The Cupcake Avenger: Wild West Cupcakes--Sprinkles, Phoenix

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Wild West Cupcakes--Sprinkles, Phoenix

These cupcakes aren't really that wild, but they are from the West, which is kind of a big deal for me because I think I can count on one hand the number of times I've actually been west of the Mississippi. So, in addition to seeing the sites on a recent trip to Arizona, I obviously had to check out what the area had to offer by way of cupcakes. Luckily for me there was a Sprinkles location just down the street from my hotel! I didn't plan it that way, I swear...

I decided to sample 4 flavors--Red Velvet (I always try to get a Red Velvet as the control cupcake whenever I'm visiting a new shop, how scientific of me), Banana, Cinnamon Sugar and S'more. And not just any S'more apparently, but a S'more cupcake designed by Gossip Girl herself Blake Lively.

Blake decided to sport her best gladiator skirt and Christmas bow for the occasion

I joke, but this is actually a great initiative, as all of the proceeds from the S'more cupcake go directly to Oxfam. That's right, 100%. So how does it taste? At first bite, I honestly thought this was the best S'mores cupcake I'd ever tasted. Ever. The marshmallow topping wasn't too sticky and the graham cracker crust was still crunchy. Then I got to the middle. Or, should I say, bit into a mini Snickers bar worth of pure chocolate. It was so unexpected, out of place and overwhelming that I honestly thought it was a mistake. I even went to the Sprinkles website to double check; lo, and behold their description: "S'more is a graham cracker-lined Belgian dark chocolate cake filled with bittersweet chocolate ganache and topped with toasted marshmallow frosting."

Ok, I know what you're thinking, "Ganache? What's the big deal? That sounds great!" In theory yes, in practice this cupcake is filled with essentially three truffles-worth of straight chocolate. It was so solid I literally lifted the entire chunk out with my fingers and set it aside. So, not to rip this cupcake apart (pun intended?) because all of the proceeds go to an excellent cause, but just a forewarning for anyone else hoping to check out this cupcake while it's still on offer until February 2nd.

As for the other flavors, I was pleasantly surprised to get consistently good results from a cupcake chain. I absolutely recommend the Banana for anyone who is a banana nut muffin fan--the flavor is phenomenal. The Red Velvet was about standard--the frosting was too sweet for me but the cake was super soft. Finally, I was really excited about the Cinnamon Sugar because it was a flavor I hadn't tried before, plus the super helpful salesman let me in on a little tip: pop it into the microwave for 15 seconds and it's just like a warm snickerdoodle! Genius.

I absolutely recommend Sprinkles if you're passing through the Phoenix/Scottsdale area or any of their other locations nationwide (Yes, we also have one in DC, shocking). Sprinkles routinely offers a charity cupcake so don't fret if you missed out this time, and you can find future offerings here. No Sprinkles in your area? They deliver!