Foodie View: Hina's Top Three Cupcakeries!

One of the things I love best about cupcakes is that they eliminate the guilt of not sharing. It's a very personal dessert, and regardless of the size, nobody hears the word "cupcake" and expects you to split it. How can you? It's a cupcake! Two bites, and you could be done. And if you did offer to share, what would have to give? "Sure, I'll share! Here, extract the maximum amount of flavor from this tiny mound of cupcake crumbs, and try to feel satisfied with that." You might as well save your cupcake for yourself, and point the other person in the direction of the platter.

That's the other wonderful thing about cupcakes. They rarely travel alone. A cupcake starts it's life in a tray with 5 or more siblings. They bake together, cool together, they even get iced and frosted together! Then it's usually onto a tray or platter, or into a box. Cupcakes like to hang out together, and that makes it so much easier to satisfy your craving.

And nobody satisfies a cupcake craving like these places! Here are my Top Three Cupcakeries in Southern California

Dots Cupcakes
400 S. Arroyo Parkway, Pasadena, CA 91105
(626) 568-DOTS

This place is terrific! It's right off of S. Arroyo, very close to the end of the 110 Freeway, and there's free parking located underground. Stop in at the cute little boutique-shop for a cup of good coffee, and grab your favorite flavor. If you go on a Friday or Saturday, you can try my favorites, all made with Valrhona chocolate: Chocolate Chocolate, German Chocolate, and Chocolate Cheesecake. My friend swears by the Strawberry Shortcake, but I thought it was just ok. I also recommend the Apple Pie. It's such a cute one, and very tasty!

Sprinkles
9635 Little Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 274-8765
and
in Corona Del Mar Plaza
944 Avocado Ave., Newport Beach, CA 92660
(949) 760-0003

I must say that Sprinkles takes cupcakes to a whole new level. The cupcakes come in over 20 fabulous flavors, and they always look so perfect and trendy with their decorative dots or sugar toppings. My favorite flavor here, surprisingly with no chocolate, is the Pumpkin cupcake. It's really good spiced pumpkin cake with cinnamon cream cheese frosting. The flavors go so well together, and the frosting isn't too heavy. I also tried the Mocha cupcake, which is a Belgian dark chocolate cake (mmmmm...) with mocha frosting. The cake was terrific, but I think I was looking for a more coffee-rich flavor. Of course, if I had had it with a cup of coffee, it would have been perfect. I have also heard that the Red Velvet cupcake is one of the absolute best, a light chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting. I will definitely be trying that one soon!

Yummy Cupcakes
2918 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, CA 91505
(818) 558-1080
and
313 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 393-8283

No list is complete without Yummy Cupcakes. I have never been to the Burbank location, but the Santa Monica store has free parking in the 4th Street parking lot. Yummy Cupcakes has over 100 different cupcake flavors. This is the current King of the Cupcakeries! Since they have so many fabulous flavors, they have a rotating Daily Menu with 18 flavor combinations available, and the menus are available on their website. Of course, you can always place an order for any specific flavor. A few of my favorites are: Carrot Cream Cheese (the carrot cake has raisins and pineapple), Mudslide (a coffee infused chocolate cupcake, baked with a "shot" of Irish Cream), and the Chocolate Truffle (a chocolate cupcake with a chocolate ganache center AND topping). I love the fact that they have an entire "Cocktail" flavor line of cupcakes, such as the Lemon Pinot Grigio, Blue Hawaiian, or Pina Colada cupcakes. It's something I've never seen anywhere else. And check out their upcoming menu of St. Patrick's Day cupcakes. I am heading straight for the Guiness Extra Stout cupcake with cocoa whipped cream and green edible glitter! Also worthy of note, although I haven't tried them yet, are the Cupcake Biscotti and the Cupcake-in-a-Jar. Real cupcakes, sliced and baked to a crunch, and your favorite cupcakes layered in a jar with the toppings (whipped cream, chocolate sprinkles, etc...), ready to eat with a spoon. It's decadence gone wild!

I have to note that I have not found a decent cupcakery in San Diego. Not that San Diego doesn't have terrific desserts, just no cupcakeries worthy of mention. There may be a store with cupcakes just waiting to be devoured. If so, clue me in! I am always on the hunt for Great Food!