Pink Velvet Cupcake from Teacake Bake Shop

I hung out with a friend on the other-side of the Bay the other day when he pointed out a small little bakery that I hadn't heard if before, Teacake Bake Shop.  After eating lunch, we walked by the small little bakery again when my friend asked if I was going to get a cupcake. I wasn't planning to treat myself to a cupcake that day but at that moment my will-power impulsively failed.  Plus, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to review a cupcake from a bakery that was  new to me!

Pink Velvet Cupcake display @ Teacake Bake Shop
Photo by Nikki DeMartini

Their handcrafted cookies, cupcakes, brownies, cakes, cake-pops, donut bites and whoopie pies are made with the finest ingredients: imported Belgium Chocolate, Dutch coco, Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla, local farm fresh dairy, eggs and sweet cream butter all baked in small batches through out the day for the best and freshest quality. The retail store has an open kitchen policy so customers can watch bakers whip up original Teacake treats and see them put a spin on classic flavors.

 Teacake Bake Shop Pink Velvet Cupcake
Photo by Nikki DeMartini

Inside, a sweet fresh scent tickled my senses as my attention was drawn to cupcakes in the display case. There was an assortment of chocolate varieties: Chocolate cake with Chocolate Buttercream, Chocolate cake with Vanilla frosting, Vanilla cake with Chocolate Buttercream, Chocolate cake with Sea Salt Carmel Cream-Cheese frosting and a German Chocolate Filled Cupcake. There was also a couple Holiday flavors available: Gingerbread with Cream-Cheese frosting and Peppermint with White-Chocolate Peppermint  Buttercream, but I went with their take on Red Velvet and got a Pink Velvet cupcake with cream-cheese frosting. With it's festive red, white and green pearl candies sprinkled on top I feel like it still fits in with the Holiday Season Cupcake selections. They boxed it up for me at the register in a plain white box just big enough for one cupcake. I always think is super cute when places have packaging like that: a perfect, single size cupcake box. It's the little things :) 

 Teacake Bake Shop Pink Velvet Cupcake
Photo by Nikki DeMartini

Though it's called a Pink Velvet Cupcake the cake was very much red. Not a deep crimson or dark burgundy like other Red Velvet cakes and cupcakes I've come across but Teacakes' Pink Velvet is not pink, it's red. Traditionally this take on Devil's Food Cake is gooey and decadent but surprisingly this cake was a little on the dry side. Despite being dry, it did have a full coco flavor that Red Velvet is suppose to have. 

 Teacake Bake Shop Pink Velvet Cupcake
Photo by Nikki DeMartini

Teacakes' Cream-Cheese frosting is amazing. It's a sugary sweet spin on original Cream-Cheese frosting, whipped to a light, melt in your mouth taste of heaven. It's the first time I had a Cream-Cheese frosting with consistency no where close to a rich and creamy Buttercream or even a standard frosting. The sweet fluffiness of the whipped frosting equaled out the dryness of the flavorful cake and the hard pearl candy sprinkles added a crunch of Holiday cheer. It was a heavenly dessert. 

Teacake Bake Shop is located at 5615 Bay Street in Emeryville. They have more flavors than the ones I saw when I visited and there are some vegan options too! Sugar plums won't be the only thing dancing in your Christmas eve dreams once you try this Christmasy treat.