5. SPRINKLES
Often touted as one of the best, if not the fanciest of cupcake shops in Los Angeles, is Beverly Hill’s Sprinkles Cupcakes. Executive pastry chef and owner, Candace Nelson with her husband have reinvented the cupcake as trendy gift-in-a-box and a world-wide empire to boot. There are over twenty varieties to drool over and if you love someone enough to box-up your cupcake prize as a gift, then more power to you. Try the chocolate marshmallow made with Belgian dark chocolate filled with marshmallow cream and glazed with bittersweet chocolate ganache or the peanut butter chocolate chip-studded peanut butter cake with fudgy milk chocolate cream cheese frosting.
Sprinkles Cupcakes
9635 S Santa Monica Boulevard Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310.274.8765
Owners Tiffini Soforenko, Brogan Faye, and Nik Soforenko boast that “you’re one of the family when you walk in to Yummy Cupcakes.” The ex-corporate three opened their first bakeshop in Burbank in 2005 and their second in Santa Monica in 2007. Apart from the warm welcome, there are 133 varieties of cupcake heaven to choose from their full menu and 18 trays of freshly baked cupcakes in store. Only top quality ingredients are used such as Callebaut chocolate, Tahitian Bourbon vanillas, free-range eggs, and everything is free from trans fatty oils, lard, and preservatives. Mindboggling variations are a bound such as the chocolate chili cupcake with a hint of Ancho Chili topped with a chocolate chili buttercream and dark chocolate sprinkles. Try the wow-worthy Cosmopolitan vanilla, cranberry, and lime cupcake baked with a “shot” of vodka and topped with cranberry and lime buttercream.
Yummy Cupcakes
313 Wilshire Boulevard Beverly Hills, CA 90401
310.393.8283
3. LARK BAKE SHOP
Twelve months on and still baking strong, Lark Cake Shop in Silver Lake has built a strong reputation and loyal following since its inception one year ago. Customers are drawn to the spacious and sun bright lounge and the huge candy blue wall showcasing sweet treats and cake paraphernalia. Dainty, dare I say it; non-American-mega-size cup cakes line the display case. Try the carrot cake made with fresh carrots or the lemon white chocolate cup cake, a melt-in-the-mouth white cake sponge with lemon curd filling and white chocolate Italian butter cream icing. The presentation is a bit rough around the edges but the cakes are delicious.
Lark Bake Shop
3337 West Sunset Boulevard, CA 90028
323.667.2968
2. CRUMBS
From the dainty we bite in to cake size giants that are Crumbs. Husband and wife team Mia and Jason Bauer opened their first bakery in New York in 2003. Their cake empire has grown to six in the city with the new Larchmont store as their second LA shop after Beverly Hills. There’s no space for lounging around here, it’s simply a take-away experience. The staff are unfriendly and clueless. When asked the name of their coffee, the unsmiling counter assistant simply shrugged. You see why we hate chains? There are over twenty varieties of large cupcakes, each smothered in piled high buttercream and extra toppings. It’s Ben & Jerry’s for the cupcake crowd. The kids love it. My favorite is the less-is-more coconut cupcake made from vanilla sponge and classic vanilla butter cream and the brownie cupcake filled with chocolate fudge and covered with chocolate fudge frosting and topped with brownie bits.
Crumbs Bake Shop
216 North Larchmont, Los Angeles, CA 90038
323.464.8400
1. AUNTIE EM’S KITCHEN
Chef Owner and ex-punk rocker, Terri Wahl, prides herself on her strictly seasonal menu at Auntie Em’s Kitchen. Customers flock for mouthwatering comfort foods such as lamb shepherd’s pie and roasted tomato soup with basil. Although the summer season spells berry pies and peach and apricot desserts, it’s the coconut cupcake with coconut cream cheese frosting that’s the star attraction.
Auntie Em’s Kitchen
4616 Eagle Rock Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90041
323.255.0800
Story by Ginger Liu
LA from the Apartment the Size of My Ass 