CakeSpy Undercover: Yellow Leaf Cupcake Company, Seattle

After having conversed and emailed with Yellow Leaf Cupcake Company's co-owner Mike Hein for the DailyCandy article I wrote, I naturally had to hit them up on their opening day. I arrived at a little after 8 a.m., and was informed that I was their sixth customer--ever. Sweet!

Yellow Leaf has a sweet story--owners Mike Hein and Tony Portugal both quit their office jobs and set to visiting cupcake shops all across America before opening their own shop in Belltown. The shop itself is sweet, with warm yellow walls. Their menu is homey but still eclectic-- standout flavors include their signature, the Tomato Soup Cupcake with cocoa Italian buttercream.

I picked up three flavors: the Tomato Soup (natch), the Black Forest and (upon Mike's suggestion) the coconut. The cupcakes are a little spendy--$9.69 including tax for three--and are not overwhelmingly large, but have a satisfying weight. They package them in clear plastic containers, which may not be as pretty as a pink box, but they do keep the cupcakes safe.

So how were they? Here are my comments:

The Tomato Soup Cupcake (shown top) was a pleasant spice cake-y confection--if you didn't know it was made with tomato soup, you probably wouldn't know the source of its je ne sais quoi. The cake was pleasingly moist. I have to admit I think I would have preferred more of a flavor contrast with perhaps a cream cheese frosting (and I will note that Mike did mention on our first conversation that it may be served this way in the future).

The Coconut was actually surprisingly light for what can sometimes be a very rich and heavy flavor--and the slightly crunch coconut gave a satisfying texture against the soft cake and buttercream. This was my favorite.

The Black Forest The cake itself was gorgeous, exceedingly decadent and almost truffle-like. I did wish that the toppings had a little bit more muscle though--they were on the lighter side, and the flavor and textures weren't completely harmonious with the dense chocolate cake.

Now, I've only tried a small sampling of their products, but overall, it seemed to me that their flavors all had merits, and that it was a pretty impressive first-day showing. I think that Yellow Leaf shows potential, and I'm eager to see (and taste) more. 

Read more about them on my DailyCandy writeup!

Yellow Leaf Cupcake Company, online at theyellowleafcupcake.com.

Sweet Fancy: Pinkies-Out Desserts at the Four Seasons

Truth: I don't often eat fancy food. It's true--perhaps it comes from a lack of culture (I am from New Jersey, after all), but usually I'd rather have a really good brownie or chocolate chip cookie instead of an ile flottante or a dessert served with a reduction of anything.

But I must say that after a recent visit to the Four Seasons in Seattle for a special event, I was most impressed by the fancy--but delicious--desserts by pastry chef Ryan Witcher. He's worked at some pretty fancy places and his skill is apparent, but he is completely friendly and accessible. His personality shows through in the desserts, which are pinkies-out fancy but with tongue in cheek touches like a Parisian-style macaron flavored like a snickers bar, or truffle "pops" fancied up with strawberry and basil. But enough talk--let's get to the sweetness:

Here are the Strawberry Basil Truffle Pops and homemade Rocher;


In the foreground here, you see the "Snickers" macarons, then Apple Almond Tarts, then 
Strawberry-Rhubarb Bubble Tea with Basil Tapioca (kind of a take on bubble tea);


Strawberry-Fennel Panna Cotta (which, like, levitated! OMG!);

Coconut macaroons and Passion Fruit-Raspberry Tarts;

and finally, Florentines with Eastern Washington Sage Honey. 

Moreover, mos' def the stuff of sweet dreams.

Though these items were made for a special event and might not be on the menu daily, you can sample pastry chef Ryan Witcher's creations at ART Restaurant, 99 Union Street, Seattle; online at artrestaurantseattle.com.

Holey Cake: When Doughnuts and Cupcakes Collide

Photo c/o Justjennrants.blogspot.com

It seems that after the recent list of doughnut links, some additional commentary is necessary on the subject of the doughnut-cupcake combination.

When doughnut muffins reached the mainstream, it was only a matter of time before a slightly more awesome counterpart, the doughnut cupcake, entered the scene.

And they've entered in a big way, with all sorts of delicious variations. Here are just a few:

• On JustJenn Rants & Raves, the blog of a stationery designer and baking enthusiast, Jenn made a batch of insanely cute doughnut-topped cupcakes--while she says that they came out just as she had hoped, she does admit that ultimately
  

I do think pastry on pastry is a bit over the top - I feel like I've just made the turducken of desserts.

Of course, there is no mention of anyone declining a bite of these sweet treats.

• On the lovely and amazing Bake & Destroy, Natalie made probably the best use ever of the new Starbucks VIA instant coffee by mixing it into the cupcakes and buttercream, and then topping it all off with a powdered sugar doughnut for a dizzying rush of sugar and a satisfying mixture of textures and tastes.

• Of course, if you like the doughnut muffin style, on Elle's New England Kitchen, the doughnut muffin gets a sweet makeover with the addition of frosting and sprinkles--um, Elle, we think that means it's a doughnut cupcake now. And oh, so deliciously so.

• In that vein, at Retro Bakery in Las Vegas, they they have not one, not two...but three doughnut cupcake varieties on their menu: the "Glazed Donut" (Vanilla cake drenched in donut glaze), the "Sprinkled Donut" (Vanilla cake dipped in chocolate fudge ganache and rainbow jimmies) and "Coffee and Donuts" (Vanilla cake covered in donut glaze and topped with a dollop of coffee buttercream). Oh yes.

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links!

This week's links are brought to you by the letter D, as in Donut. Or Doughnut, whichever you prefer.

Looking for a vegan donut fix in Baltimore? Discover Emily's Desserts (they ship too!).

Coolest catering company ever? In Florida, Donut Divas specializes in donuts, fair food and carnival games.

Glazed Donuts is a Chicago-based special-order donut maker which will "satisfy your sustainable sweet tooth".

Don't eat plain cookies like some kind of jerk--make these super awesome Homer Simpson-inspired Doughnut Cookies.

The Donut Database was created by Natalie of Bake & Destroy, and is a resource that every donut lover should bookmark. Now.

The Donut Muffin just got awesomer with chocolate glaze and sprinkles.

Even if you're vegan and on a raw diet, there's no reason on earth why you can't still enjoy a donut hole.

At ART Restaurant at The Four Seasons in Seattle, pastry chef Ryan Witcher's vanilla sugar-dusted doughnuts served with  fromageblanc and seasonal fruit compote are completely enthralling.

Upscale doughnuts, demystified: here's an interesting essay on the subject.

Let's all swoon one more time over the donut-inspired soft-serve ice cream at Momofuku.

Bee Sting Donuts? Yes please: My Baking Adventures tries out the recipe from the Sweet Melissa Patisserie cookbook.

What exactly does "Time to make the doughnuts" mean? Find out the story here.

Donut vs. doughnut: which is correct? Just in case you needed a refresher.

Cake Poll: How Do You Eat A Cupcake?

Musing over methods of snack-eating is practically an American pastime. There have been ad campaigns centered on how people eat Reese's Peanut Butter Cups; there have been studies on the characteristics associated with various methods of Oreo-eating.

But now, it's time to attack the sweetest treat of all: the cupcake. Tell us how you eat yours in the comment section, and you'll be entered to win a completely awesome prize pack, which will include:

• an original framed piece of CakeSpy artwork: Cupcakes and Zombies!
• a set of Bella Cupcake Couture cupcake liners
  
• a box of CakeSpy notecards
  
• a brand-new (hot off the press!) mini notebook featuring Cupcakes at CBGB!
• a pack of cupcake lip balm

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How do you eat yours?

Do you eat it with a knife and fork, pinkies out?

Do you tear it in half and discard the bottom so as to increase the frosting-to-cake ratio?

Do you invert it, sandwich-style, to keep your fingers free of frosting?

Do you eat yours with a spoon, served in a dish of milk?

...Or do you just dig in?

Can't wait to read your responses! A winner will be chosen at random shortly after the cake poll closes at noon (12 p.m. PST) on Friday, May 15.