Random Letters to the Public

The first time I went to Hello Cupcake, I was not impressed as all the cupcakes in the dozen I purchased had cake that seemed dry and frosting was super grainy. And during my first two visits to Hello Cupcake they were out of many of the flavors of the day. Seeing that I was coming during 12 to 1 PM, and Hello Cupcake opens at 10 AM I would expect that most flavors would still be in stock. I mean Hello? (ha) it's not they are flying out of the store like GTC with their free cupcake and long lines! Somewhat disappointing.

Well this most recent visit was surprisingly awesome. I think I hit the Hello Cupcake plethora. (perhaps they knew I was coming?) And I think they brought out their best bakers. I bought the regular half dozen and decided to share my cupcakes. I even tried to cupcake rape my friend who has been so good to her diet with a cupcake and she has been able to resist all three times she has accompanied me. She has willpower...so more cupcakes and calories and nommy cupcakes for me. So I chose an alternate, my friend Sean, who happily volunteered his cupcake nomming services. Let's just say he should be counting his blessings that I am in his life.

The location is great, lots of food traffic during the day and night. You walk in and feel excited as it smells like sweet freshly baked cupcakes and the sugary smell of frosting! (Remember my new patented car smell) The decor is super girly and cute in the colors pink, brown, and white that is accented in their furniture, wall decorations and cutesy chandeliers. There is plenty of room to sit and enjoy your cupcake, coffee, lemonade or tea. Now for the counter display of mouth watering cupcakes, Hello cupcake take a more ordinary approach to displaying their cupcakes, somewhat like a museum tourist attraction: glass separation and a little tilt. It works, it is functional, but no where near as fancy as GTC and B&W. But what is the most important? The product!

Well Hello Cupcake put a foil in my fixed cupcake judgement plan, they have no Red Velvet cupcake! I'm sort of concerned, why wouldn't they have a Red Velvet? Do they know that they are the red headed stepchild of the cupcake world? The evil monkey points at you Hello Cupcake! After realizing that there is no Red Velvet cupcake, I moved on to selecting my flavors. (You know it's a hard job but someone has to do it!)

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The Om Nom Nom Rating Chronicles (measured on a 1 to 5 Om Nom Nom scale with 5 as the highest)

I ended up choosing 5 flavors (two were duplicate cupcakes):

You Tart - Sassy lemon cake with cream cheese frosting and yellow sugar sprinkles.

TADA Factor (Presentation): 3.5

Flavah Flav Creativity: 3.5

Frosting: 4

Cake: 4

Notes: Lemon cake is no special deal, but the frosting and cake texture compliment each other. The cream cheese frosting is a bit yougurt-y in texture and taste, and it makes one tasty, tasty cupcake!

Gianduja - Hazelnut choco cake with hazelnut-choco ganache and caramelized hazelnut crunch.

TADA Factor (Presentation): 4.5

Flavah Flav Creativity: 4.5

Frosting: 5

Cake: 4.5

Note: I know a 5!! Okay, let me 'plain to you Lucy - it taste like Nutella with crunchy bits of tasty heaven! Have you had Nutella before? Nuff said, yo.

Tiramisu - Espresso cake with mascarpone frosting, dusted with cocoa and topped with a choco covered espresso bean.

TADA Factor (Presentation): 4

Flavah Flav Creativity: 4.5

Frosting: 4

Cake: 4

Note: Tiramisu! Really? The best cupcakes are the ones that are O.G.s as desserts and then converted into a tasty package of a cupcake. SUCCESS! The cake tastes like the lady finger that is soaked in espresso and the frosting reminded me of the fluffy topping on top of tiramisu.

***For the last two cupcakes I recruited Sean to judge with me, these scores are averaged between us. Not that his opinion really matters on this blog. ***

Margarita - (ummm hells yeah!) Lime cake with Tequila Lime Buttercream and a festive sugar rim and sugar lime wedge in honor of Cinco de Mayo. Sean would like to add that he would like to commemorate his half Mexican heritage victory over the French with this cupcake. Which begs me to ask...where's my freaking cupcake? (I'm waiting for my General Tso's cupcake Hello Cupcake! hmmmm???) But I digress....

TADA Factor (Presentation): 5

Flavah Flav Creativity: 5

Frosting: 4.5

Cake: 4.5

NOTES: ZOMG! First taste...I thought..did they need to card me for this cupcake? And is my face turning red? (I have Asian Drinking Syndrome...I know pity me) but I do taste the tequila! I taste the lime! AMAZEBALLS! This cupcake almost got straight 5s, crazy right? It's fun, it's tasty, it's pretty...AND it's a cupcake. I LURVES IT LONG TIME! (I tip my mini sombrero to Hello cupcake and raise my finger guns in a YEEHAW style *PEW PEW*)

All in all, I would like to say that I was pleasantly surprised at my most recent trip to "Herrow" Cupcake...I'm glad I gave it a third try. It is the charm right? Okay, Hello Cupcake...white flag, I surrender. Keep it up! Please don't let me down now...