Never too late for love

It took me six years to get to a Sprinkles Cupcake ATM, but last month thanks to some help from my Dad I made it to the one on Santa Monica Blvd in Beverly Hills. The infamous pink ATM looked like it was closed when we first drove by and I was crushed. Upon further inspection (standing in line behind other patrons buying cupcakes from it) I was happy to realize it was open. 

Sprinkles ATM Cupcake in Beverly Hills February 2018
photo by Curtis DeMartini

photo by Nikki DeMartini

I stepped up and moved the paper shielding the sun from the screen (which I thought was a closed sign when driving by) and was faced with about 10 different flavors to choose from. My natural reaction was to go for Red Velvet: it's (now) a classic and it was a close friend's Sprinkles fave. At the last second I impulsively ordered two Red Hot Velvet Cupcakes. It's Sprinkles latest spin on classic Red Velvet with a little added bite by way of smashed up Red Hot candies mixed into the flavor's signature cream cheese frosting. Out just in time for Valentines Day and fitting for it being the week before said Holiday. 

photo by Nikki DeMartini

It was about $9.00 for the two cupcakes which is kinda pricey for cupcakes but not that pricey fro Sprinkles Cupcakes. My Dad and I pulled up a seat outside the store front and divulged in our afternoon treat. It had been a long time since I had a Sprinkles Cupcake and I was pretty excited to not only be having one, but having one from their Cupcake ATM and trying one of their new flavors! The top umbrellas the skinny cupcake bottom just like I remember, which seemed to surprise my Dad (the small cupcake part, not me remembering that). Sprinkles Cupcake founder Candace Nelson developed the southern light style chocolate cake recipe with callebaut chocolate to calm the color's rouge to a sophisticated crimson. 

The cake's color is as rich as the cake itself is, moist from the fresh butteriness, melting as it meets your taste buds with each bite. The frosting was rich too, and thick just like I remember it. The subtleness of the cream cheese was turned up thanks to the addition of the red hot candies. Not too much, but just enough. 

photo by Nikki DeMartini

photo by Nikki DeMartini

I think that red velvet with cream cheese frosting is pretty subtle all around: when kept simple and done right it's a very warm cupcake (no pun intended), it's soul food. If more red hots were added to the cupcake it-self or if more of the candies were added into the off-white colored frosting turning it pink, it would have been over kill. Disgarding almost all of the frosting from his cupcake, my Dad finished his cupcake before I finished mine claiming that it was too rich. He isn't as big on sweets as I am and he's never had a Sprinkles Cupcake before so he'd probably disagree but I think that Sprinkles found the right balance of spicy and sweet.  This special limited flavor was only on the menu for the month of February but Spinkles does ohave sugar free, gluten free and vegan Red Velvet options. Hopefully  Red Hot Velvet will be at a Sprinkles ATM near you next Valentines Day!