Starbucks Red Velvet Cupcake

I finally found a standard sized Red Velvet Cupcake from Starbucks! The only one I have had so far is the little version, with the chocolate candy on top. This one tasted exactly the same as the smaller version - like a sweet sugar cookie - but bigger! Have you tried all the Starbucks flavors? What's your favorite?

Spotted: Starbucks Cupcakes

When I was doing a little shopping at Tysons Galleria on Saturday afternoon, I stopped at the Starbucks and what do you know - cupcakes! I haven't seen these yet...Vanilla Bean and Double Chocolate (and no, these were not the Cheesecake Factory cupcakes).

Had I not pigged out at the Red Velvet Cupcakery Meetup earlier in the day, I definitely would have picked one up, but I just couldn't do it. Has anyone tried them?? I'm also keeping my eyes peeled for Starbucks Valentines Day cupcakes!

Starbucks Red Velvet Cupcakes

Finally! After 7 months of hunting, I found a Starbucks Cupcake! Well technically my friend Lauren found it, but either way, I got it! And I was pleasantly surprised.

This was the only cupcake they had that wasn't a Cheesecake Factory Cupcake: a Red Velvet Cupcake with Chocolate Truffle Filling, and it was great! One thing though, I thought the cake itself tasted fantastic without the filling. I don't think the filling hurt the flavor, but I could have done without it.

The frosting did the job - not too sweet, but not something you want to eat by the spoonful either. The whole package was very fresh and moist, and after finishing the last bite, I realized I thought it tasted more like a really good sugar cookie than your average Red Velvet cupcake! Would I eat this cupcake again? Most definitely!

The Elusive Starbucks Cupcake

Finally! I walked into the Starbucks in the Bethesda Barnes & Noble this afternoon to get my usual Grande Regular Coffee (I'm a simple girl), and alas! Cupcakes! I have been trying to track down Starbucks cupcakes for months now, and had come to the conclusion they were only available in late winter/early spring. I guess not.

However, I'm wondering if these are the same cupcakes I had heard about before...there were only two flavors, Chocolate Fudge and Vanilla Buttercream, and on the little signs was a Cheesecake Factory Logo. While it's news to me that Cheesecake Factory makes cupcakes, I thought the cupcakes I had heard about in the past were Starbucks originals. Interesting...

Anyway, I decided to go with the Chocolate Fudge. These cupcakes are Jumbo size, but still decently priced at $1.95. The frosting was good. It had a firm outer shell, but once you forked it, underneath laid fudgy goodness. The chocolate cake was egh, nothing special. The parts closest to the wrapper were a little dry, but the center was moist. I will say that once I cut it in half an bit into the middle, the combination was pretty good.

That being said though, I probably wouldn't have it again. The frosting was good but the cake missed the mark. And since it was a jumbo cupcake, that's a whole lotta cake. While it's better than your average grocery store cupcake, it's definitley not gourmet. I didn't exactly have high expectations for a Starbucks dessert, but I did have higher expectations for a Cheesecake Factory dessert. Maybe they should just stick to cheesecake...!

Arlington Cupcake Adventures

This weekend while I was in Arlington, I thought I'd swing by The Farmer's Market held every Saturday morning in front of the Courthouse. I've heard that the owner of ShoeBox Oven sets up shop there (since she doesn't have an actual store) to sell her cupcakes. After paying the meter and finding the stand, I was quite disappointed to find that she doesn't sell her cupcakes at the market in the summer months! Apparently the cupcakes can't handle the heat. As a matter of fact, we won't be able to find ShoeBox Oven cupcakes at the Arlington Farmer's Market until November! I should have checked her website first...you can see a list of what she currently has available on Saturdays.

One thing I wanted to share, I found out she makes this crazy cupcake seen below- the Lilliputian. It's a vanilla bean and creme fraiche cupcake topped with fine spun sugar...mmm!

(Picture from DailyCandy.com)

Back to my cupcake travels, at this point I just wanted a cupcake! So my friend and I headed over to Murky Coffee. Murky sells the cupcakes seen below for Justin Stegall, owner of BakeShop DC (who also does not yet have a store location.) Just an FYI for those who've never been - Murky Coffee in Arlington has a HORRIBLE parking situation. There are only 4 or so spots in front of the store, and when you reverse, you better do it quick because you're reversing into traffic onto Wilson Boulevard! Ugh. Anyway, my friend and I parked and headed inside, only to find out that they hadn't received any deliveries from Bakeshop DC, i.e., NO CUPCAKES!

(Picture from Murky Coffee Website - Nick Cho, President, Murky Coffee)

Refusing to give up our cupcake search, we swung by a local Starbucks since I've heard they carry some really tasty Vanilla Cupcakes. But of course, there were no cupcakes to be found!

Cupcakeless, we decided to call it a day and try to forget about our disappointment poolside back in Maryland. Lesson learned - always call ahead!!!