I’ve had Teacake Bake Shop and Kara’s Cupcake. Both are very tasty and I’ve been impressed with both.
But today, I had a Sprinkles cupcake…and I am now a believer.
All the hype made me skeptical about this chain that started in L.A. Besides, people were totally wrong about Pinkberry. So how much validity could there be to Sprinkles’ cult following? Besides, the line spilling out the door of this place is an automatic turn off. That’s why I’ve waited so long to try one!
But there was no line today (random weekday, middle of the afternoon). And yes, the joint looks totally stylized (sooooo L.A.). But I’ll never know unless I try one, right?
So I did. And it was simply the most decadent and yummy cupcake I’ve had to date. Totally decadent.
With cupcakes I always complain that one element is usually out of sync. Either the frosting’s great and the cake wasn’t moist enough, or vice versa. But with the vanilla w/milk chocolate frosting cupcake I had, that just wasn’t the case. It all worked together perfectly.
The cake was super moist (score!). It was different than most cupcakes in that there was a distinct flavor and texture that gave it good depth. And the frosting was sooooo creamy! Perfect texture there as well. However, it was just a tad too sweet for me. A little less sugar would’ve actually let the real flavor of the chocolate come through. That’s my only complaint.
Besides the stark trendy design of the place and ingenious marketing, there’s another advantage this place has over others: they’ve got a ridiculously large list of flavors to choose from. It’s inevitable that you’ll wanna go back just to try another flavor. Not all flavors are available everyday, but there’s enough of a variety on any given day to make your head spin.
So yes, I have found my standard by which all other cupcakes shall now be judged. And once I stop feeling all this sugar pulsing through my veins, I will try the red velvet cupcake w/cream cheese frosting that is still waiting for me in the box :).
NOTE: Just had the red velvet and OH MY GAWD! I haven’t had any cake that good since Sam Godfrey’s red velvet cake (of Perfect Endings in Napa) he made for me eight years ago! Damn, that was even better than the vanilla one from yesterday. Crazy good.
Sprinkles – Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto – www.sprinkles.com
Virgo in Wonderland 
sprinkles *is* deliciously addictive. their cupcakes are best on the same day purchased, otherwise the cake crumbles and makes it difficult (more fun?) to eat. i was not impressed with kara’s, but perhaps that’s because i was disappointed that it is a direct copy of sprinkles’ design. actually, kara’s is an inferior product, in my opinion.
i am still on the the hunt for the perfect cupcake. have you tried icing on the cake in los gatos? pricey, sometimes snobby staff, but their products are great.
Sad for me, I live within walking distance of Sprinkles at the Stanford Shopping Center. Needless to say I have tried A LOT of their cupcakes trying to find the Holy Grail everyone talks about. The only ones that seem to maybe be amazing are the red velvet and the peanut butter chip. Otherwise, me (and a few co-workers) have def. been let down by the hype. (And I’m from LA originally)