Our leading ladies share their favorite cupcakes, plus a chance to win a $20 Sprinkles giftcard!
My sisters and I baked cupcakes regularly together growing up (never mind that they were generally of the boxed variety). My affinity for cupcakes meant endless gifts of cupcake-icon gifts: a belt, a tank top, luggage tag, rain boots, and not one but two cupcake deliveries for my birthday last year. Needless to say, when Sprinkles opened its doors I jumped on that cupcake bakery bandwagon real quick. It was one of the first stops on my list to visit when I moved to Los Angeles, and I’ve been a fan ever since. Sprinkles put cupcakes on the map, and many have followed to continue the movement of one of the best baked inventions.
To celebrate National Cupcake Day, read on to find out where our leading ladies across the country turn to curb their cupcake appetite… plus don’t miss your chance to win one of three $20 giftcards to Sprinkles!
Sweet S’mores at Kara’s Cupcakes | Locations around the San Francisco Bay Area
I am a fan of anything s’mores, and this cupcake is at the top of my list. A chocolate cupcake with a graham cracker crust and a toasted marshmallow frosting, it is so satisfying that you probably won’t actually need more… but I wouldn’t judge you if you did.
All the cupcakes at Eat Good New York | NYC
Eat Good cupcakes taste homemade, but their design aesthetic is sheer artistry. They’ve made cupcakes dedicated to pop culture favorites like Pharrell, Anna Wintour & Karl Lagerfeld, Drake, Cara Delevigne, and even paid homage to Kim K’s infamous #breaktheinternet cover.
Lush Amaretto cupcake at City Cakes | NYC
I couldn’t just pick one. While these baked cups of goodness seem dense, they don’t make you want to keel over after devouring one. Every single flavor is terrific, and it’s difficult for me to pick just one to recommend… but for all you City Cakes virgins, go with the Lush Amaretto.
Brownie Cupcake at Lucy & Leo’s Cupcakery | Tallahassee, FL
Is it a brownie? Is it a cupcake? It’s an exact mix of both, topped with whipped cream and mini marshmallows. It’s situated inside of an adorable boutique in midtown Tallahassee. Cupcake shop in front and boutique in the back where everything from dresses to shirts to jewelry is a flat price of $20 per item. Eat AND Shop. Win, win.
Chocolate Raspberry Mousse at Hotcakes Bakes | Los Angeles
The cupcakes are moist and the frosting creamy without being too sweet. The chocolate raspberry mousse cupcake is a chocolate cupcake topped and filled with a generous serving of fluffy raspberry mousse. It is dipped in a chocolate ganache and topped with a raspberry.
– Tin Abalos
Photo by Observations + Fascinations.
Gluten-free Vanilla Vanilla at BabyCakes NYC | NYC, Los Angeles, Orlando
BabyCakes NYC serves up gluten-free treats from donuts to cookies, and gluten-free cupcake lovers rejoice… There’s a place for you! While vanilla vanilla is my go-to, I recently had the cookie crumble cupcake and nearly cried it was so delicious. Its a white cake with chocolate frosting topped with crumbled cookies and caramel drizzle.
Photo by Food Je T’aime.
RED VELVET EVERYTHING
Probably the most popular cupcake flavor, here’s where our leading ladies go for the best of the best in red velvet.
Red Velvet at Sprinkles | Locations across the US
Not only did they put cupcakes on the map, they introduced the world to red velvet.
– Jacqueline Howard
Red Velvet at SusieCakes | Locations all over California
My hands down favorite cupcake bakery. Before I was introduced to their to-die-for desserts, I wasn’t a real fan of the cupcake or cake in general. That bite of red velvet changed everything.
– Jen Hacker
Red Velvet at Cake Fetish ABQ, Smallcakes: A Cupcakery, Gold Rush Cupcakes | Albuquerque
I’m a sucker for a great red velvet cupcake. In New Mexico, every cupcake shop has a fantastic version! Cake Fetish ABQ, Smallcakes: A Cupcakery (locations all over the US) and Gold Rush Cupcakes always knock it out of the park. The cream cheese frosting at each of these places really hit my sweet tooth spot.
CUPCAKE MECCA: Sprinkles + Giveaway
A list of favorite cupcakes wouldn’t be complete without Sprinkles. Since they opened the first cupcakery and their first tiny post off Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, Sprinkles has had a steady line out the door during open hours. Lucky for L.A., they eventually opened a 24-hour ATM. Lucky for the nation, Sprinkles slowly but surely spread cross country.
Sprinkles offers 26 flavor varieties (and one for your pups!), but not every flavor is offered every day so part of the fun is finding out when your favorite flavor is offered before you line up. Get on their email list to hear about the seasonal flavors; December offers chocolate peppermint and gingerbread!
Jacqueline cited Red Velvet as her top but she also loves the Lemon, a fragrant lemon cake with lemon-vanilla frosting flecked with zest. My go-to is the Strawberry cupcake, a light strawberry cake with a strawberry frosting that is barely sweet and delightfully authentic.
The truth is National Cupcake Day would not be without Sprinkles, and they want to help you celebrate with a $20 giftcard. If there isn’t a Sprinkles close to you or a city you’re visiting, you can order signature mix to make Sprinkles fresh in your own home (an upgrade from the amazing Pillsbury funfetti I so love). Cupcakes for everyone!
Enter below by Friday December 26th for your chance to win one of three $20 Sprinkles giftcards, and don’t forget to comment with your favorite cupcake bakery and flavor!
Catherine Abalos is founder and editor of The Single Diaries.
