Tag Archives: cotton candy

Baked by Melissa’s Spring 2015 Flavors

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Baked by Melissa announced that they were offering some very special new flavors this spring… Cupcarons! What’s a Cupcaron you might ask? Well, if you guessed a teeny tiny mini cupcake topped with the smallest macaron you’ve ever seen, then you guessed correctly!

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Luckily, Crusader Elisa and I had already planned our annual girl’s weekend to NYC and we arrived in time to try these new mini treats shortly after they were released.

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(Flavors from left to right: Cotton Candy, Chocolate Graham, and Strawberry Cream)

I started with the Cotton Candy flavor because I don’t usually like cotton-candy flavored anything (unless it’s the real deal). I was actually surprised because it wasn’t awful. Maybe the miniscule size made it just enough to not be overbearing, but I would have glad eaten another.

After that I moved onto the Strawberry Cream. Sadly, I wasn’t a fan of this one at all. I know that it’s nearly impossible to pack in real strawberry flavor into something so small, but it tasted way to artificial to me. Crusader Elisa didn’t love the Cotton Candy or the Strawberry Cream either, but she thought the Strawberry Cream was better than the Cotton Candy.

I saved the Chocolate Graham for last because this flavor looked the most appealing (although the bright colors of the Cotton Candy and Strawberry Cream make those two much more fun to look at!). Of the three Cupcarons, this was by far my favorite flavor. However, compared to another flavor they had that day, Triple Chocolate Fudge, it was just “good.” The Triple Chocolate Fudge was AMAZING.

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What really surprised me was how crisp and perfect the macaron-tops managed to stay on all three cupcakes. I didn’t eat them all the same day they were purchased, and so I was expecting them to possibly get a little stale and chewy, but that didn’t happen at all. They were perfect.

I’m not sure how long these Cupcarons will be available, so if you get a chance, definitely go try them for yourself!

While we were there, we also had a chance to try Baked by Melissa’s March mini-of-the-month: Cookies in Milk.

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This little cupcake was SO GOOD and packed a lot of flavor. It actually tasted like cookies dipped in milk. I don’t know how they do it, but Baked by Melissa has mastered the art of blending lots of different flavors in something that is so very small. We’ll definitely keep going back for more!

– Posted by Cupcake Crusader, Stacy (Baltimore, MD)

Summer Seasonals at Kupcakes & Co.

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This summer has been full of vacations, weekend getaways, and birthday parties. One of those birthdays just happened to be my (and Crusader Jenn’s – we’re twins) 30th Birthday. Our birthday landed in the middle of the week this year, so before our big joint celebration, my fabulous husband surprised me with half a dozen cupcakes from one of my favorite cupcake shops, Kupcakes & Co.

The flavors he chose were Salted Caramel, Chocolate Covered Pretzel, Elvis, Cotton Candy, Strawberry Milkshake, and Root Beer Float. The three flavors I was most excited about were Cotton Candy, and two of their new summer flavors: Strawberry Milkshake and Root Beer Float.

Since I had been eating cupcakes all day (my coworkers know how to celebrate birthdays!) we decided to split the Cotton Candy. It seemed the most festive for the occasion so my husband lit a candle and sang happy birthday to me. I’ve always been apprehensive about trying any cotton candy flavored cupcakes for fear they would be too sweet or artificial tasting, even though for some reason I actually love cotton candy. While Kupcake & Co.’s Cotton Candy cupcake was very sweet, it luckily was not artificial tasting. I still don’t think I would get it again for myself, but I know that my super girlie little niece would think this was the perfect cupcake with its pretty pink frosting and sugary sweetness.

The next day, after I recovered from my all day cupcake eating sugar overdose, I decided I was ready to try the summer flavors I have been pining for ever since Kupcakes & Co. announced them. Not able to choose a flavor I cut each in half and dove in.

The root beer float was incredible. It didn’t have the typical mountain of frosting on top like other cupcakes from Kupcakes & Co., but instead just a smear of strongly flavored root beer frosting with a dollop of vanilla buttercream to act as the ice cream portion of the “float.” Even the cake had a subtle root beer flavor and of course, was soft and moist as always (I’ve never had a dry cupcake from Kupcakes & Co.).

Growing up I wasn’t a huge fan of strawberry milkshakes. Crusader Jenn and our mom always chose them while I shadowed my big sister and went with a chocolate milkshake. As I’ve gotten older though, I’ve learned to appreciate the taste of sweet strawberries balanced out by a nice creamy vanilla and this cupcake represented that perfectly. A cake filled with fresh strawberries and a simple vanilla buttercream frosting was all they needed in order to create this summer classic.

I was so excited to have some tastiness from Kupcakes & Co. to help me celebrate my 30th birthday. They have yet to disappoint me and I look forward to trying more new flavors and continuing to enjoy my already established favorites. Hopefully I’ll be able to get there in the next month or so to try more of their summer flavors and even their new cupcake parfait.

If you find yourself craving a cupcake, you can visit their shop located in Elkridge and try the above flavors as well as any of their regular rotating flavors. Some others that have a summery feel are Strawberry Lemonade, Raspberry Lemonade, Key Lime, Creamsicle, and Cherry Limeade. Make sure to go to their website to see their cupcake calendar so you know what flavor options will be available when you stop in. When you visit, tell them the Crusaders say “hi!”

– Posted by Cupcake Crusader, Stacy (Baltimore, MD)