The Crusaders were fortunate enough to have a friend (and Crusader Jenn’s sister-in-law), Daniela, stumble upon a cupcakery on her recent trip to Doha, Qatar! This is the furthest any of us have traveled (so far) for a cupcake, and we are so grateful that she felt compelled to indulge in cupcakes on her vacation and to give us her thoughts!

Daniela’s Review:

Cupcakes were the last thing I expected to find in the Middle East. Camel races? Sure. Beautiful coastline? Check. Dune bashing on the hot desert sand in an SUV? Mandatory, but you might want to wear a helmet. The great thing about traveling is being pleasantly surprised. Walking home after a fantastic night at the symphony, I thought, all I need is an espresso and a cupcake. Then, much like a desert mirage, a welcoming scent and visual appeared before us: Red Velvet Cupcakery.

Red Velvet Cupcakery is located in Doha, Qatar, at the Katara Cultural Village. This area is also where the annual film festival is held. The decor is whimsical; sleek furniture mimics cupcake foils with a liberal sprinkling of colorful red-toned hues throughout. While the shop is decidedly modern, there is definitely enough cheekiness to make you grin immediately upon entering.

The coffee was hot, strong, fantastic. While sipping we decided to try three flavors including the daily special. It’s also worth noting that Red Velvet Cupcakery offers a selection of vegan/gluten free cupcakes. Being traditionalists we did not sample but they are known for being a tasty option.

Our unanimous favorite was the Devil’s Food. The dark chocolate buttermilk cake was rich and the bittersweet chocolate ganache incredible. They even topped it off with a bit of 24k gold leaf. If you wanted a “death by chocolate” type of dessert, this is definitely the way to go!

Second in line was the Peanut Butter Cup. This cupcake had a nice blend of salty/sweet  with a chocolate chip buttermilk cake base. Being a peanut butter lover I would have rated it almost equal to the Devil’s Food except the chocolate in the cake definitely tasted like milk chocolate and I prefer dark.

The Vanilla Bean Blueberry cupcake was the daily special and also our least favorite. It was extremely airy with an essence of vanilla bean, blueberry, and lemon. There just wasn’t enough flavor for me. I think I would have liked it better had they incorporated some lemon zest or added more blueberry to the filling. If you enjoy a lighter and fluffier cupcake this would fit your preference.

Overall, a stop at Red Velvet Cupcakery was a sweet ending to our day. The coolest part? You don’t need a passport to visit. Their sister shop is located in Washington DC.*

– Review by Guest Crusader, Daniela (New York)

*Unknown to our guest crusader during her recent trip, the Crusaders where able to try Red Velvet’s cupcakes back in 2010 during our DC Cupcake Tour.

In case you ever find yourself in Qatar, Red Velvet’s shop is located at:
West Bay, Doha
Katara – Valley of Cultures
Building 24
Daily: 9:00am – 12:00am Midnight
www.redvelvetcupcakery.com