Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Cupcake Travels - the Windy Cindy!

Happy Belated National Cupcake Day Everyone!!! I’ve been traveling the last few days and have been neglecting the blog. Where was I, you ask? The windy city! Yup, my first visit to Chicago and it was a really great time. And of course, you know I can’t go anywhere and not look for cupcakes!
As you might know, there is certainly no shortage of cupcakes in Chicago. The two bakeries Mike & I were able to navigate our way to were the charming Molly’s Cupcakes, and of course, Swirlz!

Molly’s Cupcakes
, who’s logo I love by the way (it reminds me of The Very Hungry Caterpillar book everyone reads when they’re a kid), uses a recipe the founder inherited from his third grade teacher. As a way to give back, a portion of their profits are donated to local schools. The bakery does make other treats, including ice cream, but they had a great selection of cupcakes…their center-filled flavors included the likes of Chocolate Mousse, Tiramisu, Chocolate Strawberry, Key Lime, and my personal favorite, Dirt & Worms (Chocolate Cake, Vanilla Ice Cream, Oreo Cookie Dirt, and Gummy Worms served in a flower pot!) to name a few. Chocolate, Vanilla, Carrot, and Red Velvet made up their classic flavors, and they even have a couple Vegan flavors.
Part of the Display Case at Molly's Cupcake

Mighty Mint Cupcakes at Molly's Cupcakes
Mint Velvet Cupcakes on display at Molly's Cupcakes
I picked up a Peanut Butter Cupcake with Nutella filling, which Mike and I were fighting over the last crumb for because it was SO good, along with a Mint Velvet, Carrot Cake, and Pumpkin Spice. The Pumpkin Spice and Red Velvet were really good, but I wasn’t crazy about the Carrot Cake. Next time in Chicago, I will definitely go back and pay this place a visit…I want the Dirt & Worms!! You can visit the site, which is still being built, by clicking here
My Molly's Cupcakes selections. Clockwise from the top right, Pumpkin Spice, Carrot Cake, Mint Velvet, and Peanut Butter with Nutella.
Display at Swirlz Cupcakes
We happened upon Swirlz by accident really…we had been looking for them, gave up, and when heading out of the city we got lost and stumbled upon their street. It was fate! The store was cute but very very tiny. I picked up a regular Vanilla cupcake and the “Surprise” flavor of the day, which was some sort of White Chocolate Nut flavor (the lady described it but I can’t remember!) She packed them up in two adorable little plastic containers and I was on my way. And you know what? Both of them were great! The Vanilla tasted moist and sweet, and the Surprise flavor was rich and unique, with some sort of crunchy nut layer between the cake and the frosting.
"Surprise" Cupcake from Swirlz
Vanilla Cupcake from Swirlz
All in all, it was a great trip with great cupcakes!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was in Chicago in August and was at Molly's, too. I can't remember what I ordered (at least a half dozen) but I remember them being good. The girl behind the counter was a hoot -- a real Chatty Cathy. Did you like the swing? At first I thought it was strange but then I hopped right up on it! Chicago is a GREAT city!

Danielle said...

A swing?! I didn't see that! I was rushing around trying to pay for the order because it was about to downpour outside, I must have missed it!

You're right though, it is a great city with SO much to see! I'll have to look for the swing when I go back :)