THE LONG TALE OF A CUPCAKE:
So here I am... at home and as a direct result of a genrous sister-in-law to be, I am enjoying a gifted carrot cake cupcake, from a business in Long Beach that I had heard simply referred to as "Frosted."
Like with all good food, even before I took my first bite, I thought, how do I make this better? Carrot cake is my specialty cake. The one that I hide things inside. Things like pineapple, freshly grated carrots, diced walnuts, a box of vanilla pudding (powder form) mixed into the batter... all toped with homemade cream cheese icing and toasted coconut ... garnished with a sprig of mint from the garden. When I make mine as a layer cake, the layer of cream cheese icing between the two cakes get a 1/4 teaspoon of orange extract or Grand Marnier and if I didn't mix Crasins into the batter, I press them into the icing between the layers. So, how would I make this cake better? Well, the cupcake had been in the refrigerator overnight, so I brought it to room temperature before slicing the cupcake in half in order to examine it. Now, before you confuse me with a cupcake snob, let me state that the truth is I fully trusted "Frosted"... I was just looking to learn something about their techniques via an intense examination. The first thing I noted was that the inside looked incredibly moist (even after a night in the refigerator). It had the expected confectionary bouquet that could easily be identified as carrot cake even with your eyes closed. It was time to sample it so, I used a fork and tried a piece without icing first. I found it to be light, not dense, & moist. It captured that which I strive to equal when I make the cakes my family had come to expect when they spotted the carrot grater on the counter. It was truly magnificent. The cream cheese icing was accented with diced walnuts (my favorite of all nuts) and its flavor was packed with a depth associated with the richness cream cheese rather that with a disgustingly sugar attack that some big box bakeries are known for. The flavor gave way to a mild after taste so making this better needed a spike... no, not with rum (although I have added rum extract to my carrot cake in the past but, just enough to make it a bit more buttery and warm)... Craisins. YES, Craisins....The tart notes found in a simple cranberry made this experience more than glorious! I must find this Frosted place, meet the professionals that run this business, see what else they have on their menu.. maybe get a tour... a bumper sticker, a key chain and a t-shirt... well, I am kidding about those things... but I would take a tour and write more if I was given the opportunity. I love tales of how a business chooses menu flavor boosters and creates the perfect memory for their patrons... the tales that come from here I imagine to be devine (and if not I would sculpt them as such).
Thanks "Frosted" ... hope to see you sooner rather than later... then it is, INDUBITABLY, 5-stars for you.
Respectfully I Remain,
CJ read more