Not quite Cupcakes

What makes a cupcake? When you get right down to it cupcakes are small cakes. So can little confections that aren't baked in a muffin tin and adorned with frosting still be considered a cupcake? Maybe not technically but if they have some of the same characteristics as a cupcake that's good enough for me to review.

You might not know it from reading my blog but I work a lot of music festivals. I usually don't review the festivals I work because I am too busy working.

But, here's a review on some tasty treats I had while working Pilgrimage Music Festival in Franklin, Tennessee and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco, California. 

Because music isn't the only thing that surrounds me when I'm on-site.

Every morning before load-in for the 4th annual Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival, a co-worker and I stopped at 5 Daughters Bakery. Located in a huge warehouse turned up-scale, in-door strip-mall called The Factory, this 5 Daughters location was conveniently en route to Franklin's Park at Harlinsdale Farm where the festival is held. My jaw dropped to the floor when I walked into the shiny and bright bakery for the first time: the sight and smell of all the donuts, cinnamon buns and fresh baked bread stopped me in my tracks and kicked my salivary glands into turbo mode. Chuckling, the guy behind the counter asked if it was my first time there as I tried to casually compose myself. He proceeded to tell me that all of their raised donuts get their fluffiness from the 130 layers of flakey, fresh crossiant inside each one and that they call them the "100 layer" donuts because "100" sounds better (and is easier) than "130". And, no they do not call their 100 layer donuts cronuts at Five Daughters Bakery.

100 layer donut display @ Five Daughters Bakery in Franklin, Tennessee
photo by Nikki DeMartini

The first half of the counter-top display  were all filled donuts, the second half was all 100 layer donuts, then other morning pasteries, vegan donuts and gluten-free donuts. All of their goodies are hand-crafted fresh everyday and the five staple 100 layer flavors are available year round.
With locations in Tennessee, Georgia and Florida this Cali gal had big decisions to make.
The first fateful morning I went the safe route and got the Purest, a 100 layer donut with a simple vanilla glaze so I could really experience what Five  Daughters was all about with out flavorful frostings and fillings overwhelming my taste-buds. I also got a vegan maple glaze donut because I love maple and go big or go home, right?
(none of the vegan selection is 100 layer, they're cake based donuts)
On our second trip in I got the donut that caught my eye the morning before. The one with little dollops of whipped cream sitting on top of romantic pink frosting topped with pastel rainbow soy sprinkles. The malted strawberry milkshake. It looks like a cupcake.

Malted Strawberry Milkshake 100 layer donut  @ Five Daughters Bakery
photo by Nikki DeMartini

The generous layer of thick frosting was sweet, tickled with tartness just like a juicy strawberry. Possibly the best whipped cream I've ever had in my life was heavy but not dense like it was whipped to perfection with buttermilk. Definitely home-made and not store bought because of the way it melted slowly with each bite. The light croissant innards encased in a lightly toasted "glaze donut" sugar coated shell were almost un-recognizable as a croissant. The richness of the frosting and whipped cream was delightfully delicate made my taste-buds dance with every amazingly tasty bite.








Not even halfway through I could feel the rush of sugar pumping through my veins. The malted strawberry milkshake 100 layer donut is the most delicious donut I have ever had the joy of eating.
On our third and final stop the day before show day 1 I got the same donut my co-worker had gotten the two previous days: the sweet-corn custard filled blueberry glaze 100 layer donut. Quite a mouthful, right? I know. It was my first filled donut from Five Daughters and like the others it was delicious of course but not as delicious as the mouth watering malted strawberry milkshake donut in my book. These last two flavors must be seasonal flavors (this was in September) because they're not listed on the website now (November). I can't wait to have them in my mouth again!

Churro Muffin @ Hardly Strictly Bluegrass
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass hosted their 18th annual three day festival October 5th, 6th and 7th in Golden Gate Park. It's free to attend but the food isn't free. Out of all the food vendors this year there were only two selling coffee and one of those was the DRIP! food trailer. Situated along JFK Drive between the Roster Stage and the Swan Stage DRIP! had long lines from the brisk, dewy mornings through the warm Autumn afternoons all weekend long. On Sunday, the last show day, I check in on DRIP! to see how they were doing.








When I turned to leave the small plastic display case next to the window where you place your order caught my eye and stopped me in my tracks.
A churro muffin?! I had to have one, so, I got one.

Churro Muffin @ Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

The muffins that the DRIP! coffee trailer sells are actually from Third Culture Bakery in Berkeley.
Dark golden brown on the outside and gooey on the inside the churro muffin had a texture surprisingly similar to that of a churro. It wasn't crunchy like that of the fried-dough pastry are but it was covered in white sugar.  It's flavor was mild, not too sweet at all with maybe a hint of cinnamon if that. I wanted to save it to have with a cup of hot coffee like they do in Spain where the churro originated but I couldn't wait and gobbled it up lickity split.

When work keeps you too busy to review cupcakes, you do what you got to do.