HOUSE OF CUPCAKES - "CUPCAKE WARS WINNER #3"

HOUSE OF CUPCAKES - Parts 1 and 2

This is a story about second chances and I am so very glad that I gave them one. About a week ago, we were going to Princeton to have dinner with friends. We parked right outside of "House of Cupcakes." I saw the name and the words, "We Won" and my mouth dropped open. I said, "Whaaaa?" This will be my third Cupcake Wars winner in one month. In short, I walked in very excited, like a kid in a candy store!

Princeton location

I tried Key Lime. The cake was very moist, but the icing was SUPER SWEET. I am all about the icing and this was the first time in my life that I did not finish. This is because I just don't eat sugar in my daily home life and am not used to things that are that sweet. 

I then went home and found their website. I saw the video the owners made as the Cupcake Wars audition video. They seemed kind of funny, but what really struck me was the ending. Their kids said that if they win the show, they are donating the money to St. Jude's Hospital because not all children are as lucky as them. If you are unfamiliar with St. Jude's, this is a FREE hospital for kids with cancer. It is a place/cause close to my heart. I thought I would perhaps give them another try.

 (East Brunswick location)

Well, what do you know? Less than one week later, we were visiting friends in North Brunswick and they told me about "House of Cupcakes" - in East Brunswick. I AM SOOOOOOOO GLAD THAT I WENT!!!  Not only were the employees super amazing and nice, but this was a much bigger store (Great cafe area), with a really wide vaierty of cupcakes. Since the store was bigger, it was easier to see the selections.

I walked out with the following:  Pink Lemonade (the frosting is insanely interesting and good), Illy Espresso (I wanted it badly, but gave it to a coffee lover friend of mine because I love her), Mint Chocolate Chip (for my husband), and Dulche de Leche.  Since I had already eaten a heavenly  Vanilla Guava that morning (from "Simply Sweet" in Egg Harbor City), I decided that I could only eat one more that day. I usually only have one cupcake a week, so two a day is a lot......calorie wise that is.

(From left to right:  Back Row: Dulche de Leche / White Chocolate Pistachio
Front Row:  Illy Espresso, Mint Chocolate Chip, Pink Lemonade)

Well, we were stuck in traffic and I said to my husband, "Which one should I have?" He said that we should split a Dulche de Leche. Halfway through, he looked at me and said, "I see what you are doing!" I was eating it all - and I said, "I did not know it would be so good."  (I had bought two of them, so he did get one of his own) - his review of it was "FREAKING DELICIOUS!"  Um - YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST CUPCAKES WE HAVE EVER HAD!!!

The cupcake itself tastes like a vanilla or cream, but there is some caramel inside. The frosting is some type of caramel concoction that is unlike anything I have ever had - and there are a few pieces of toffee on top. That icing - there are not words? What in the world is in that because I could just eat that alone - man!!!

As I said above, this is the story of second chances - and I am so very glad that I gave them one.  That said, if you were to go, I would say East Brunswick instead of Princeton.  On a side note, they sell mini cupcakes as well, which is always a good option if you are watching calories.


"House of Cupcakes" - in this case, the second time was a charm! :)

http://www.thehouseofcupcakes.com/

MY STORY

Ok - I have had a few people in favor of this and a few, well, not so much. I work like crazy though and so, this is my own space to review, get feedback, and comment on cupcakes around the world.

My obsession/ passion / love for cupcakes began in New York City. When I lived in Manhattan, I used to shop at the Whole Foods in the Time Warner Building.  If any of you have ever been there, you know how long those lines get. In order for me to not think about it (this was before smart phones), I would choose a cupcake and savor it throughout the line. When I got to the register, I would hand them the plastic cup it came in with a smile and say, "I ate it." :) - and thus, it began......

It must have been about my sixth or seventh year living on the Upper West Side and as I was walking home, I saw it - Magnolia Bakery. I had watched the gals on "Sex and the City" enjoying Magnolia's cupcakes in one of the episodes and had heard about them as well - and so, there was another place for me to go.

The fact that I could charge a cupcake and coffee and get reward points for Disney was an added plus! They also have a VERY cute seating area. The regular flavors are very nice, but I must admit that I loved a special Lemon one that I got there once and, one with Mocha icing on top (pictured below.)

This was some type of insanely delicious chocolate mocha type situation! They don't make it often and every time I went back, it was never there - if they have it when you visit, I would say, "Yes to the Cupcake!"

The next time you are in NYC - be sure to check them out. They have one near Central Park, so you could always "walk it off."   http://www.magnoliabakery.com/  

One year, I decided to have an "Interesting Cupcake Party" for Valentine's Day (my husband just goes with the flow and likes to humor me) - and so, the instructions were to bring an interesting cupcake, of course.

NYC Whole Foods Creations!

 Well, it was then that I was introduced to VERY TINY mini cupcakes by Baked by Melissa. The flavors were so interesting for something so small. I really enjoyed them :) http://www.bakedbymelissa.com/checkout/index.aspx

Interesting Cupcake Party of 2010 - those little ones are the "Baked by Melissa" that I speak of above :)

As the years went on, a friend of mine brought me an AMAZING ONE from Molly's Cupcakes downtown. It was the "Cake Batter" flavor. It was a vanilla cupcake with cake batter inside - and it has this amazing blue frosting....to this date, it is still one of the best cupcakes I have ever had. This is one that I never want to share!!! http://www.mollyscupcakes.com/

Molly's Cupcakes - the Cake Batter one is in the back row - left

The insides of Molly's Cupcakes - descriptions on her website

Well, one day, I was flipping through the channels and saw a show called, Cupcake Wars! That was it - a show made for me. I mean, I certainly don't "cook" very much and so, I am never one to watch food shows, but this one was personal. :)  It became such a fun thing for me to watch - but not when there were no sweets in the house!  Still, I was a regular fan! http://www.foodnetwork.com/cupcake-wars/index.html

While in Manhattan, I was also introduced to the BEST Red Velvet that I think can be found anywhere! It is at Make My Cake in Harlem. NO ONE, and I mean NO ONE, does cream cheese frosting quite like they do!!!  It is a MUST if you are ever on West 116th! http://www.makemycake.com/

This leads me to the present. When I moved to NJ, I still shopped at Whole Foods, but the cupcakes there were not the same. This is not to say they are bad, but if I am going to put those kinds of calories in me, I really need to like it. I have been in NJ for a little over a year and during the year, I kept saying, "There are no good cupcake shops around here - not like in New York."  Well, last month (for me at least), that changed........

My sister's mother in-law was visiting and told me that there was a Cupcake Wars winner in a town not tooo far from me (Egg Harbor City). Well, on our 5th anniversary, we were driving home from the beach and I asked my husband to stop there. The place is called Simply Sweet Cupcakes - but it was "SIMPLY DIVINE / AWESOME / OUTSTANDING" - and the owners and employees are super nice!!!

I am going to make a separate entry just for them because their caramel apple with the cream cheese frosting needs its own entry (see pic below).

 https://www.facebook.com/pages/Simply-Sweet-Cupcakes/121767197901245






 ...and so, this is my story - for now :)

Please give me any comments or feedback about experiences you have with amazing cupcakes so I can spread the word :)  Fondly - Suzy Cupcake :)