round 14

Tarak and I rated this place on our own. We were pretty excited but none of the other judges (or non-recorded participants) seemed to share our enthusiasm for a green tea cupcake. Yep, there were only two options here: green tea (GT) or chocolate soufflé(CS). Notice that the comments and charts are divided between the two types, there was a pretty noticeable difference.

14. Kyotofu
705 Ninth Avenue

January 20, 2008
$3.50 each






Comments on Cake
-what's the difference between a cupcake and a muffin?
-green and dry
-nicely sweet but didn't taste like green tea
-tasty, moist and very soufflé-y
-rich and moist

on Frosting
-no frosting
-no frosting?!

on Presentation
-unique and chic
-enjoyed the vibrant green color
-rich and enticing

on Overall Enjoyment
-no satisfaction post-consumption
-like sex with a cute guy: the idea is more exciting than the event
-really missing that frosting, which would have gone wonderfully with such a yummy cake
-really good cake but why did it win New York Magazine's best of 2007?

on The Scene
The location was easy to find but because there was no awning someone could easily walk past it. It was sleek and modern looking outside and in. The colors of the restaurant were white and light gray, it was very sterile looking. As soon as you open the door there is a window that shows a baker making the famous cupcakes. To the left is the bakery counter. As in many Japanese food establishments there is a counter that shows the 'display food.' There was a seating area in front for those interested in a quick bite and towards the back was the main restaurant.

Green tea makes things green.

round 13

I was cat sitting at the end of last year in Park Slope for a certain friend and we decided to take the opportunity to get some cupcakes out in Brooklyn. It's kind of hard justify a train ride out there just to buy cupcakes that may or may not be any good. Fortunately this place was just a few blocks away from where I was staying so I just skipped on over there before work and then walked to the train, and of course still arrived to my job late. Whatever.

13. Sweet Melissa's
175 Seventh Avenue


December 30, 2007
$2.50 each






Comments on Cake
-dense and moist
-nostalgic quality, like my 10 year old self baked a Duncan Hines mix
-very compact and a little dry
-didn't overdose on sugar but still slightly bitter
-not too sweet
-not remarkable but nicely edible

on Frosting
-didn't hate it but didn't love it
-understated taste
-too light and whipped, prefer thick frosting
-also not too sweet
-too subtle flavoring
-surprisingly subtle with a nice consistency and flavor

on Presentation
-plain and simply but the whipped frosting makes them look a bit stale
-looked enjoyable
-neat and tidy
-loved the icing, reminiscent of marshmallow
-not charmed

on Overall Enjoyment
-a nice snack, didn't leave me wanting more (so maybe that's good) but no regrets either
-not satisfied
-didn't look like enough frosting but turned out to actually be too much
-nice cupcake to come back to after a long break
-pleasant eat

on The Scene
This is a cute, small store with lots of wood making things look cozy. There was a happy family talking to one another and sitting in the front restaurant portion when I came in so they added a cheery atmosphere. I'd really like to have brunch at this place. It felt very relaxed and calm. The cupcake selection was pretty slim: vanilla cake with raspberry frosting or chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting. That's it. But there was a variety of other baked goods that looked pretty appetizing.

3rd interlude

How things stand:

round 12

We went here quite a while ago. The problem was that we forgot to take a picture of the cupcakes we ate and I refused to post an entry until I had one. There were quite a few days when I had enough time to run up and buy another cupcake and take a picture but I usually ended up going home and taking a nap. That always seemed more important that a cupcake picture. I know, blasphemy!

Have you noticed that sometimes our judging opinions are drastically different from one another? Part of it is just our taste but another part is that we often eat different cupcakes, as was the case this time. It's strange how a bakery's rating can completely change when comparing chocolate to vanilla cupcakes. You'll just have to deal with the discrepancies.

12. 2 Little Red Hens
1652 2nd Avenue

November 4, 2007
$2.75 each






Comments on Cake
-tasty
-good consistency
-dense, flashback to Cupcake Café
-ingredient proportions were weird, too buttery
-nicely moist

on Frosting
-like the chocolate glaze for a Boston Cream Pie
-dully piped
-chocolaty and rich, good flavor
-good and chocolaty
-scarily stiff and resilient
-tasted like it was made with bathwater

on Presentation
-overwhelmingly large
-gaspingly cute
-colorful round sprinkles that popped!
-looked lovely if a bit too perfect and plastic
-points off for the couple weird bits of hair-like particles in the icing

on Overall Enjoyment
-too big, more like a dessert that a snack
-good flavors of cake and frosting that melded well
-satisfying but not eager to eat any more
-more exciting to look at than eat
-please sir, I don't want any more

on The Scene
This store is teeny-tiny but cutie-patootie. It has one or two small tables squashed right next to each other and two large glass display cases and that's it. But definitely a nice feel , on the verge of being quaint but not quite there. Though it took them a few minutes to acknowledge my presence (and there was nly one other person in there, who had already ordered) the staff was pretty friendly. They became nicer when I explained why I was ther ebut there was an underlying feel of sleepiness. They had a good selection with some cupcakes that had pudding in them, which sounded exciting.

Tara and I did share a Blackout cupcake, which had chocolate pudding inside. It was yummy.