The Chocolate Cupcake Taste-off

I have this problem with instant gratification and food.  That is to say, when I get a craving for something, I have to have it immediately.  This often poses a problem because I always seem to be engaged in conversations about food.  Friends are always asking me for recipes or restaurant recommendations, and I do tend to go on about my favorite places to eat in the city.  Sometimes I get a little fixated on one particular thing, and before I know it, I'm already in my car and en route to whichever eatery I'd just rhapsodizing about.  The margherita pizza at Punch, the Spanker Soup at Azia, the Cava Cocktail at Solera, and the triple chocolate layer cake at Trattoria da Vinci are all very recent examples. 

I have a particular weakness for sweets, specifically chocolate.  More specifically, chocolate cake.  My recent entry about Italian desserts, combined with a bit of a broken heart -- a collective "aww" now, please and thank you -- has left me yearning for my favorite treat.  So today I decided to venture out and pick up a decadent dessert for myself.  And what better choice than my favorite of favorites, a chocolate cupcake.  "But from where?" I wondered.  Eureka!  One from everywhere.

Girl Friday Presents: The Chocolate Cupcake Taste-off

I purchased one regular chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting from 5 neighboring bakeries (plus 1 bonus gourmet chocolate ganache cupcake that looked too good to leave in the bakery case) and tasted them all in my kitchen today.  By eating 1/3 of each cupcake, and cleansing my palate in between with a swig of V8 and then water, I think I was able to effectively judge all of my selections.  Here they are, in the order they were purchased and tasted:

Wuollet Bakery, 2447 Hennepin Ave S

I love the thick, rich frosting; it's like eating a piece of fudge.  Definitely the centerpoint of the cupcake.  The cake itself is semi-moist and has a true chocolate flavor, though it could be stronger.  ($1.15)

Franklin Street Bakery, 1020 Franklin Ave E (Regular Chocolate Cupcake)

The frosting is smooth and glossy, definitely the wettest of them all.  It doesn't have a pure chocolate taste, though.  The cake is moist and dense with a good flavor, but is too salty.  ($1.95)

Franklin Street Bakery (Chocolate Ganache Cupcake)

A "ganache" is a smooth chocolate glaze created by pouring warm heavy cream over chopped chocolate.  FSB has separated the two ingredients and topped this cupcake with a fluffy whipped cream frosting and milk chocolate curls.  Magnificent!  Though the cake is the same recipe used for the regular cupcake above, the saltiness is tempered quite a bit by the creaminess of this frosting.  ($2.25) [EDIT: I finished this cupcake today and discovered a dollop of milk chocolate ganache in the center!]

Cupcake, 3338 University Ave SE

A dark, flavorful frosting with a pure chocolate taste.  The cake is very moist and chocolatey.  This one tastes as every good cupcake should: like a smaller version of a great chocolate layer cake.  I wanted to try their buttermilk chocolate cupcake, too, but the bastard in line ahead of me snatched up the last one.  Either Cupcake has substantially improved the quality of their goods since my last visit, or they have one specialty cupcake and this is it.

Roseville Bakery, 1147 Larpenteur Ave W

Bland frosting and very dry cake.  I question the presence of real chocolate anywhere in this concoction.  I'd rank this cupcake at or below chain grocery store standards.  Sometimes, you get what you pay for.  ($0.65)

Sarah Jane's Bakery, 2853 Johnson St NE

A light and glossy frosting, but not very chocolatey.  The cake itself is semi-moist with an always-present hint of coconut that adds another layer of flavor.  Quite complimentary.  Because Sarah Jane's is so close to my house, I probably eat these cupcakes more often than any others.  Though I mostly just stop in for the awesome bars, I can't help but grab a cupcake or two while I'm there.  (not sure of exact price, but cost of 1 cupcake + 1 brownie = $1.38)

It's a tough choice, but I'd say Cupcake's chocolate cupcake comes out ahead of the rest.  I've given mad props to Wuollet in the past for having an outstanding cupcake, but the one I tasted today was a little drier than usual and the flavor of the cake was too mild.  I plan to return to Franklin Street Bakery to try their other varieties of gourmet cupcakes, as the chocolate ganache one I tasted today was a true gem.  I will likely never return to the Roseville Bakery, however.  And Sarah Jane's Bakery will see me soon enough.  I can already feel a craving coming on for those little spice cakes with maple frosting and the cinnamon-cardamom sweet rolls.

Comments

[433]

Roseville Bakery's donuts are okay, their cookies too. I had some good crusty bread there once.

But yeah, pretty poor overall.

[taylor]

This is what you skipped pinochle nite for? L.A.M.E.

[Dave]

Wuollet cupcakes are tops. I grew up eating them, because my parents (and grandparents) stopped at Wuollet's Bakery at least once a week to load up on bread, cookies, rolls and other sweets to have with their coffee. A Swedish thing, I always thought - sitting around the table eating baked goods, Wisconsin cheese (plain old colby, cheddar...) and drinking coffee. I had my first cup of coffee, with plenty of milk, when I was about four.

I also had a concoction at both my grandparents' houses called "molasses milk", which is just like it sounds - about two tablespoons of very sweet molasses stirred into a glass of cold milk. I still haven't run into anyone else who's ever tried it.

Now I live less than a block from Wuollet's, and I never set foot in there. I honestly almost never think of buying tasty baked goods, though I still love them so. Go figure. I just work a lot, I guess.

[Alexis]

Taylor, I don't remember how to play and was advised that tonight would be competitive.

[Voo]

Did you leave the cupcakes out for an hour or so to get rid of that nasty fridge taste? I really dislike the way the cake dries out, but I understand that bakeries must refrigerate cupcakes out of necessity.

[hue]

The one from "Cupcake" looks awesome.

I'm not sure if "A Baker's Wife Pastery Shot" Does cupcakes, but she has the best cake donuts in town.

Great post.

[Alexis]

Molly: After a ride in my car in their respective white paper bags, the little darlings also had to sit for their photoshoot on my kitchen counter before being eaten. I suspect this was plenty of time to get rid of that refrigerator case taste.

[joe]

Franklin Street rocks. You should also try their savory items too.

[Marchelle]

Oh, someone had to mention A Baker's Wife. I've never had their cupcakes, but they have a chocolate snowball that is pure chocolatey creamy nirvana.

[Max Ultramod]

If you fall in love with the marveous Chocolate Ganache Cupcake, you might as well fall in love with diabetes as too, because that's where you're headed. This is like the crack cocaine of cupcakes.

[Sung Sook]

Hey, we were referenced to your blog from mnspeak.com and took your advice on Franklin Street Bakery. I'm not sure if it's from your blog, but the business has been BOOMING like crazy (according to the gal at the counter). Great job on your review! I'm glad you tasted all of those cupcakes so we could just arrive at the best one first. Keep up the good work!

[Bexley]

It looks like the StarTribune ripped you off.

[Ed Kohler]

I got around to trying the Franklin Street Bakery cupcakes this past week. They're freekin off the charts. We took down the Chocolate Grenache and I think some white chocolate ones as well. Thanks for the tip!

[Mary]

Sara Jane's bakery is overated. The raspberry Bismarck I had at Cub Food's last week was much tastier. Every time I have purchased a donut at Sara Jane's I have been dissapointed.