SoCal Cupcake Shop Taste Tests


As part of my Southern California vacation last week, I made it a point to hit a couple cupcake shops to do a little taste testing and market research. Vanilla Bake Shop was one of the shops I wanted to visit. After a trip to my alma matar UCLA, we did a quick drive towards the beach to Santa Monica for a taste test. From seeing photos, I thought the shop would be bigger, but it is very tiny, but just the right size for a cupcake shop.


So much to choose from, so I bought a little of everything! The key lime mini parfait was yummy.


Blake wanted the purple flower mini cupcake. Mini cupcakes seemed to be the big seller there.


I bought 12 “minis” for $22!..and tasted every one of them. The consensus was they were good, but mom’s are better…I guess the voters were a little biased, but I’ll take it 🙂


Yes…while we were in Newport Beach a Sprinkles just happened to be next door to my favorite gelato shop. I couldn’t help but slipping in to try a cupcake before having my gelato.


I got the chocolate cupcake with marshmallow filling and ganache topping. At $3.25 each, they should be amazingly delicious. The cake was good, but the ganache had a lot to be desired.

So, that’s my SoCal cupcake roundup. The only cupcake shop I missed was Sweet and Saucy Shop in Long Beach. I’ll make it there next year!

http://www.couturecakery.net