If you miss the debut this weekend of Kara’s Cupcakes‘ new van as it makes the rounds of the Eat Real Food Fest in Oakland, have no fear. You can still catch the sugar bomb on wheels at other locales in the future.
Yes, the San Francisco-based cupcakery is going the way of Korean taco trucks and salumi bicycles — announcing its Bay Area stops via Twitter.
I have loyal FoodGal reader, Ann, to thank for this.
Seems she got wind of a new cupcake stand, Sweet Passions, that opened at Westfield Valley Fair Shopping Center in San Jose three weeks ago. Of course, she wanted me to try it first before she made the trek.
So, Ann, your wish is my sweet command.
Sweet Passions Bakery actually is a full-fledged bakery that’s existed in San Jose’s Alum Rock neighborhood for about 22 years. It makes only cakes — for weddings, quinceaneras, birthdays, or everyday occasions. It was started by Dilanthi Perera, who used to impress her friends with her homemade cakes, before she started her bakery.
At Valley Fair mall, you’ll find the Sweet Passions kiosk in the middle of the mall between J. Crew and the Body Shop. No baking is done on site. Instead the cupcakes are trucked in directly each day from the Alum Rock bakery.
Unlike cupcakes at other shops, the ones here are refrigerated. That’s because the cupcakes are not only cream-filled, but heavy cream also figures prominently in the frostings.
There are 44 flavors (take that, Baskin-Robbins), but only about six are available each day.
The cupcakes come in two sizes: mini ones for $1 each; and huge, jumbo muffin-tin-sized ones for $3.50 each that come already packed in individual, plastic clam-shell containers.
I decided to buy a Chocolate with Mocha Cream, a Carrot Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese, and a Banana with Vanilla Cream. I had high hopes for the cupcakes since they were from a bakery that specializes in nothing but cakes.
In honor of National Cheesecake Day (who comes up with these things??), all 146 Cheesecake Factory locations are offering any slice of cheesecake for half price.
Choose from more than 30 varieties to satisfy your sweet tooth. But you do have to dine in the restaurant to take advantage of the offer.
Also today, the restaurant chain will debut a new cheesecake, “Stefanie’s Ultimate Red Velvet Cheesecake.” It features layers of vivid-colored Red Velvet cake and original cheesecake, all covered with cream cheese frosting.
The cheesecake is named for Redondo Beach, Calif.-resident Stefanie Gaxiola, who was chosen from nearly 10,000 other contestants in the “What’s Your Flavor” cheesecake contest earlier this year. She won the right to have her cheesecake creation named after her and featured on the menu for one year.
It’s taken more than a year of waiting, but Love’s Cupcakes has finally opened in downtown San Jose.
I used to laugh when my gym workout buddy, Ellie, would give me week by week updates on the site, which she doesn’t live too far from.
“Oh, brown paper went up on the windows a few days ago!”
“A guy was actually inside working yesterday!”
“I peeked my head inside and they told me it would be open by the end of April!”
“They’re saying it’s PG&E’s fault now, that there’s a delay in turning on the power!”
“Still no power. Can you believe it?”
And on and on it went. I started to think it was some cruel joke by the baking gods, that the place would forever be in construction limbo.
But lo and behold, it’s now churning out about half a dozen flavors a day. I visited the cheery bakery on opening day (July 25). It was started by April Zarazua, a home baker, who graduated from the California Culinary Academy’s pastry program.
The regular size cupcakes are $3.25. There’s also a fun “create-your-own” cupcake option. Choose vanilla or chocolate cake, then your choice of frosting and one topping. Additional toppings are extra.
I chose three from the bakery case: Hummingbird, Chocolate Dream, and Caramel.
So were they worth a year-long wait?
They look an awfully lot like Italian ices or sorbets, don’t they?
Guess again.
They’re shots of frosting — that have been frozen.
Leave it to Sprinkles Cupcakes Founder Candace Nelson to come up with these sugar bombs. She swears they taste just like ice cream, too.