Food & Drink Oct 23, 2008 at 4:00 am

The Persistence of Cupcakes

It's the trend that won't die, but where are Seattle's most heavenly specimens?

Megan Seling
Even the stand looks fucking delicious. Kelly O
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Comments

1
Sorry folks - these cupcakes are great BUT, drum roll: THE BEST are from "Kitty Hugs Bakery" up in Shoreline. I have been around the block with cupcakes. I'm a cupcake felon on the loose. Try em, you can find them in some Thriftway stores, like Magnolia. Start with a plain vanilla. Put it in the fridge, let it get a tad cold. Lock the door, do not answer the phone. It will ruin your life and you too will become a cupcake felon.
on October 22, 2008 at 8:59 PM Report this
2
Will people get over cupcakes, already?! Even the "good" ones taste a lot like the ones I made in Kindergarten. Maybe that's what people like, but I think they're boring, too cutesey, and way too expensive.
on October 23, 2008 at 7:16 AM Report this
3
More cupcake drama? The original (Cupcake Royale) are still my favorites!
on October 23, 2008 at 11:12 AM Report this
4
I had a couple of the CR's mini lemon cupcakes...

My mom did better with Duncan Hines in the 70s for school.

DRY DRY DRY, and the filling tasted processed...

Pretty does not always equal tasty. And they are expensive.

But they sure have attitude... which is all you need to make it big in Seattle!
on October 23, 2008 at 11:38 AM Report this
5
hahaha who gets mad about cupcakes?
on October 23, 2008 at 11:53 AM Report this
6
Sugar Rush is the bomb bakery!! I get at least three dozen of the mini cupcakes every time I have party and they are delectable little treasures. I love introducing new people to their stuff...and that coffee cupcake is my crack cocaine!
on October 23, 2008 at 11:55 AM Report this
7
I LOVE the Dahlia Bakery cupcakes... My mouth is watering thinking about them. *sigh*
on October 23, 2008 at 4:19 PM Report this
8
UNDER BAKE A BIT - ADD A COUPLE OF EGGS - BAKE THEM YOURSELVES

RECESSION IS HERE

TASTE BATTER AS WELL
on October 23, 2008 at 7:12 PM Report this
9
my fav cupcakes in the city are from SUGAR bakery off madison and boren on first hill. mmmmmmmm
on October 23, 2008 at 8:06 PM Report this
10
Cupcakes can fucking suck my ass! Especially "Cupcake Royale." Those pieces of shit taste like nothing; only the icing is good.
on October 23, 2008 at 10:38 PM Report this
11
As a cupcake lover, (and avid baker,) I went into Sugar Rush this morning to check out Seattle's alleged best. The lady working was nice, and happy to answer questions like "How do you guys make your cupcakes?" Her answer? FROM A MIX! $3 a pop for a nasty little pre-mixed, artificial cupcake that you can get in the Duncan Hines aisle of a grocery store? Pass. If you can't tell the difference between a product baked from scratch by actual bakers and something poured out of a box, you should not be writing about food. Megan Seling, what were you thinking?!
on October 24, 2008 at 11:47 AM Report this
12
Awesome article. I echo the love for Sugar Rush, not only are their cupcakes great but the displays are absolutely coo-worthy!
on October 24, 2008 at 1:39 PM Report this
13
If you want the best cupcake you ever tasted get down to the Dahlia Bakery and get the carrot cupcakes with brown butter cream cheese frosting.
on October 24, 2008 at 9:32 PM Report this
15
you are killing me
on October 26, 2008 at 2:02 PM Report this
16
YEAH. FUCK CUPCAKES. with their tiny paper wrapping and PASTEL frosting! id rather eat shards of glass!
on October 26, 2008 at 11:17 PM Report this
17
MegSel-
You shouldn't say stuff like "Cupcake fail." When you reread this piece in two weeks, you'll feel ashamed at how dated that sounds.
-Dbagg
on October 28, 2008 at 3:41 PM Report this
18
FINALLY! I've been saying this to anyone who will listen: Cupcake Royale pales in comparison with Sugar Rush Bakery (located at Coffee to a Tea with Sugar across the street from CR on California Ave). Also, Coffee to a Tea's lattes are much better than CR's. My roommates and I get cupcakes there weekly and they are amazing, specifically the Pucker-Up and Coconut Creme.
on October 28, 2008 at 6:01 PM Report this
19
I want cupcakes. Actually, I would like to know where the best Tiramisu can be found. WHERE IS IT.
on October 28, 2008 at 7:12 PM Report this
20
Trophy cupcakes are worth the $7 dollars you now pay for your latte and little pastry accompaniment at one of these shops.
on October 29, 2008 at 9:44 AM Report this
21
Cupcake Royale have always had stale cupcakes.... I don't know what they aren't putting in them, but they are so dry. Make your own. You can never go wrong with that!
on October 29, 2008 at 1:50 PM Report this
22
I like the fancy cupcakes, but watching my kids eat them is horrifying. The icing gets smeared on their faces, fingers, and clothes. They fall apart in their hands leaving crumbs everywhere. Not to mention I'm out $15 if I throw in a cup of coffee for myself.

I grew up eating Tastykakes. You could hurl those at a wall and they'd bounce back.
on October 29, 2008 at 2:34 PM Report this
23
"my fav cupcakes in the city are from SUGAR bakery off madison and boren on first hill. mmmmmmmm "

OH. HELL. YES.
on October 29, 2008 at 2:50 PM Report this
24
Try Coffee to a Tea in West Seattle!!! Their cupcakes are HEAVENLY.
on October 29, 2008 at 8:32 PM Report this
25
I had Red Velvet from Cupcake Royale (via Metropolitan Market) and in the interest of science, Trophy as well. I found The Royale to be average, I liked the cream cheese frosting, but the cake was a bit dry. The one from Trophy had lighter frosting which I preferred, and richer, moister, cake. In my experience Trophy is my favorite place for cupcakes.

That said, I can't recommend them for event catering. We planned on getting them for our wedding reception and it was almost impossible to get any response from them. Eventually we gave up and went with somebody else. Your experience may vary, they seem to keep other people happy.
on October 29, 2008 at 10:38 PM Report this
26
I'll stick to using Betty Crocker mixes- why spend so much at a shop when you can easily make two dozen yourself for under $2? I'm a dessert addict, and I don't think any of the local shops here make a decent cupcake. Head to Portland and go to Cupcake Jones- they are creative, tasty, and have different offerings every day.
on October 30, 2008 at 11:59 AM Report this
27
i think to be the best cupcake in seattle, you HAVE to make them from SCRATCH. You can't use a mix. i saw the girl at sugar rush buying a cartload of cake mix at the grocery store. scandalous, I know!
on October 30, 2008 at 2:22 PM Report this
29
I don't know why they didn't even get a taste test, but New York Cupcakes in Bellevue is THE BEST!!! Just because their Seattle store closed doesn't mean they don't have kickass cupcakes!
on November 1, 2008 at 2:09 PM Report this
30
For an eastside cupcake that is delish, try New York Cupcake in Crossroads mall by the Blockbuster video store. They have a lot of different cupcakes: red velvet, lemon, s'mores, black and white, etc.
on November 3, 2008 at 7:29 AM Report this
31
Cupcake Royale is to Cupcakes what Starbucks is to Coffee
on November 3, 2008 at 1:49 PM Report this
32
Sugar Rush Bakery is my favorite and I should know a good cupcake when I come across it because I am the Cupcake Queen of West Seattle.
on November 12, 2008 at 3:24 PM Report this
33
Caption for those pics: "Can you believe I'm a grownup and I'm totally unapologetic about my love for cupcakes? Couldn't you just die from how fucking adorable I am?"
on November 13, 2008 at 8:53 AM Report this
34
This dude I know, doesnt like cupcakes. Holy shit!! How the hell could that be?
on May 29, 2009 at 2:42 PM Report this
35
If some of these boutique bakeries are using the box, what's in the icing? Butter cream or canned?
on June 1, 2009 at 9:46 AM Report this

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