This is a bakery I have wanted to try for about two years now but I was never in the right city. I never knew where it was but I managed to stumble upon it a couple of weeks a go, however, sadly by this point I was cupcake'd out from Patisserie Valerie. Thankfully today I managed to re-discover it and resolved to try their most famous Red Velvet cupcake. This cupcake was £2.65 so quite pricey really, it took the best half of my five pound note. Regardless, I was aware that Red Velvet is their speciality and I was terrified that it would not live up to my expectations.
Presentation: 4.5/5 (oooh!)
Yeah yeah, .5 of a point is a cop-out I know, but I personally think the presentation for this cupcake is pretty good. It didn't wow me, however, there were others in the shop that were hand decorated (as opposed too....?) which were absolutely beautiful with sugar flowers etc. which would have definitely earned a 5 (although these retailed at over £3!!!) (£3!!!!). I think however, that we need to take into account just how rich the red of the sponge is. I've tried to make red sponge before, it didn't turn out fantastically, so major props to these lovely people for making it so intense.
Frosting: 5/5 (well isn't that nice!)
I've always been quite put-off by the idea of cream cheese frosting. It's not something that's very big in traditional British baking, or at least not in my house. I was sceptical even when I took a finger-ful from the top of the cake (who doesn't!) and to me it wasn't sweet enough, the texture was great, very creamy, the consistency was great and the ratio of frosting to cake, but where was that beloved sweetness I so desperately crave. Now quite doubting my choice I bit into the whole cake and was delighted. I could see why the frosting wasn't too sweet, it balanced perfectly with the sponge, it was still (maybe I'm being picky) a little too sweet (is that possible). Never the less, I was pleasantly surprised and I firmly resolve to never turn my nose up at cream cheese frosting again.
Sponge: 4/5 (Gimme Gimme!)
So no, sadly this was not a 5. It almost was. Almost. But when I think back to Angel's Bakery I remember how amazing that sponge was, how I nearly cried the first time I tried it, it was that good. That's not to say that the hummingbird sponge was not excellent, it really was, and it was complemented very well by the frosting, the frosting was by no means the star of the show, and I really wanted to be able to eat it all day every day, but it wasn't quite as jaw-dropping. It was light and springy but it didn't melt in my mouth and had I not already had a 5/5 sponge, I would have given this that title without a doubt, but sadly this will remain a 4.
Overall: 4.5/5 (I'm so going back for more.)
So yes, I feel the real challenge for a bakery is to find loyal customers, but I know that I will go back to this one again, I loved it, I really did. Nothing really let this cake down, each part of it was superb, if not quite as superb as others - OhMyGosh do not get me started on after taste - I couldn't stop eating it!. Another reason for me docking .5 of a point is the price. Perhaps I'm used to cheaper cupcakes because I'm not yet used to things being more expensive in the city ... but I know that if I lived as near to this bakery as I'd like too, it would create a considerable dent in my bank account. Otherwise, it couldn't have gone better.
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