ChicagoCulinarian

Peanut Butter Cup Cupcake at Swirlz in Lincoln Park. Winning.

Days like these I love my job. On a tour of cupcake shops for a short piece in the Chicago Tourism Board’s annual Visitor’s Guide, I felt compelled to at least try 1 or 2 cakes (no, not the whole thing) from each shop, even if a cupcake critique wasn’t necessary for the article. I decided to make it necessary for ChicagoCulinarian. Note: Molly’s Cupcakes is not included here – that’s because I already know it’s my favorite.

Stop 1: The Cupcake Gallery, 1319 W. Wilson, Uptown

If you’re not looking hard enough it’s easy to miss this tiny storefront on a sleepy stretch of Wilson, just down the street from the busier Wilson El station. Inside, it’s warm and cozy with red colors, a couch, and soft pillows lining the benches at the window.

German Chocolate: The nice man who rang me up said it was a favorite despite its rarity on the rotating flavor menu (33 variations in all), but I didn’t find much excitement to it. The lines of hardened dark chocolate sauce carried a dense cocoa flavor, but that only hid the blandness of the vanilla buttercream and coconut flakes, which were few and far between. Their website says “we bake fresh, no stale cakes here,” and I could see people baking in back, but sadly, the cake was on the

dry side, as if it were baked much earlier. Not stale, but definitely dry.

Butterfinger: Not as dry, and denser, but where’s the crunch? Butterfinger topping could have been more apparent. Peanut butter icing was overtly mild. Too mild.

The Packaging: Upside-down plastic cups with snap on lids made for super-easy opening, but juggled around in a bag and you’ll end up with icing all along the sides of the cup. Better to buy and eat in-store.

The Verdict: Not my favorite cupcake place. But a nice place to sit and have a treat with coffee and then again, I only tried two flavors.

Stop 2: Swirlz, 705 W. Belden, Lincoln Park

Make a sharp turn on Belden off of bar-busy Lincoln Ave and you’ll find this tiny spot probably best for takeout (only a few, close-together bistro tables and chairs).

Peanut Butter Cup: 4, 5, 6 Stars! Super thick peanut buttery peanut butter icing topped with a shaved chocolate curl and single peanut for a sweet look. Peanut butter cups baked into the cake mix made for a super saturated bite every time. A sure favorite.

Gluten-Free Dark Chocolate: I was really hoping to like this one given my recent wheat-intake reduction, but sadly this little cake turned out to be really bland. Maybe it was the use of rice flour rather than nut flour, which would have helped create a richer taste. The chocolate icing was also bland, but the nice crunch for crushed cacao beans helped bring the flavor back slightly.

The Packaging: Plastic Solo cups with deep lids nicely seal off air to keep cupcakes fresh, but they’re hard to open which can lead to smearing.

The Verdict: Loved the PB cup cupcake. Like the highly accessible location. Would need to try other gluten-free flavors for a better judge of those. Swirlz also has a few vegan options.

Stop 3: Sprinkles

This sugar-fix oasis in the heart of the Gold Coast boutique-shopping district was packed with kids and parents when I walked in during after-school hours Friday. Even with the rain, patrons packed the covered bench outside while others took seats along the counter against the front window. Smiling staff members, and a lot of them, keep the line moving fast and furious through this small, narrow space.

Milk Chocolate: An explosion of sprinkles! The result: a nicely texturized, sugary bite. Chocolate icing had a deep, milky flavor and was as smooth as French mousse. Sprinkles’ cakes are very moist and very light, almost too light, making them a little messy to eat.

Brown Sugar Praline: Couldn’t just take one bite of this bad boy. Again, an explosion of crunch, nuts and sugar crystals. Now that’s what a Butterfinger cupcake should taste like. With a few bites, the crunch, then melting butter-meets-sugar-meets-caramel taste took me back to the freshly made pralines at Southern Candymakers on Decatur Street in New Orleans. As Charlie Sheen would say, “winning.”

The Packaging: Recyclable sturdy boxes in various shapes pack in cupcakes tightly for convenient, clean and oxygen-free transport. Boxes easily close back up to save cupcakes for later.

The Verdict: A top favorite among cupcake shops in Chicago. Molly’s is still my favorite, but this one also takes the cake. Although I’d take them to go – a little crowded here.

Stop 4: The Cupcake Counter

This shop is literally a counter. With only 1 or 2 seats along the narrow sidewall, this centralized Loop spot is get-in, get-out. Note: at 5 p.m. on a Friday, picks are slim.

Cookies and Cream: Moist vanilla cake topped with a chunky Oreo cookie nestled in more Oreo-and-buttercream flavored icing. Can’t be beat.

The Packaging: with just some wax paper and a little paper bag, this ride’s going to be messy if you’re not careful.

The Verdict: Simply put, the multitude of classic plain white vanilla or plain white chocolate cupcakes with a few multicolored sprinkles a la 3^rd grade birthday parties or the Jewel doesn’t make for the most exciting cupcake experience compared to the gazillion other shops out there. That said, go for the daily “special” flavor, in this case it was the Cookies n’ Cream.

Stop 5: Crumbs Bakeshop

Again, this Loop outpost of a popular New York and L.A.-based cupcake chain is a very in-and-out experience, save for the couple small tables at the front window overlooking Madison Street. Be size-warned: cupcakes are called “colossal” for a reason.

Peanut Butter Cup: a ginormous mound of peanut butter and chocolate goodness with peanut butter icing and chunky cups resting on top. Doesn’t get much better than that. Fork and knife required.

Almond Joy: Holy almonds. Nice, vanilla-coconut flavor and super crunchy top thanks to tightly packed, thin sliced almonds and crunchy coconut flakes. Again, grab the fork and knife.

The Packaging: It’s not eco-friendly and it’s sort of grocery store-esque, but the tight plastic snap-together container makes for a very compact, air-free trip.

The Verdict: If there’s ever a case where a cupcake might be too big or too much, it’s here. Split with a friend, save half for later, or pay the consequences. The grab-and-go mini cupcakes offer a nice alternative.

Stop 6: Treadmill.