My Picks for the 2011 LA Cupcake Challenge

It's hard to judge a cupcake competition. Do I pick a cupcake that's the most unique, one I've never tried before, my favorite traditional flavor, or one that I could eat every day for the rest of my life? There's a lot that goes into picking the winning cupcake.

The LA Cupcake Challenge was a challenge to pick the best cupcakes because there were so many great ones! Luckily I had some help from a friend and a lot of experience in eating cupcakes.

Cupcake Activist's Pick for Best Traditional

My Delight Cupcakery
Red Velvet

Even though I've eaten a lot of My delight Cupcakery's cupcakes in the last two weeks, I could never get sick of them. Their Red Velvet is a perfect classic red velvet: moist cake and silky cream cheese frosting.

Best Traditional Honorable Mention:
Cake Pop - Red Velvet
Double D Cupcake - Chocolate Zin

Cupcake Activist's Pick for Best Original
Blue Cupcake
PB and J

I am a huge peanut butter and jelly fan. (I'm actually eating a PB & J sandwich for lunch today.) Blue Cupcake treated me with another delicious cupcake this year. I think people got thrown off by having two PB & J cupcakes at the event.

Best Original Honorable Mention:
Jus Minis - Josephine
The Cake Shop - Cherry Bomb

Cupcake Activist's Pick for Best Overall
My Delight Cupcakery
Late Night Breakfast

I picked My Delight Cupcakery as my overall favorite because they had the whole package. Not just delicious cupcakes, but great presentation to go with it. They've got it all!

Although I'm sad it's over, I had a great time at Drink Eat Play's 2011 Cupcake Challenge. I can't wait until next next year. Below I've listed the links to my posts about this year's event, as well as other bloggers event recaps.

Cupcake Activist: LA Cupcake Challenge Event Summary

Cupcake Activist: The Competitors, Part One

Cupcake Activist: The Competitors, Part Two

Cupcake Activist: The Competitors, Part Three

Cupcake Activist: The Competitors, Part Four

Cupcake Activist: LA Cupcake Challenge 2011 Results

Simple Math Bakery

Custom made productions blog

When Tara Met Blog

Drink Eat Travel

LA Eater

Los Anjealous

Dessert Patrol

krafted by kelly

LA Cupcake Challenge 2011: The Competitors, Part One

My favorite cupcake competition of the year came and went too fast. Last year I had a blast and was not disappointed this year. The LA Cupcake Challenge showcases some of the best cupcakes in the LA area. I could barely contain my giddiness as I walked into the room and saw all of the cupcakes.

Yesterday I posted the results of the competition, but for the rest of the week I am introducing all of the cupcakes entered in the contest, along with their contact info. I will also be posting my picks for the best cupcakes.

Fairy Cakes Bakery
www.fairycakesbakery.com
Facebook: Fairy Cakes Bakery
Orange County, CA

19: Pineapple Right Side Up
Loved their cupcake flavors last year, but not so much this year

The Cake Shop
www.bakerysweets.com/The_Cake_Shop
Apple Valley, CA

15: Red Velvet
Same red velvet as last year, but I really like the chocolate ganache, as it sets it apart from other red velvets.

35: Chery Bomb
One of my favorite cupcakes of the day. I'm not normally a cherry person, but this cupcake tasted just like a cherry cordial.

Sugar Babies Cupcakery
www.sugarbabiescupcakery.com
Twitter: @Sugar_Babies
Facebook: Sugar Babies Cupcakery
Cupcake truck in LA Area

32: PB and J
Good peanut butter frosting.

12: Breakfast at Tiffany's

Pretty blue color, but plain taste.

Magnolia Bakery
www.magnoliabakery.com
Twitter: @magnoliabakery
Facebook: Magnolia Bakery
Los Angeles, CA

I've been wanting to try Magnolia Bakery since they opened a LA location. I finally had my chance.

25: S'mores

I liked the look of these cupcakes because they were all different. The cake was dry, but because of that, it tasted more like a graham cracker. The frosting was a good mix between buttercream and marshmallow.

26: Orange

Blah. My friend Jill liked this, but I'm not much of an orange fan.

See the results of LA Cupcake Challenge here. Check back soon to see the next set of competitors.

LA Cupcake Challenge: The Competitors, Part Four

Here's the last of the competitors from the LA Cupcake Challenge!

Speakeasy Sweets 

33: Irish Car Bomb
34: Amaretto Sour
www.speakeasysweets.com
Twitter: @speakeasysweets
Comment: All of their cupcakes are cocktail-infused.

 

Sweet E's

11: Chocolate Vanilla Swirl

36: Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

www.sweetesbakeshop.com

Twitter: @SweetEsBakeShop

Comment: Recognize this woman? She was on the pilot of The Food Network's Cupcake Wars a few months ago. I felt like I was meeting a celebrity! Loved the frosting on these cupcakes.

  

  

Tavern Restaurant

12: Vanilla

37: Salted Caramel

www.tavernla.com

Comment: These cucpakes were made by the pastry chefs at Tavern Restaurant in LA. They were beautifully presented.

  

  

The Cake Shop

13: Red Velvet

38: Orange Cranberry

(Can't find info on them and I lost their business card. Email me if you have info.)

Comment: The chocolate ganache on top of the red velvet was a nice twist from the usual. The frosting was a good consistency on both cupcakes.

  

  

Two Parts Sugar

14: Vanilla Throwback

39: Chocolate Covered Strawberry

www.twopartssugar.com

Twitter: @twopartssugar

Comment: The Chocolate Covered Strawberry was one of my favorites. Reminded me of a strawberry cream See's chocolate, with chocolate cake attached. I also thought their booth was well put together, with a fun theme.

  

  

  

Urban Sweets

40: Spiced Apple with Brown Sugar

www.urbansweetsbakery.com

Twitter: @urbansweets

Comment: Apples are one of my favorite foods. It's always fun to see them in cupcakes, which doesn't happen very often. Good combo of flavors.

 

Did you check out the other competitors? Group One, Group Two, Group Three 

More importantly, did you see who won? Find the results of the LA Cupcake Challenge here.