2008 Woodie Awards
Cupcakes not just for kids
Sarah Clarke
Issue date: 5/15/07 Section: A & E
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Cupcake Café in Sugar Land and the Cookie Jar in Midtown are two shops that offer these treats, in very different styles.
Cupcake Café
16525 Lexington Blvd.
(281) 242-2744
Walking into the Cupcake Café is like a trip through the looking glass. With its pink and mauve décor and a giant cupcake light-fixture hanging from the ceiling, the atmosphere made me feel like a kid again.
These delightfully decadent cupcakes are a dieter's worst nightmare. They are so big that you have to lift them with two hands. The Red Velvet was a bit of a letdown, but the Turtle cupcake more than made up for it. It was the moistest, most fantasy-worthy chocolate cake I have ever eaten. To make things even more sinful, there is a hunk of cookie-dough baked inside! The only drawback to this café is the 25-minute drive.
The Cookie Jar
1846 Westheimer Rd.
(713) 874-0877
The Cookie Jar is hip, modern and friendly. There is a children's train set in the corner, and every table has a blackboard top and a cup full of chalk.
The Nutella cupcake was a bit of a disappointment. Although the chocolate cake was delicious, the chocolate-hazelnut frosting was overpowering and too sticky. But, the Red Velvet cupcake was extraordinary. More reasonably sized than the Cupcake Café version, this snack packed every bit as much punch. It was moist and delicate, but the best part was the frosting. I am not a frosting fan, but the cream cheese topping on that cupcake could have been a dessert in itself.
All in all, both cafés were raging successes, and I would be hard-pressed to pick a favorite. I have, however, discovered a new temptation.
Sarah Clarke