcakes, fell a little flat.  The frosting was not good at all: too much shortening, not enough butter and sugar.  It wasn't a shop, just a little counter at the mall, so we took them to-go. The one employee there was very friendly and had balanced the art of how to approach guests who started at her cupcakes without talking to her.

Overall, with the high price and the sad frosting, I give them 2.5 of 5 stars.  Larry's mom's review is below.

Cakelove Review:

3 stars
The vanilla cake was good, not too moist or dry & was flavorful
The frosting/icing was a bit too "greasy" tasting - Crisco type
At $3.50, definitely pricey
Creative names & well displayed
Gluten-free & Vegan cupcakes available
They do have a web site www.cakelove.com which I haven't looked at yet. I believe there is a story/charity behind the making of the shop.
Shop - No shop per se buy & take away stand in the mall
If really craving a cake/cupcake it would be OK.
There is always the Cheesecake Factory near by in the mall.

Stop II: Alexandria Cupcakes

Stop #2 on the Cupcake Tour took place in Old Town Alexandria with Emily.  Alexandria Cupcakes touts itself as the "DC metro area's premier cupcake bakery."  It certainly has the best location: across the street from some awesome nuns I know.

After our first stop, Virginia cupcakes had a lot to live up to.  If Haymarket doesn't count as part of the DC area, then Alexandria cupcakes could have something to its claim.  I ate a dark chocolate cupcake with buttercream frosting.  The cupcake did not match the texture of Stop #1, but the dark chocolate was delicious.  It satisfied my perpetual chocolate craving.  And the buttercream lived up my high frosting standards.

On the downside, the shop was tiny and clearly not meant to be visited.  I think the woman working there was confused that we stopped by just to eat and not order.  There was only one table, which was awkward and even more so when a mother and her little son came in with the same plan we had.

Overall, I give them 3.5 out of 5 stars.  Excellent cupcakes, but I want a nice place to eat.  Larry's mom had the same rating but for different reasons:

Alexandria Cupcakes - Old Town Alexandria (King St)

3 1/2 stars
A little disappointing, nothing stood out
Little variety & none w/filling
Average to high price at $3 for average - small size cupcake.
The frosting just so-so. Cake not moist or dry


Shop - felt like we were disturbing the 1 person staff. It had 1 table w/3 chairs. It was set up or take out service more than eat-in. Bottle beverages available.

High Standards: Cupcake Heaven

Larry's mom and I have started a summer quest: a cupcake tour of Northern Virginia.  I'll be posting our reviews on here as we hit up cupcakeries across the region.

We started off at Cupcake Heaven.  It's a cute cupcake and coffee shop in Haymarket.  My aunt, sister, and I walked in after a morning of hiking and winery-touring.  It was pink and fluffy and immediately welcoming (in spite of my general aversion to pink and fluffy).  As we stood indecisively, the women working helpfully pointed out various menu options, including those that tended more toward meal than dessert.  I knew I wanted a cupcake for lunch, however, and (as soon as I saw the option) a latte.

I got a chocolate raspberry champagne cupcake (a flavor of the week, not a constant) because what is more delicious than chocolate stuffed with raspberry filling?  To drink I ordered a latte, which is my test for coffee shops.  (Ana and I visited many in St. Louis and I evaluated them all this way.)  Cupcake Heaven won on both counts.  The chocolate cupcake was moist and sweet, with delicious raspberry filling and frosting that complemented the cake.  And my latte was a frothy, espresso-filled win.

Even better, the atmosphere made me want to sit and linger.  I ate slowly and sipped with care so that we wouldn't have to leave.  I miss non-Starbucks coffee shops when I am in NoVA, and this one filled my heart.  Even before I discovered the shelf of Jesus-books and the canned food drive.

In the enthusiasm of the moment, I think I gave the place 8 of 5 stars.  My aunt provided a more grounded review:

Cupcake Heaven - Haymarket VA , main street (Washington St)

4 1/2 stars
Perfect size,
Not too sweet
Good variety - filled & unfilled
Very satisfying to eat
Reasonably price at $2.50 for slightly larger than average size

Shop felt welcoming both from the decor & staff. It was cheerful & bright w/some interesting items to browse through. A nice array of beverages.