I really went inside a doughnut shop to get not one, but two cupcakes even though the doughnut shop…read moredoesn't sell cupcakes. Sound confusing? Let me explain.
As a Fivestars customer, I receive emails from participating businesses from time to time. Frosted Cupcakery is one such participating business, and they announced that they had opened a permanent Pop Up in east Long Beach.
Permanent Pop Up? Quite the oxymoron if you ask me. So are they here to stay or are they going to find a new home for their second location in the not too distant future?
Frosted Cupcakery is located in Belmont Shore, but this pop up, called Frosted After Hours, is located inside MoonBridge Doughnut Studio on the southwest corner of Spring and Palo Verde. All cupcakes are baked fresh daily at the Belmont Shore location on 2nd Street, but this permanent pop up takes over MoonBridge on Tuesdays through Saturdays from 2:30 to 7:30 PM.
The reason for the After Hours in the name is because MoonBridge closes at 2 PM daily, leaving the Frosted Cupcakery team a half hour to prepare for the changeover. The changeover doesn't include replacing the MoonBridge signage with Frosted Cupcakery signage, but there is some signage to indicate the Frosted pop up being located inside the doughnut studio.
I received a Fivestars email over a week ago announcing the Frosted popup, and that email mentioned that through August 22, they will hook you up with a free cupcake when you purchase at least one cupcake.
I arrived on Friday at around 5:30 PM, and there was only one employee, Stacia, working inside the shop. Since it was like a collaboration of two businesses in one location, it took a while for me to distinguish the decor of the cupcake shop with the decor of the doughnut shop.
First thing first, cupcakes are *not* baked at this popup, and that's evident based on the small selection of cupcakes that I saw on my visit. There were only five cupcakes remaining: one Lemon Cream Cheese, two Chocolate Caramel Toffee, and two Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Chocolate. Who knows? Had I come in an hour or even a half hour later, there's no guarantee they would have any left! That fair warning is mentioned on the front door underneath their posted hours that they may sell out early, so if you do want a certain flavor, I highly recommend coming early. Take the afternoon off work if you have to!
Frosted offers 10 different flavors, and the list is posted on the front counter. The prices are also listed on the front counter from $5.15 for a single cupcake to $56 for a dozen. They also have some cupcakes or frosted bites albeit special orders only with at least 24 hours notice.
The Lemon Cream Cheese and Chocolate Caramel Toffee cupcakes were behind a plexiglass, but the Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Chocolate cupcakes were underneath a lid for a cake tray. I asked about Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Chocolate, and Stacia mentioned it was a different kind of flour that is used in baking those cupcakes; however, the taste shouldn't be too much different than a traditional version, though she did mention the cupcake would be denser.
I didn't know how much denser a gluten-free cupcake would be, so I settled for a Chocolate Caramel Toffee and the last remaining Lemon Cream Cheese as they seem like flavor adventures that my taste buds were looking forward to. I asked Stacia how long the cupcakes would last both on the counter and in the fridge. She suggested to leave the cupcakes on the counter if they were going to be consumed within 24 hours; otherwise, they should hold up well in the fridge for 2 to 3 days, though she did mention the cupcakes may dry up the longer they stay in the fridge.
It didn't take long for Stacia to place the two cupcakes in a cardboard box, seal the box with a Frosted Cupcakery sticker, and thank me for my business. As I was about to leave, I noticed a 908 Day poster on the backside of the front door, and Stacia called me over to give me a 908 Day booklet showing all the deals that participating businesses in Long Beach would be offering on 908 Day, which is September 8.
From my one and only visit to the Belmont Shore Frosted Cupcakery, I was expecting a divider between the frosting and the wrapper, but there actually was not. Maybe the dividers are only present at the flagship location?
I tasted the Lemon Cream Cheese first, and the frosting was quite a delight! The lemon wedge on top was actually a sour gummy, which made for a nice touch. Forget the cherry on top, I'll take another lemon wedge gummy! lol
The next day, I had the Chocolate Caramel Toffee, which was heavenly for my taste buds! My new favorite cupcake!
While ~$5 for a cupcake is a little steep, Stacia's outstanding service alongside the delicious cupcakes are enough for me to give 5 stars to Frosted After Hours. I highly recommend stopping by to satisfy your sweet tooth! And even if cupcakes aren't your thing, they also have cake pops as well as some pupcakes for the doggos.
