http://www.cupcakesoncommand.com/

So recently my inbox and Twitter have been flooded with articles on the demise of cupcakes. Come on folks, cupcakes are not going anywhere! If a company shutters their doors, then the simple truth is they are not producing a very good product.

To this day, I still find a mile long line at Sprinkles and daily sell outs at my favorite shops. There is not a day that goes by without receiving an email or Tweet asking me for cupcake shop recommendations in a particular area in this city or even another state that I frequent.

Is the market oversaturated? Sure it is; there are cupcake shops on every corner. So, in order to avoid an untimely demise, you need to have a spectacular product that range in flavors besides the traditional white cake and red velvet.

Most recently, I have found that in Cupcakes on Command. They offer a Cupcake Taxi that loads up with a handful of daily flavors to be delivered to you when the cupcake craving strikes and you can’t (or simply don’t want to leave your comfortable confines.) If you’re in need of one cupcake or 100 cupcakes, The Cupcake Taxi will deliver.  In addition, you can place orders for a half dozen or more of any flavor they offer on their site.

Cupcakes on Command has the typical flavors; but more importantly, they offer a little something different. Tired of the traditional citrus flavors? Try a mango cupcake. This cupcake has a hint of cardamom for a spectacular subtle flavor. This cupcake houses no artificial flavors; only fresh pureed Alphonso and Kesar mangos are used.

Mango Cupcake

Enjoy peanut butter but don’t care for the sugar laden overly sweet frosting that some places offer? The peanut is the star in the peanut butter cupcake with peanut butter frosting.

Peanut butter cupcake

The cinnamon cupcake with cinnamon cream cheese could surely be considered a breakfast pastry with its light and sweet flavor. Only the finest Vietnamese and Ceylon cinnamon is used.

Cinnamon Cupcake

The key lime pie cupcake was the perfect combination of tart and sweet atop a graham cracker crust and filled with key lime pie filling.

Key Lime Pie Cupcake

The cheesecake cupcake was a rich and creamy combination of cake and cheesecake. It is a vanilla bean cake that is filled with freshly baked cheesecake and topped with a vanilla cream cheese frosting.

Cupcakes on Command also has a handful of special flavors every month. They even let their customers vote on the flavor of the month. A company that values the opinions of their customers, and takes pride in the product they offer? Well, I don’t know about you, but those qualities tend to make for a lasting business.

My point is, if you’re product is exceptional and you offer a little something different that no one else offers, there will be no shortage of customers. Cupcakes on Command doesn’t just bake with quality ingredients, they also bake with imagination.

I could go on. I sampled ten different cupcakes and each one was more exciting than the last. The only thing I can complain about is that Cupcakes on Command are not located in my kitchen to provide me with the myriad of flavors on a daily basis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Pictured above, Left to Right, Top to Bottom:

Almond, Carrot

Banana, Cookies & Cream

Salted Caramel)

http://caffebene.com
1016 W. Trinity Mills Rd.
Carrollton, TX 75007

Words cannot express how in love I am with Caffé Bene. Seriously though, it borders on unhealthy to be honest.

Caffé Bene is a recently opened coffee shop of the hybrid variety; meaning, a little bit European and a little bit Korean. These are usually my favorite due to the sheer uniqueness of the combinations.

So, the first time I went in I was on a mission to sample their signature sweets which are the honey bread and their waffles.

Their waffles are Liege waffles, which originates in Belgium, but is not to be confused with a Belgium waffle. The Liege waffle comes from Eastern Belgium and is much denser than the American or traditional Belgium Waffles since they use yeast based dough. They are often smaller in size. Usually they contain a pearled sugar which caramelizes throughout the waffle.

Caffé Bene has at least ten different toppings for these crunchy confections. I selected the Caramel and Banana Waffle. Topped with ribbons of caramel and chocolate, thick slices of banana and a hefty portion of whipped cream. I was in heaven. The only thing that would have made this dish better, would have been if the bananas were caramelized.

I love carbs in all forms. This is no surprise. But there is something about biting in to the perfect piece of bread; whether it is of the sweet or savory variety. I found that in Caffé Bene’s Honey Toast.  Don’t let the size scare you off. It may be large, but it is so light that it could probably be consumed without teeth. Honey Toast is a popular Asian Dessert.  Like the waffles, they can be eaten alone or with a mecca of toppings. The Brioche bread is sweet and buttery on its own, but over the top when you add toppings.

For the Honey Toast, I selected the caramel and cinnamon honey toast.  As you can see, the bread is the star; just a light drizzle of honey, small sprinkle of cinnamon and the perfect amount of whipped cream.

This is just the beginning; they offer amazing lattes, pastries and even savory honey toast.  (just make sure if you go the garlic honey toast route, you bring lots of breath mints. I also would not recommend it for a first date treat).

Caffé Bene is one of those places that you can discover something new each time you go, making it your “new favorite.” I recommend just starting at the top of the menu and going in every day until you’ve had everything

http://www.maxswinedive.com/dallas

3600 McKinney Ave #101
Dallas, TX 75204
214-559-3483

So, Lent is in full swing. Thank goodness I am not Catholic because I have no desire to give up the things that I love. Call it selfish if you’d like, but I live a pretty healthy lifestyle save for one day a week where I stuff my face with as much sugary carbs as I can. I don’t feel like giving up that day too. Besides, if I did gave up one of my biggest vices, where would you guys go for the latest scoop on sugar?

It seems to me this year I have found more people I know giving up sweets. This makes me sad. It also makes me want to bake their favorite thing and bring it to them, only to watch their resentfulness towards me grow. Ok, so maybe I have a sick sense of humor.

What better way to rebel against Lent with the dessert menu at Max’s Wine Dive? Max’s Wine Dive opened late last year in West Village.  A few friends and I decided to head out for dinner. I took full advantage of having a gaggle of hungry ladies with me to order three desserts. Not really expecting most of them to be as massive as they were (the desserts, not the ladies), we chose the buttermilk pie, white chocolate bread pudding and the peanut butter brownie.

I do love myself some bread pudding, and this white chocolate bread pudding was pretty amazing. Just the right amount of Dulce de leche cream made this dish perfect. Not too over saturated in sauce but not dry either. Nothing is worse than a dry bread pudding.  Added was a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I am not so much a fan of ice cream with my bread pudding because I want it to stay warm, and if you don’t attack it quick enough, you’ve got a room temperature bread pudding and a pool of melted ice cream on your plate.

The peanut butter brownie was too much for me. Not saying the taste wasn’t there. It was full of chocolate flavor but very, very dense. It had the consistency of a flowerless chocolate cake. I really did not taste much peanut butter, chocolate was the main focus. The bacon toffee popcorn was a nice touch, but the chocolate ice cream on top of a dense chocolate brownie was just too much of the same flavor. I think they are on to something with the concept, but it really needs some rework. I demand more peanut butter!

I was sure the bread pudding would have been my favorite, but it was actually the buttermilk pie. It had an amazing huckleberry compote that I wished there was more of and included a dollop of thyme meringue. It had a slight crunchy exterior and not too sweet. The huckleberry and thyme flavors really worked well together and made this pie stand out for your average buttermilk pie. This dessert was much smaller than the others and the one the dessert that had spoons colliding and the table silent. No one wanted to talk until the pie was gone for fear that someone would take the last bite.

So, while you guys are all giving up on life’s greatest pleasures, I will be consuming your share, and probably at Max’s Wine Dive.

Swoon Pastries via Artizone

http://www.artizone.com/Dallas/Swoon%20Pastries/Store/1532

Happy Valentine’s Day!  To me, Valentine’s Day is a near perfect holiday. Any holiday that includes eating is up my alley. And like most other American food-centric holidays, this one involves sugar!

I would no doubt be lying to you if I said I do not take full advantage of the holiday and eat my way through an extra-large box of Godiva and See’s Chocolates.

I love chocolate, I do. But why don’t we have heart shaped boxes overflowing with different macarons? No menu card included. I want to have no idea what flavor I am sampling until I take that first bite.  Unlike the box of Russell Stover that I take a bite of each piece and toss it out, we know no meringue crumb will go to waste.

Ok, while maybe my Macaron Magister’s haven’t quite commercialized the crumbly confection to the point if it being a staple on this beloved Hallmark holiday. Still, there are plenty of places in Dallas to get a very impressive macaron.

I am amazed almost on a weekly basis of the random macaron sightings as of late. More often than not they are decent, sometimes amazing, and a handful of times simply disappointing. Most of which all stem back to quality control and realizing their finicky shelf life.

My most recent macaron encounter was with Swoon Pasteries. This is a mixed review of sorts. I was sort of not sure the approach I wanted to take with the review. I sampled two kinds of macarons; a package of vanilla and a couple of packages of salted caramel.

(Vanilla and Salted Caramel macarons)

The salted caramel was spot on.  Speaking purely of texture, they were perfect. The outside crispy just like you would expect, the foot of the macaron, impeccable and the filling outshined most any macaron fillings I have had as of recent. There was a thin, gooey layer of home made sea salt caramel, followed by a silky dollop of caramel butter cream. The added texture to this macaron was unexpected, yet brilliantly executed.

This brings me to the vanilla macaron. The flavor was there. One of my simple pleasures is a well done vanilla macaron. Unfortunately, this macaron has far exceeded its shelf life and was unbelievably stale. I hate to see good macarons die.

For me, if I know I will not eat them the very day they are in my possession, in the freezer they go, only to be brought out no more than 30 minutes or so prior to my planned consumption. Finicky creatures they are.  Not only do you have to be careful of how long they sit out, but they are so delicate that transporting them also needs to be handled with care.

I also had the pleasure of trying their signature cookie, the Sues. They are the love child of a hand-pie and a cookie. Delicious and buttery shortbread cookies filled with handmade jam. The pineapple was great, but I could have gladly eaten my weight in the apple Sues.

(Pineapple and Apple Sues)

Overall, I loved the products, just hated that one package of macarons were inedible. Not sure if Swoon is to blame or Artizone. I don’t know the ins and the outs of how the product is moved around and how long they are kept. Are they made when I place my order and picked up then? Does Artizone keep some supply on hand and someone just dropped the ball on the QC for my order? Who knows really? But as delicious as the other items were, I would be willing to place another order and give it another shot. If it happens again, then we know there is a problem because macarons are expensive and I don’t plan to keep throwing away money.

Hopefully I have not scared you away from a roulette game of pastry.  However, if you’re not a fan of gambling but still want to try Swoon, go for the Sues, you can’t go wrong.

One of the most common questions I am asked is, “Who sells the best cupcake in DFW?” Well, I have a difficult time answering this question because in true woman form, I can’t ever make a decision. What I mean is, this can change every day depending on what I am craving. Once I know what type of cupcake I am looking for, I know exactly where to go. One of these spots is surely to fill whatever cupcake void I have at the moment.

When I decided to do this post, I took a few things into consideration. In order to be put on my list, I must have enjoyed this cupcake on more than one occasion.  Additionally, quality and consistency is always top notch with each experience. Another huge factor is cravablity. It may sound silly, but when I am sitting at work and thinking about how much I want a Coffee Cake cupcake from Layered Bake Shop, you know it is a winner.

I won’t keep you waiting any longer. The below cupcakes are in no particular order.  Each cupcake below has been reviewed in its entirety in an earlier post, for more mouthwatering information.

 

- Cupcake Bliss in Bedford: http://cupcakebliss.com/  (Salty Caramel Cupcake)

Caramel cupcake, topped with caramel butter cream, drizzled in caramel and topped with sea salt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trailercakes in Dallas: http://www.trailercakes.com/ (PBJ Cupcake)

Fluffy, very light white cake with grape filling and topped with a peanut butter butter cream.

(Below picture used with permission from Trailercakes)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- Sprinkles in Dallas: http://www.sprinkles.com/ (Pumpkin Cupcake)

Spicy pumpkin cake with a cinnamon cream cheese frosting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- Layered Bake Shop in McKinney: http://layeredbakeshop.com/ (Coffee Cake Cupcake)

Streusel coffee cake cupcake topped with brown sugar butter cream.

(Below picture used with permission from Layered Bake Shop)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 - Pink Frosting Cupcakes in Coppell: http://www.pinkfrostingcupcakes.com (Bread Pudding Cupcake)

Traditional Bread Pudding cupcake topped with creamy butter cream and layered with a warm vanilla rum sauce (Tip: Heat the container of rum sauce up first and poor it on top!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- Cup-Cakin Machine Food Truck (all over DFW) http://www.cup-cakin.com/ (Chocolate Triple Threat Cupcake)

Chocolate cake, white chocolate frosting, and a ganache drizzle.

(Below picture used with permission from Cup-Cakin)

 

 

 

 

 

 

- Haute Mama Dessert Co. in Allen:  http://www.hautemamadessertcompany.com/ (Wedding Cake Cupcake)

Traditional white wedding cake loaded with almond flavor and topped with a rich almond butter cream.

(Below picture used with permission from Haute Mama Dessert Co)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- Sugar and Frosting in Keller: http://www.sugarandfrosting.com/ (S’mores Cupcake)

Light chocolate cake topped with marshmallow butter cream , sprinkled with crushed graham crackers and adorned with a chocolate piece)

(Below picture used with permission from Sugar and Frosting)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- The Cupcakery (Dallas and Frisco) http://www.originalcupcakery.com/ (Julius Cupcake)

Fragrant orange cake with huge chunks of fruit throughout, topped with a light orange and cream swirled frosting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- Rush Patisserie (North Oak Cliff) http://rushpatisserie.com/ (Wedding Cake Uncupcake)

Don’t confuse this Wedding Cake cupcake with the one above. This cupcake is a traditional vanilla based cupcake with butter cream frosting. It is topped with shaved white chocolate curls. The best part is, it is served in a jar, with a spoon!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For some of you there is a 3 Day Weekend coming up. I challenge you to get out and try each one of these cupcakes!