Connoisseurs of this sweet treat will know that sometimes paying 3 or 4 or 5 dollars for a tiny cake can be totally worth it. For example, the highlight of my last trip to Chicago was dragging my friends through the snow to the cupcake ATM a few (okay...a lot of) blocks away. The novelties, the ingredients, the presentation can all be reason to shell out those dollars for a few bites of dessert.
Additionally, I've been addicted to Food Network and the Cooking channel since I was ten. And if you've watched even just a few hours of those networks, you'll understand that America is cupcake crazy. Cupcake wars is a good indication of that, and my little bit of tourism insight into Royal Oak, Michigan has ties to that very show.
Before I start, the cupcake bakery is not my favorite in the city. I like that store bought cupcake with that extremely sugary frosting and I also have a weakness for buttercreams that remind me of an old neighbor's cakes from my childhood. But Taste Love Cupcakes is definitely worthy of itself and the acknowledgements it gets.
Located at 304 S Main Street in Royal Oak, Taste Love Cupcakes is conveniently located right down the street from where I work. It's currently the only "cupcake only" bakery in downtown, holding it's ground thanks to winning Season 5 of Cupcake Wars' "Derby Dolls" Challenge. You walk into the pristine, white space and their display from the show is front and center.
Although they're famous for their Sweet Potato cupcakes, as well as their Red Velvets, TLC features different specialty and vegan cupcakes every day, all topped with their signature Red Velvet hearts. Yesterday I opted for a simple Vanilla Chocolate, which I much preferred over the extremely sugary Brown Sugar that I had a few months ago. A densely, vanilla speckled cake with the perfect amount of chocolate frosting, a definite repeat buy. Another girl from my office said their Lemon Cake was "the best cupcake she'd ever had", after I had escalated her hopes to crazy heights.
This is a definite stop if you're ever in the area, on any day other than Monday (they're closed that day). And make sure to stop in early because they close once they're sold out. If you're like me, opt for the classics, or buy a 4 pack, they probably won't last long. Any other Food Network spots we should hit up?
No comments:
Post a Comment