Pumpkin Passion

In addition to my love of pumpkin, all things cute, anything with sugar, eggnog, and etsy, I also have a minor obsession with cupcakes. They perfectly combine my love of all things cute and anything with sugar and sometimes they are even pumpkin flavored. The trifecta, however, has never been successfully accomplished. I guess pumpkin cupcakes are so simple that they’re complicated.

I’ve ranted several times before about my pet peeve when it comes to pumpkin cupcakes: people treat pumpkin cupcakes like carrot cupcakes. Carrot cupcakes typically have a stronger combination of flavors; in addition to carrots, there are walnuts, raisins and cream cheese frosting. Cream cheese has a naturally sour taste that stands up well to a carrot cupcake. Cupcake shops also tend to top pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting but the flavor of the frosting over powers the delicately flavored pumpkin cake. My search for the perfect pumpkin cupcake had therefore been futile.

This year I’ve had a more successful run with pumpkin cupcake. I’ve enjoyed two cupcakes this year and both are on the same block. Soon all of Los Angeles will have two cupcake shops on every block, which is 3 less than the number of Starbucks currently on every block.

The first pumpkin cupcake I had this year was at Crumbs in Larchmont, CA. Their pumpkin cupcake was different but in a good way. The walnuts on top and the drizzle of chocolate were a nice touch. The frosting may have had some cream cheese but it was very light–if there was any at all. Maybe it was the orange color of the frosting but I kept also tasting some orange flavoring. The pumpkin cupcake was strongly flavored and moist–definitely enjoyable.

Today we went to the Village Pizzeria in Larmont (their pizza is amazing) and we walked past a new coffee shop called the Larchmont Bungalow. We could see their pastry case from the street and it appeared to be filled with yummy looking cupcakes and other sweets.

We decided to stop by on our way back to the car and take a closer look. The cafe is beautiful. There’s a counter full of orchids and a relaxing outside patio. The back half of the café is also a sit down restaurant that serves primarily brunch items and also sandwiches and salad. We saw red velvet pancakes on their menu. What did I just say?!?! YES! RED VELVET PANCAKES.

The desserts are divine looking. We got two red velvet cupcakes, a chocolate ganache, and I ordered the pumpkin cupcake. I also got a cup of coffee that was strong yet devoid of any bitterness–an absolute must try for coffee snobs.

When I came back to the office I meant to wait until at least 3:00 p.m. but that was wishful thinking and so out of the brown bag it went and into my tummy.

I have to say, the pumpkin shaped disk on top threw me a little. I wasn’t sure if it was paper, that foamy stuff used for kids’ crafts, or if it were actually edible. Sprinkles has similar looking dots on top of their cupcakes and they are simply horrible. They’re so bad that you’d think you’re eating a Tiddlywink, blah! Their hand-drawn pumpkin thing was surprisingly tasty. Not too sweet and not hard. I’d describe is as sweet and foamy but it looks a little cheesy–kind of like a grade school Thanksgiving Day art project.

The frosting is a simple buttercream dusted with cinnamon–excellent choice–and the cake is nicely spiced and plenty tasty. I think this is my favorite pumpkin cupcake that I’ve had so far. Also, it’s the LARGEST cupcake I’ve had. This sucker is huge.

A special THANK YOU! goes out to Terrye who purchased both cupcakes for me. You’re sweet!

Question of the Day: Am I the only one who doesn’t like cream cheese frosting on pumpkin cupcakes? Just curious.

Crumbs Rating: 4 out of 5
Larchmont Bungalow Rating: 5 out of 5

The Crumbs pumpkin cupcake photo is courtesy of roboppy. Thank you!

There’s only one thing wrong with Pumpkin Eatin’ Season…it coincides with election season. UGH! Work is unbelievably busy as we try to save California’s Family PACT program and stop Proposition 4 from passing in November. Consequently, I’ve been using my lunch breaks to try and rescue family planning services instead of crafting blogs… Pumpkins must wait for some things. If everyone would just take a moment and look at the “No on 4” and the “No on 8” websites I would really appreciate your effort and I’d feel less guilty about not working on a flyer for “No on 4″ phonebanking!

Even with this crazy schedule I simply had to share my latest find. During a very hectic morning I took a brief mental break and stumbled across Cupcakes A Go-Go‘s website where I found their pumpkin pie cupcake pictured above. They are so freaking adorable. Unfortunately they’re not pumpkin flavored, which is SO nuts! Oh well, Sarasota Florida is too far to get one anyway. I guess I’ll just have to make my own.

To all the many small privately-owed cupcake store owners who are out there making a pumpkin-flavored cupcake this holiday season, I have a few words for you:

“PUMPKIN CUPCAKES ARE NOT CARROT CAKE CUPCAKES WITHOUT THE CARROTS, RAISINS AND WALNUTS!” Seriously people!

I just don’t get why it is so freakin’ difficult to make a decent pumpkin cupcake? There are some excellent pumpkin cakes, loafs, and muffins that cupcake store owners could find inspiration from and improve their mediocre ode to the fall holiday season.

I think the biggest problem is the cream cheese frosting they insist on using. Pumpkin does not have a strong flavor, even with the pumpkin spices it’s a fairly delicate flavor. The cream cheese frosting has that sour/tangy flavor that is just too overpowering for pumpkin cupcakes. Carrot cake can take a tangy frosting like cream cheese because of the chunks of nuts, raisins, and pieces of carrot. Cream cheese doesn’t overpower carrot cake but it certainly does to pumpkin.

Keep it simple people. Why not put a light whipped cream frosting, which would improve the taste and be somewhat more reminiscent of pumpkin pie. Give it a try cupcake store owners!

Since no pumpkin cupcakes have been particularly noteworthy, they’ve gone unblogged until now. Here are your 3 reviews in 1 blog posting–quick and dirty:

Name: Pumpkin Cupcake
Purchased At: Cake & Art
on Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood
Price: $3.25
Availability: Seasonal

I found this place by accident on a search for some pumpkin frozen yogurt that was never found. At first I ordered their pumpkin cream cheese cookie but they were out and when I asked if they had anything else pumpkin he said that there were some pumpkin cupcakes in the back just waiting to be decorated. We continued the search for pumpkin frozen yogurt and then came back a few minutes later to find the pumpkin cupcake all freshly decorated.

The picture of the cupcake is not so great but then again the cupcake was not so great. The cake didn’t taste like pumpkin. I kept expecting to bite into a raisin or walnut. Yes, they played into the whole “let them eat carrot cake but without the carrots, raisins or walnuts,” which included the cream cheese frosting. Even without the frosting, the cake didn’t taste much like pumpkin.

The best thing about this cupcake was that it had a whipped cream filling…kinda like a dingdong does. If only they had used that filling for the frosting it might have saved this mediocre cupcake.

Rating: 2 out of 5

Name: Pumpkin Cupcake
Purchased At: Bristol Farms
Price: I forget
Availability: Seasonal

While buying deli-sliced chicken at Bristol Farms, I overheard a couple of women talking about the pumpkin cupcakes. The woman behind the counter said the frosting was SOO AMAZING. The woman at the cash register said that the frosting was SOOO AMAZING. I started to get worried that no one was commenting on the cake.

This was one of the best pumpkin cupcakes I’ve ever had…but that’s not saying much. The cake was too light on any pumpkin flavor but it was a moist and yummy cake. The frosting was really good. It was a cream cheese frosting but it wasn’t too strong. I love the chocolate leaf on top, very fall festive.

This is the only one I would purchase again.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Name: Pumpkin Cupcake/ Pumpkin Seed Cupcake
Purchased At: Yummy Cupcakes in Santa Monica
Price: $2.50
Availability: Year Round…I think

Ugh! I didn’t like it. When I first checked out their website I could swear they called it a “pumpkin cupcake” but when I got to the store they were calling it a “pumpkin seed” cupcake.

The only difference between this pumpkin seed cupcake and a plain vanilla cupcake was a little bit of nutmeg and some pumpkin seeds mixed into the cake. The frosting was really sour because of the cream cheese, so much so that it upset my stomach. Having the seeds in the cake was a little disconcerting when you bit down on one…it was chew smooth, smooth, chew, smooth , smooth, crunch.

Their other cupcakes were so great that I’m not sure why this one was so off. During November they have a pumpkin pie cupcake described as “pumpkin cupcake centered with fresh whipped cream, topped with pumpkin cream cheese.” It sounds good…maybe I can get there before they go out of season.

Rating: 1 out of 5

Don’t forget the pumpkin cupcake at Sprinkles reviewed here.

***If anyone has had a really good pumpkin cupcake PLEASE let me know where, especially if it’s in California.

Name: Pumpkin Cupcake
Purchased At: Sprinkles Cupcakes
Price: approx $3.25
Availability: Year Round

I had NO idea! Absolutely NO idea!!! Did you know that some people will stand in line for over 40 minutes to get themselves a CUPCAKE? Yeah, I said cupcake!

It all started on a Southwest flight from LAX to Nashville. For some strange reason . . . . . actually it’s probably out of boredom . . . . . I enjoy reading their in-flight magazine “Spirit.” During this particular trip, I think it was sometime in either February or March of last year, they did an article on cupcake bakeries. It all just seemed so cute, fluffy little pieces of cake in paper wrappers can’t help but remind me of childhood birthday parties at school. I noticed that one of them was in Los Angeles, so I tore the article out (it’s okay to do that right?) and saved it.

On a particularly BORING day I looked up the website, which is super cute, and saw that they have pumpkin cupcakes on Wednesdays and Fridays all year round! During lunch on a quiet Friday, I headed over to Sprinkles Cupcakes, located at 9635 Little Santa Monica Blvd, in Beverly Hills.

While I knew that I might be a few minutes late getting back to work, I was not at all prepared to take a 2 hour lunch break. The line to get purchase a cupcake spilled out the door and down the street. I felt foolish and embarrassed to be standing in line for a cupcake. People stared and then they realized what we were in line for and they cracked jokes and laughed! In an effort to bring you the most up-to-date information on pumpkin products I continued to wait over a half an hour until it was my turn. However, my resentment turned into heightened expectations. These had better be some DAMN good cupcakes.

I even waited until I was home to eat them so that I could take pictures of these cutie patootie cupcakes. FINNALY it was time to taste them! I took a bite and slowly words start coming to mind: pumpkinlicious, tasty, moist, good . . . . . and familiar. Somehow they tasted familiar. I asked my friends to taste the pumpkin cupcake. They agreed that the frosting was great (it’s not pumpkin flavored frosting—more of a vanilla) and the cake was good. I took another bite and then it struck me. It tastes exactly like your everyday pumpkin muffin, just with more frosting! It had some good pumpkin and pumpkin spice flavoring but it wasn’t particularly impressive. It certainly didn’t stand out.

After all that, I wouldn’t go back for them again—even if there was no line and even if it didn’t cost $3.25 each. It just wasn’t anything to write home about; jeez, it’s barely something to blog about!

Word of Warning!!! Those cute colorful dots on top of the cupcake should be taken off and thrown in the trash! I’m not entirely sure if they were supposed to be eaten but I ate them anyway. They have the consistency and taste of a thin piece of plastic. I thought they would taste like Necco Wafers but NOPE.

I also purchased a red velvet and chai latte cupcake. The red velvet was almost worth the wait!

Rating: 7 out of 10