Frosting is arguably the best part of any cake or cupcake. The sweet, creamy glaze used to cover and decorate baked goods can also be found on cookies, gingerbread houses and gingerbread men. This cupcake review focuses on the frosting on cupcakes from Lotta's Bakery and Antique shop in San Franciso and Canter's in Los Angeles.
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| Red Velvet cupcake from Lotta's Bakery & Antique Shop photo by Nikki DeMartini |
Located in San Francisco's Pacific Heights neighborhood, Lotta's Bakery and Antique Shop, as it's name suggests, is a unique bakery and antique shop. It's pretty small, like a little nook and it reminds me of Grandmas house with it's Carnation Pink striped wallpaper, gold rimmed picture frames and all the little nick-nacks. They have lots of pies, cakes, different kinds of breads and an assortment of breakfast pastries to choose from.
On top of one of the display cases was a glass cake dome and in it were cupcakes. Two different flavors of cupcakes to be exact: one that looked to be yellow cake with chocolate frosting and the other Red Velvet. I went the Red Velvet route.
The cake, though very red like a pretty red rose, was dry and crumbly to the bite. The white frosting that topped it was heavy and when I tasted it I could tell why. It wasn't a creamy frosting, it didn't have that crystallized sugar texture that stale or frosting that isn't fresh gets but it was hard. In the sense that you couldn't lick any of it off the top, you had to nibble it off. It was, however, recognizably, cream cheese frosting. The most cream cheesiest frosting I have ever tasted.
It definitely had to be made from scratch and maybe every batch is different? This particular batch of Lotta's cream cheese frosting didn't add a lot of sugar to the mix at all. Except for a very subtle hint of sweetness it tasted like straight up cream cheese. Even it's texture was very close to that of straight up cream cheese and not the spreadable cream cheese that comes in a canister either. This full service bakery that specializes in wedding cakes and specialty cakes probably has an incredible Cheese Cake. I'll have to revisit their cupcakes when they're put out on display the day they are made.
Canter's has been around since 1931. It's a restaurant, bakery, deli and bar, Canter's really does have it all.
Whenever I am in L.A, I can't not go to Canter's in Fairfax for one of their delicious, hearty sandwiches. And, the last time I went, I left with a cupcake.
You can't miss the display cases stuffed with fresh baked goods: challah, jelly filled pastries, bagels, coffee cakes, black & white cookies, tea cookies, brownies, rye bread and more! Everything you see is baked on the premises twice a day, everyday! And if they don't get you on your way in, they'll get you on your way out. Tucked in a corner in one of the display cases with all the other treats I spotted cupcakes as I was leaving after lunch and I walked out with a yellow cake with chocolate frosting cupcake.
The chocolate frosting was dark and topped with little, round rainbow sprinkles. The cake, golden on the outside, was spongy and soft on the inside. It appeared that it wasn't yellow cake at all but a sort of Angel Food Cake instead.
The frosting was thick in it's texture and thick it's chocolatey taste. It was more of a fudge frosting than chocolate frosting, the way it sticks to the roof of your mouth bite after bite until it melts away.
It was a top heavy cupcake, falling over and rolling on to it's side when I set it down but the frosting stayed intact, smooshed a little but not smeared off. And it was a fresh cupcake, I could tell with every bite of the light, springy cake and the gooey chocolate fudge frosting.
The cake, though very red like a pretty red rose, was dry and crumbly to the bite. The white frosting that topped it was heavy and when I tasted it I could tell why. It wasn't a creamy frosting, it didn't have that crystallized sugar texture that stale or frosting that isn't fresh gets but it was hard. In the sense that you couldn't lick any of it off the top, you had to nibble it off. It was, however, recognizably, cream cheese frosting. The most cream cheesiest frosting I have ever tasted.
 |
| Red Velvet cupcake from Lotta's Bakery & Antique Shop photo by Nikki DeMartini |
It definitely had to be made from scratch and maybe every batch is different? This particular batch of Lotta's cream cheese frosting didn't add a lot of sugar to the mix at all. Except for a very subtle hint of sweetness it tasted like straight up cream cheese. Even it's texture was very close to that of straight up cream cheese and not the spreadable cream cheese that comes in a canister either. This full service bakery that specializes in wedding cakes and specialty cakes probably has an incredible Cheese Cake. I'll have to revisit their cupcakes when they're put out on display the day they are made.
Canter's has been around since 1931. It's a restaurant, bakery, deli and bar, Canter's really does have it all.
Whenever I am in L.A, I can't not go to Canter's in Fairfax for one of their delicious, hearty sandwiches. And, the last time I went, I left with a cupcake.
 |
| Yellow Cake with Chocolate frosting cupcake from Canter's photo by Nikki DeMartini |
You can't miss the display cases stuffed with fresh baked goods: challah, jelly filled pastries, bagels, coffee cakes, black & white cookies, tea cookies, brownies, rye bread and more! Everything you see is baked on the premises twice a day, everyday! And if they don't get you on your way in, they'll get you on your way out. Tucked in a corner in one of the display cases with all the other treats I spotted cupcakes as I was leaving after lunch and I walked out with a yellow cake with chocolate frosting cupcake.
The chocolate frosting was dark and topped with little, round rainbow sprinkles. The cake, golden on the outside, was spongy and soft on the inside. It appeared that it wasn't yellow cake at all but a sort of Angel Food Cake instead.
The frosting was thick in it's texture and thick it's chocolatey taste. It was more of a fudge frosting than chocolate frosting, the way it sticks to the roof of your mouth bite after bite until it melts away.
It was a top heavy cupcake, falling over and rolling on to it's side when I set it down but the frosting stayed intact, smooshed a little but not smeared off. And it was a fresh cupcake, I could tell with every bite of the light, springy cake and the gooey chocolate fudge frosting.
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Yellow Cake with Chocolate frosting cupcake from Canter's
photo by Nikki DeMartini
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