'More': Cupcake Review

'MORE?' OR LESS?

Another trip to Chicago and cupcake review starring:

more

1 East Delaware Place

Chicago, IL 60611

The Sweet Lovin' Man sent me an article a while back about a place that had recently opened in his 'hood. I get excited when he sends me articles about things I love. Those "things" always being cupcakes or brownies or, you know, FOOD in general. And he agreed to take me next time I came to town. Keep in mind, this is ONLY a-cuz he heard about there being a bacon maple cupcake. (He nasty).

And here's what we ordered:


Left from top to bottom: Salted Caramel, Red Velvet, Acai Berry, Black & White. (Missing from picture: Bacon Maple- Hmmm, very curious).

They were... interesting.

The Black & White was my favorite. It was the moistest 'cake outta the bunch. And really, that says something right there. Maybe I crazy snort the lines but whenever I've tried chocolate 'cakes from other stores, they always tend to be the most dry. That fact that this one ended up being the moistiest (hee hee, I love making up new words) only made me say, "EEKS."

It was good. A good cupcake. I've tasted better cupcakes for sure. But good. Solid with a side of "egh." But good. And the curls are pretty. Word.

Salted Caramel. This cake was vurrrry dense which I suppose it needed to be to hold up such an attenuate (if you will) salted caramel sauce. The salted caramel inside was lovely and delicious. But the cupcake itself was just so drrrrrrrrrrrry.

Now granted, this could be a personal choice matter. I, personally, would rather have a moist cupcake falling apart in my hands and its remnants drizzling down my face like a T-Rex chomping on a just-a-step-behind Brachiosaurus whose last words happened to be, "Hey guys, where's the fire?"

BUT I can understand how other people live.

"Other people" definition: People that have manners and jobs to get back to on their lunch hour. People whose bosses may potentially frown upon having splotches of caramel all over their cashmere sweaters. HA! I live no such life. And I was in a t-shirt.

I'm sorry, Salted Caramel... I wanted you to be sooo much more...

Red Velvet. I'm not a huge fan of red velvet. It's not my cake of choice like it seems to be with so many other people. But I always order it because everyone has it and therefore I can weigh the reds against all the other reds I've tried at various shops. Sadly, this was a very lackluster cupcake. They were all very dense & dry. The frosting was the best part and even that was "just good." They're comparable to 'Fox and Obel' or 'Fox and Overpriced' as the Sweet Lovin' Man likes to call that store.

"WOW, MANDI, YOU'RE A SELF-RIGHTEOUS SNOB!!! YOU DON'T LIKE ANYTHING!! YOU THINK YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN BAKE, DO YOU? I BET YOUR CUPCAKES SUCK!! YOU'RE ONE OF 'THOSE' PEOPLE, AREN'T YOU!!??" writes Linda from Memphis.

Well, Linda- thank you so much for joining us, by the way... My answer is this: maybe I am. But I really don't think so. I LOVE giving credit where credit is due. Case in point:

Once upon a time I heard the hype about Sprinkles and my ears grew red and I gritted my teeth. I stomped in & said, "I hate hype! I hate all these people vomiting the word 'yummy' all over themselves! Let me try your crappy Beverly Hills-only-the-rich-can-afford-them-red-velvet-cupcakes!!!" And a shaky handed employee slid one over to me with a meep and I consumed on the spot.

That's all a lie. This next part isn't.

It was the most amazing cupcake I've ever had. And D************MN IT (*does an angry dance*) I wanted to hate it. Maybe if I went back it'd be dry or it wouldn't be what I remembered. But I believe the word that came out of my stuffed mouth at that moment was a four letter F-bomber.

Sidenote: Sometimes eating really good food gives me the mouth of a drunken truck driver sailor. God knows this and I imagine he looks deep into my wide-eyed blue eyes, scruffy hair and cupcake-smacked face. He gives me a loving pat on the head and then says, "Someone really needs to stopping feeding you."

But THAT, ladies and germs, is how you do a red velvet cupcake. I was wrong. I bowed. I was gracious. I handed over my "I'm an authority on all things" membership badge. It was a sad, and weirdly blessed, day.

The rest of the flavors at Sprinkles I tried and they were all 'pretty good.' But that red velvet... I KNOW I can't do. So I give props where it's due. And for all I know, based on my taste and preferences, this cupcake at 'More' was less. Much, much less. Very sad. And very sad I probably have not been the first person to use that tagline.

Acai. Hmmm... I only tried a tiny bit of this one and I honestly remember thinking, "Huh." The cupcake itself wasn't memorable because I seriously don't even remember the flavor of the cupcake. But I do remember thinking the frosting had a different, lighter texture. Like a cross between whipped cream and buttercream. I didn't really like it.

I'm sorry, you guys!!! I'm a no-fun grouchy-puss!!!! I know!!! Maybe my next blog will be cupcakes that I'VE made and then I can have other people critique THEM. And they can be all, "The constitution of your mediocre cupcake is too airy & moist for a 'cake with a caramel filling. And your red velvet was wildly uneventful and could have been taken out of a freezer at Dominick's."

And that's fine. Truly. I LOATHE false praise, believe it or not. And I'm pretty sure all of my friends are full of poodely-oodely and just tell me what I want to hear.

That why I LOVE when I have those 'Sprinkles' moments where something just blows you away. Or where you blow yourself away. It restores your faith in a $4.25 cupcake. When it's art, beautiful and delicious, it's sooo worth it. When it's a knock off and mediocre, it's just hype.

You still hate me.

Anyway, the bacon maple was... what the french would call "bacon-y." IT HAD BACON BITS IN THE CUPCAKE, PEOPLE!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! I thought it was ridiculously nasty. And that is 80,000% personal choice because The Sweet Lovin' Man (who devoured it immediately) thought it was the greatest thing on the planet. And I haven't kissed him since.

In all fairness, the above article that he sent me DOES say, the savory 'cakes are what they're known for... so... there ya go. Maybe I'm just more a sweet girl than a savory one.

So hopefully next time I visit, the SLM will humor me some more & take me to another exciting destination! From thousands of miles away, I hear him say, "The gym."

*sigh*