Cupcake Heaven: Haymarket, VA

Cupcake Heaven
$2.75 each

Cookie n Cream & Vanilla Almond Raspberry Cupcakes

Cookies n Cream Closeup *smile*

Cupcake Heaven, located off Washington Street in Haymarket, Virginia, has all the promise of a small town cupcakery; however, the atmosphere once inside is more like a coffee bar/cafe. The cupcakes are individually displayed at the cash register under glass domes, but this is really the only indication of a cupcakery.

But let's get down to the real business at hand... THE CUPCAKES! The two flavors figured here are Cookies n' Cream & Vanilla Almond Raspberry. Both of which had smooth and lightly sweet buttercream frosting... not the best but not the worst either.


The Cookie n' Cream frosting could have boasted more oreo-cookie-ness, but in a world of Mega Stuffed Oreos... well clearly there is never enough :p The addition of buttercream frosting filling inside the chocolate cake was a welcome surprise! The chocolate cake itself wasn't dry but lacked a bit of chocolate flavor punch.

The Vanilla Almond Raspberry cupcake was a good almond cake, but the addition of the raspberry jelly beneath the buttercream frosting made this cupcake memorable. A must try if you decide to go :D

Cookies n Cream cream filled insides...yummy :p

I have to discuss the great equalizer of cupcakeries... the famous Red Velvet (image not displayed). This one is NOT so great. With so many Red Velvets out there you have to do it right. Red colored vanilla cake mix with cream cheese frosting is a far cry from what red velvet should be (wanna hear more from my soapbox on Red Velvet look for my addition in our Cupcake Correspondents Digest section coming soon).

Cupcake Heaven receives the following marks:

Gluten Free: None advertised

Sugar Free: None advertised

Cupcakery Atmosphere: 4 out of 5 (it was clean, good decor, and with sitting, but wasn't a cupcakery)

Customer Service: 4 out of 5 (normally they are quick to give you your order since there normally isn't a line etc)

Overall Quality: 3 out of 5 (just couldn't get past the Red Velvet & that it wasn't a cupcakery but a coffee shop)

Cake Love: Fair Oaks Mall, Fairfax, VA

Store front @ Fair Oaks Mall

Cake Love
$3.35 each

Cake Love is one of the more popular cupcakeries/bakeries in the Washington DC Metro Area. As seen on the Food Network and food magazines; there are high expectations when it comes to partaking from one of these cupcakes. With fame comes consumer cost raise, because lets in honest... when we see something on TV and some big name chef or TV host says its good... well, we must find it and eat it too! Right? Well, we heard the call and partook of its goodness.

Fuzzy Wuzzy Chocolate 

We have visited Cake Love at the Fair Oaks Mall for a few years now, and normally the cupcakes are good. The Red Velvet (aka, The Great Equalizer) was respectable and conformed to the sacred necessity of being a coco based cake with red food dye, with the tart but lightly sweet cream cheese frosting. The only down side was you had to wait for your cupcake to defrost since they gently freeze the cupcakes in order to keep it fresh ( *hint: if you let the frosting defrost half way it taste like creamy ice-cream... yum)

Sadly :( the days of preserving freshness via a gentle freeze is gone. What makes that so sad you ask? Doesn't that just make it easier to eat right away? Well here's the deal... the cupcakes are dry! Even before bitting into them you could see and feel that the cake was dry (Check out the pics below and you'll see what I mean). Your plate or hands shouldn't be covered with flaking cake bits. It's should be moist and plushy. This was what they were like before, but again sadly they flaked : (

 

Coconut Delight

With these disappointing thoughts in mind I give Cake Love the following marks:

Gluten Free: Not Advertised

Sugar Free: Not Available 

Cupcakery Atmosphere: 4 out of 5 (it is in a mall after all)

Flavor Selections: 5 out of 5 (flavors are on point for what is popular and the names are creative and fun)
Customer Service: 5 out of 5 (quick and friendly)

Overall Quality: 2.5 out of 5 (just can't get past the dry cakes on the last few visits, which is the greatest of cupcake sins)

Red Velvet Cupcakery: Reston, VA

Red Velvet

$3.25 each

After a friend told us about the Red Velvet Cupcakery, naturally we had to try it. Our friend told us that their peanut butter cupcake was the best she has had. Our quest was plotted, our notepads in hand, our sweet tooth in dyer need, and off we went.

After finding parking, the cupcakery was themed in a bright classic red color. Do to the name, of course. The atmosphere and the staff was friendly. Not a lot of tables to sit at, but it was clean. They offer basic drinks. I thought it was wonderful that they only offered organic chocolate milk. Not plain white milk, but chocolate. Sweet!!! We picked out (which wasn't easy) the Peanut Butter cup, Southern Belle, Cookies 'N Cream, Devils Food, Northern Beauty, and B-Day. 

(From upper left to lower right: Peanut Butter cup, Southern Belle,
Cookies 'N Cream, Devils Food, Northern Beauty, B-Day)

With the name Red Velvet they 1) have to offer a red velvet cupcake and 2) it has to live up to its name, right? Sadly, we both thought it was hit and miss. They did make it right, using a chocolate based cake with red dye, but something was missing. We tried both red velvets. One called Southern Belle and the other Northern Beauty. We both liked the Northern Beauty the best. Let me explain, Southern Belle has whipped cream cheese frosting with a "moist" cake. They claim it is a must for any first timer and "will stand up to Grandma's recipe". While Northern Beauty is the same mix, it is sugar free. We felt the cake part of the Northern red velvet was more moist than the claimed Southern Belle. The frosting was creamier and   smoother also (side note: they do offer a vegan/gluten-free one called "Black Velvet").

(Northern Beauty)

Quick highlights from our pick: Peanut butter cupcake that our friend said was the best she had, was too salty. It just taste like salt and was grainy. 

Devils Food was really chocolatey. Reminded me of the chocolate cake you get at Costco. It also had a bittersweet chocolate ganache and it was garnished with a 24K gold leaf. As they mention it is for chocolate lovers. Very good and very smooth. Out of the two of us, one was only able to finish it because it was really rich in flavor.

Go to Red Velvet and give it a try and than tell us what you think.

We give Red Velvet the following marks:

Gluten Free: Clearly Advertised & mentioned by server

Sugar Free: Clearly Advertised & mentioned by server

Cupcakery Atmosphere: 5 out of 5 (good size, offered only chocolate milk (LOVE), not enough seats though, nice signage and color)

Flavor Selections: 5 out of 5 (names are extremely creative and fun. I wanted to taste all of them)

Overall Quality: 3.5 out of 5 ( a little dry on the cake part, liked the frosting not to sweet)

Alexandria Cupcake: Alexandria, VA

Alexandria Cupcakes 

$3.00 each

$3.50 Gluten free 

We spent a long weekend in old town Alexandria. It was a lot of fun! We asked at this cute shop were we could get some good cupcakes. Alexandria Cupcakes was the second one mention, and it was on our way back to the hotel. The cupcakery is located in an old town-home that has been converted to shops. Very modern inside with little seating. They had this cute bookmark (see in picture to the left) that you could take for free. 

(Red Velvet)

The staff said that their Red Velvet is their signature cupcake. Being that is the one kind of cupcake the we "must try" at all cupcake shops, we got that one and the all dark chocolate cupcake. 

The red velvet cupcake has its classic buttermilk cake with a combination of cream cheese and buttercream frosting. It wasn't flaky or too dry. The frosting was the best. The cake wasn't that memorable.

Dark Chocolate has a belgian cocoa rouge buttercream frosting. This one was good, but I felt I could make it at home all the same. 

Nothing really stood out to us at this bakery. The fluff was good on the cupcakes and the presentation was nice. So if you had no time to make those cupcakes for the PTA meeting at home, you could pass these off as your own.

(Dark Chocolate)

We give Alexandria Cupcakes the following marks:

Gluten Free: Clearly Advertised

Sugar Free: Not Advertised or mentioned

Cupcakery Atmosphere: 3.5 out of 5 (nothing that stood out, everyday shop but still nice)

Flavor Selections: 3 out of 5 (everyday cupcake shop, nothing felt special)

Overall Quality: 2.5 out of 5 ( could have made these at home)

Georgetown Cupcakes: Washington, DC

Georgetown Cupcakes

$2.75 each

$2.75 Gluten Free

Georgetown Cupcakes' display case of yummness!

All cupcakes fans have probably seen or at least heard of TLC's show DC Cupcakes. Honestly this is the cupcakery that started it all for ChocolateGauche and myself. Yes we heard the call and made the pilgrimage into DC to check it out! The shop is easy to find especially with a line of people circling the block leading into the front door (Get there when they open or avoid the weekends if you don't want to wait in line). The staff is good about giving out menus to people waiting outside in line, and getting the cupcakes to you as quickly as possible... so don't despair...

BUT is all media hype and word of mouth worth it? Here's our two cents...

First off... This shop is an example of what a cupcakery should look like! Bright and perky with an abundant display of cupcakes! You can clearly see what this store is about, adorable and yummy cupcakes! Have a plan for where to take your cupcakes to devour them, because with all the people and cupcakes there isn't a lot of room to sit around and eat... and it's gotta be even more hectic when the TV show cameras get into the cupcake mix!

Red Velvet w/Cream Cheese Frosting

The cupcake flavors change daily so check out the website or the menu, but some of their more popular flavors are available everyday. Like their signature Red Velvet... which was a GOOD cupcake! I have eaten my share (and them some) of Red Velvet, and taking my first bite into this one made me say "ummm." It is a coco based cake with organic red food coloring (makes it less bitter), and slightly sweet and tart cream cheese frosting... Plus they use apple cider vinegar which makes a big difference in taste...YUMMY yum :)

What is so great about Georgetown Cupcakes is the dietary options available. They offer a different gluten free and vegan flavor cupcake everyday! And the Gluten-Free Lava Fudge we tried was awesome! Sometimes the gluten free can have a dense texture making it dry, but Georgetown managed to keep the cake fluffy and moist at the same time. Plus the cupcake staff is very careful to make sure when handling the gluten free cakes not to pickup other gluten cupcakes. They also asked if we wanted them box separately... so if you have gluten allergy you'll be safe here.

Valrhona Chocolate

And if you LOVE chocolate... well, they have a variety of chocolate cupcakes, we tried the Valrhona Chocolate or Chocolate3... it was good. The Coconut w/Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting was a bit dry, but it is hard to get a coconut cake not to be since most have coconut flakes in and on them... I am waiting for a cupcakery to add pineapple to a coconut cake batter to solve this problem (think mock pina colada ya'll).

We give Georgetown Cupcakes the following marks... for this visit... we will be going again and probably again a few more times :)

Gluten Free: Available (look for the daily flavor cuz it changes)

Sugar Free: Not Advertised

Vegan: Available (different flavors available daily)


Cupcakery Atmosphere: 4 out of 5 (it is busy, so come with a battle plan.  It is an adorable shop)

Flavor Selections: 5 out of 5 (popular flavors are available daily, gluten/vegan cupcakes, daily specials, and holiday specials... they even offer Passover and Hanukkah cupcakes)

Overall Quality: 5 out of 5 (so far this cupcakery is a winner!!!)

Box o' Cupcakes (Top left to Bottom Right): Red Velvet w/Cream Cheese Frosting, Salted Caramel, Valrhona Chocolate, Coconut w/Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting, Chocolate & Vanilla, Gluten-Free Lava Fudge.